The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-01-19
The PLATFORM.
A DE CLARATIoN OF PRINCIPLES BY THE
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.


lowing is the platform agreed to by
the Democratic State Convention
The rcassembled representatives of
the Democratic party OF Pennsylvania
reafiirm the declaration of principles
adopted III the State Convention on
September Io, 1895. They again de
clare their faith in the platform of the
Chicago Convention upon which the
Democratic party gained control of
the legislative and executive branches
of the government in 1902. They re.
new their hearty expressions of con.
fidence in the leadership of President
Grover Cleveland they cordially in.
dorse his administration, and com.
mend the courage, 6rnness and up
rightness with which it has maintain
ed the faith of the government at home
and upheld its honor and dignity
abroad. They again indorse and an.
prove the wise, economical and honest
administration Of Governor Pattison.
which has kept its pledges and has
been true to every interest of the
Commonwealth.
Recognizing the issues involved in
the nomination made to-day to be
directly and especially related to Fed
eral legislation, the Democracy of
Pennsylvania declares that
I. The present disturbed condition
o. the business and finances of the
country is the natural and inevitable
consequence of long years of Republi-
can maladministration and vicious
legislation. Inequitable and oppres.
sive tariff laws, wastefulness and pro.
fiigacy in public expenditures and
cowardly financial makeshifts are re-
sponsible for the prostration of Ameri-
can industries, the arrangement of the
currency and the deficit in the FEEDER
al revenue.
2. The extravaganza of a Republi-
can Congress, tolerated and abetted
by Republican administration of the
executive departments, wasted a sur
plus of more than $Ioo, 900, 900,
which had been gathered into the pub
lie Treasury by Democratic admin.
istration, and left deficit of over Sso,.
900, 900 in its stead.
3. Evasive legislation on the cur.
rency by successive Republican Con-
crosses debased the public moneys,
rendered the standard of values shift
ing and uncertain, disturbed confidence
and wrought financial disaster, from
which the slow but sure recovery of
the Country is mainly due to the cour-
age, fidelity and consistency of
Democratic President,
4. Three years experience of the
Mckinley Republican high tariff bill
has resulted in general business de-
preston and in wreck and ruin to
manufacturing and commercial inter
ests. This result has fully justified
the Democratic opposition to that
measure and the demand for its re-
peal, which found expression in the
overwhelming Democratic victory Of
1892.
S. Every consideration of political
honor, fidelity and expediency de
mands that the pledges upon which
that victory was won shall be faith
fully and fully kept and that the
Democratic Congress shall revise the
tariff by promptly passing the Wilson
bill reported by the ways and means
committee, to the end that the raw
materials necessary to American in
dustries shall be admitted free of duty;
that tariff taxes shall be lowered on
the necessaries of life, and that i'm
port duties shall be distributed with a
view of tightening the burdens of the
rany instead of protecting the inter.
ests of favored few.
6. We denounce as crime against
the business interests of the country,
against the prosperity of the people,
against the welfare of the workingmen,
the efforts of the Republican minority
in Congress to delay and to prevent
the settlement of the tariff question
We call upon our representatives in
Congress so to act and vote as to
promptly determine this issue in ac-
cordance with Democratic promises
and Democratic professions.
7. A speedy and thorough revision
of the tariff on the lines of Demo
cratic policy enunciated by the last
Democratic National Convention and
adopted by the Democratic President
will revive the industries of the Ameri
can manufacturer, enhance the profits
of the American farmer, increase the
wages of the American mechanic and
enlarge their purchasing power, stimu
late our export trade and restore oul
supremacy in the commerce of the
seas.
8. To these principles and policie:
we pledge the candidate for Congress