The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1895-07-25
Kentucky ElamocralIc State platform.


FIRsr-The Democracy OF Kentucky
IN convention assembled congratulate
the country upon the repeal of the Nc.
kinley tariff law, and upon the evidences
we have on every hand of returning
prosperity, under the operations of re.
duced and equalized taxation; and we
denounce ~ fraught with danger and
disaster the threat Of our Republican
adyersaries to re-establish protective
tariff and 10 reinaugurate d policy 0f
unequal taxation, which in connection
with general misgoyernment by the Re.
publican party eliminated in the bus.
SIMS panic Of 1898. e.
SECoND--The Democratic party, which
has always stood for the separation Of
church and state, for the sake alike Of
civil and religious freedom, does not hes.
itate to condemn all efforts to create a
distinction among citizens because of
differences in faith as repugnant to an
enlightened age aud abhorrent to the ia
stincts of American freemen.
THIRD-We reaffirm without qualih.
cation the principles and policies de-
cIared by the National Democratic Plat.
form Of 1892, and declare that our pres.
ent National Democratic Administra-
ton is entitled TO the thanks of the
party for its honest, courageous and
stntesmanlike management of public af-
fairs; and we express our undlminished
confidence in the Democracy and patri-
otism of President Grover Cleveland and
his distinguished co.adviser and SeCre.
tary, John G. Carlyle, of Kentucky.
FOURTH-When the Democratic par
ty came into power in 1867 the bonded
Indebtedness of Kentucky was over
$4,600,000. The nominal value of the
assets of the sinking fund was about
SS,OOO,O0O, made up in part of internal
Improvements that cost over and were
carried at valuation of 81 100000, but
which yielded at that time no net reve-
nue., and were worth in cash only about
100000, thus showing an actual deficit
in the sinking fund AS compared with
our Indebtedness of about 100000.
Since 1867 the bonded Indebtedness has
been reduced to $650,000, and the avail
able assets of the sinking fund more than
equal that sum.
We have increased the annual appro.
priatiOn for support of our charitable
institutions from $250,000 in 1867 to
$500,O00 in 1895, and while improving
our judicial system by increasing the
number of courts and the frequency of
their terms we have been compelled to
increase our expenditures, one of the
greatest items of which is the cost of
criminal prosecutions, and a not ceable
fact in connection with which is that the
increase is greatest in districts controlled
by Republican officials. We have new.
ertheless been able to decrease the cuer
/ rent rate of taxation for general rev.
nue. purposes from twenty cents on the
one hundred dollars of taxable property
in 1867 to fifteen cents in 1895. The
Democratic majority have voluntarily
increased the annual expenditures for
the support Of common schools from
1886, 900 in 1867 to about $1,000, 900 in
1895, and by wisely providing separate
schools for the two races are today Civ.
ing to the children of the colored race
opportunities for education they nowhere
else enjoy.
In the face of unexampled difficulties
the Democratic party has succeeded in
wholly Withdrawing convict labor from
competition with free labor and in abol,
ishing the practice inherited from the Re
publican party of leasing the cOnvicts tn
parties interested solely in making profit
out of their labor, and in adopting the
modern and improved methods by which
the state and its officers are made direct
ly responsible for the management Of
our state prisons and under which our
penitentiary system has been and is be-
ing greatly improved.
During the twenty-eight years the
people have intrusted the Democratic
party with the control of the state gov.
eminent its administration has been
characterized by the strictest economy
and integrity, and in this regard we in
vite comparison with any Republican
state government.
FIFTH-We express our confidence in
the wisdom aud honesty with which the
present state administration has con-
Quoted the affairs of our state govern.
ment.
THE HERALD and Courier-Jour-