The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-09-09
The Go|d Democrats.
The Nominees Chosen and
Platform Adopted.

INDIANAPOLIS. Sept. 3-The second
and final days session Of the nation
al Democratic party was conducted
with the same business celebrity that
marked the opening proceedings It
closed up all It's business, platform.
nominations and everything else in a
continuous session of less than five
hours. Then it adjourned sine die
without once ;ndulging in any ex-
travagant hippodrome proceedings,
or at any time permitting its order of
business to be interfeled with by the
galleries In this respect the con
vention was an object lesson as to
what national conventions might be
made if the plans suggested inil8S2
by ex-Consu' General Collins, OF
Boston, as to the Limitation of spec
tators, in some moni6ed form, were
adopted by the great national parties
The nominees were Senator John
McAuley Palmer. Of Illinois, for
President Ex-Governor Simon Boil
var Buckner, of Kentucky. for Vice
President.
Both candidates were born in Ken.
lucky. One wore the blue, the ther
the grey, so Louisville, the capital of
the "dark ond bloody ground" was
appropriately designated as the place
of notification for both candidates.
September IL, being the date assign,
ed The convention was rich in
oratory throughout. but the speech of
Col. w C P. Breckinridge, of Ken.
tucky, easily took rank as one of the
most effective campaign utterances
heard in recen years.
Before adjourning the convention
took the precaution of clothing it's
executive committee with fuI: power
to take all proper steps TO secure
recognition for the ticket in States
where the Australian ballot law or
other Legislation might interpose OBJ
stacles to the recognition of two
Democratic tickets, each claiming to
be regular This difficulty is aatici-
pated in Ohio and some other States
in the accepted battle ground in the
middle west.
THE PLATFORM.
This convention has assembled to
uphold the principles upon which de-
pend the honor and welfare of the
American people in order that the
Democrats throughout the Union may
unite their patriotic efforts to avert
disaster from their country and ruin
from their party.
The Democratic party is pledged
to equal and exact justice to all men
of every creed and condition to the
largest freedom of the individual con-
sistant with good government to the
preservation of the federal govern
ment in its constitutional vigor and
to the support of the States in all
their just rights sc economy in the
public expenditures; to the mainten
ance of the public faith and sound
money, and it is opposed to pattern
alism and all class legislation
The declarations of the Chicago
convention attack individual freedom,
the right of private contract, the
independence of the judiciary and
the authority of the President to en-
force fedora. laws They advocate a
reckless attempt to increase the price
of silver by Legislation to the debase-
ment of our monetery standard and
threaten unlimited issues Of paper
money by the government. They
abandon for Republican allies the
Democratic cause of tariff reform to
court the favor of protectionists to
their fiscal heresy In view of these
and other grave departures from
Democratic principles, we cannot
support the candidates of that con
vention nor be bound by it's acts.
The Democratic party has survived
many defeats. but could not rervive
a victory won in behalf Of the doc
:rine and policy proclaimed in its
name at Chicago.
The conditions, however, which
make possible such u:teances from
national convention are the direct
result of class legislation by the Re
publican party 1t still psoclaims,
as it has for years, the power and
duty of the government to raise and
maintain prices by law, and it pro
poses no remedy for existing evils
except oppressive and unjust tax
alton
The national Democracy here re-
convened therefore renews it's de-
claration of faith in Democratic
principles, especially as applicable to
the conditions of the times. Tax
ation, tariff. excise or direct, is