The Opelousas courier., 1896-07-25

last session of the United States Senate
and now pending in the House relative
to contempt in Federal Courts and pro-
viding for trials by jury in certain cases
Of contempt. No discrimination should
be INDUCED by the government of the
United States in favor of any OF its
debtors.
eve approve of the refusal of the Fiji
ty-third Congress to pass the Pacific
Railroad Funding bill, and denounce
the effort of the present Republican
Congress to enacta similar measure.
Recognizing the just claims of de
serving Union soldiers, we heartily ell
dorse the rule of the the present Com
shall be arbitrarily dropped from the
pension roll, and tie fact of enlistment
and service should he deemed con
elusive evidence against disease
or disability before enlistment.
"We favor the admission of the Ter
ritories of New Mexico and Arizona into
the Union as States, and we favor the
early admission OF all the Territories
having the necessary population and re-
sources emitting them tt Statehood,
and while they remain Territories we
hold that the officials appointed to adj
minister the government of u Terri
tory, together with the District of Col
umbia and Alaska, should be bona tide
residents of the Territory or district in
which their duties are to be performed.
The Democratic party believes in home
rule, and that all public lands of the
United States should be applied to the
establishment of free homes for Ameri-
can citizens.
We recommend that the territory of
A tncl,n hn rxra ,,tul - l,l-> =. ft-,
gress, and that the general land aud
tended to said territory.
We extend our sympathy te the peo-
pie of Cuba in their heroic struggle for
liberty and independence.
We are opposed to life tenure in pub.
lie service. We favor appointments
based upon merits, fixed terms of office
and such an administration of the civil
service laws as will afford equal op
%pOrtunities to all citizens of ascertained
fitness. We declare it to be the I'M
written law Of this republic, established
by custom and usage of one hundred
years and sanctioned by the examples
of the greatest and wisest of those who
formed and have maintained our gov
eminent that no man should be eligible
for a third term of the presidential Of
fee.
The Federal government should care
for and improve the Mississippi river
and other great waterways of the re-
public SO as to secure for the interior
States easy aud cheap transportation
to tide water. When any waterway of
the republic is of sufficient Importance
to demand aid of the government, such
aid should be extended upon a definite
plan of continuous work until perina-
nent improvement is secured.
Contiding in the justice of OE cause
and the necessity of it's success at the
polls, we submit the Observation-Disclosures
ton of principles and purposes to the
considerable judgment of the American
people. We invite the support of all
citizens who approve them and who de-
sire to have them made effective
throuh legislation for the relief of the
people and the restoration of the cenu-
try's prosperity.
The Constitution of the United States
guarantees to every citizen the rights
OF civil and religious liberty. The
Democratic party has always been the
exponent Of political liberty and re-
liglOus freedom, and it IeneWs its
obligations and affirms the devotion
to these fundamental principles of The
Constitution.
We are in favor of the arbitration
OF differences between employees en-
gagged in interstate commerce and their
employers and recommend such IegisIa-
ton as Is necessary TO carry out this
principle.