The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-09-10

The platform adopted by the Ma
tional Democrats at indianapolis last
week Will be found on one of the out
side pages OF this weeks issue. No
democrat should fail to read this de
clalefon of democratic principles. 1t
is the ablest, cleanest exposition OF
democratic doctrine ever made by
democratic convention. and is all the
more noteworthy in coming at time
when trades are made to secure votes
and conventions have more the APP
pearance of auctions than of political
assemblages designed to assert party
principle.
The platform has no uncertain ut
torrance on any pablo issue. 1t is
promulgated by men who have sacri-
feed every personal political ambition
for the good Of the country and the
integrity of the party faith. 1t is
democratic in every feature and de
mards that government limit its func
tons to the purposes for which gov
eminent is instituted, and thus by ex-
tending no favor to any class do JUS
tice to all 1t Is a demand for return
to first principles Of popular govern
ment so that laws may be enacted for
the popular good and not in the in
terests of the few. 4 shows that taxa
ton is rightfully imposed only for
public purposes and not for private
gain, and denounces protection and
It's ally, free coinage of silver las
schemes for the personal profit of the
few at the expense of the many" 1t
shows that the experience of the world
has demonstrated that gold is the
necessary money of large transactions
of commerce, and silver is adapted to
the minor transactions. and that the
beneficial use of both can be insured
only by making gold the standard and
having the coinage of silver under the
control Of government.
1t is impossible to give an adequate
idea Of this message by mere synop
sis. 1t must be read to be fully ap.
preclated What it says specifically
Of issues now before the people will
be read with greatest interest But
its most important utterance is that
with reference to combining the gov
eminent to the exercise of its legiti
mate functions All our evils so for as
they have grown out OF i'll advised
legislation, are due to the fact that
government has assumed functions
which in no sense belong toit. People
have become impressed with the idea
that government can in some way
create wealth. Any one who reflects
cannot but perceive it is only industry,
the product of labor whether manual or
intellectual,which produces wealth. If
the government enacts laws which
enable a person to acquire wealth
beyond the limits of the legitimate
employment he is engaged in, it must
be at the expense Of some other person
against whom it discriminates. On
the broad principle of justice this is
wrong. Every one should enjoy the
fruit of his own industry and the
purpose of the law should be to secure
him in this right. The infiction of a
wrong upon one portion OF the com
munity by law in the interests of an
other portion, is perversion of the
functions of government, an abuse of
its powers. 1t it is acquiesced in by
the general public it will lead to
further oppression Of one side and fav-
ortism toward the other
One can easily see wherein our gov
eminent has broken over the barriers
of Legitimate exercise of power, and
how the evil gains strength by in
diligence First it was protection, and
political campaigns We're conducted on
schedule OF prices of commodities,
as if government was a workshop or a
grocery store instea al of an institution
designed to protect the individual in
his rights and preserve social order.
Then came demand fol special ad-
vantage to a class beyond anything
heretofore attempted, which was to be
direct and Immediate, but clothed in
the usual sophistries of indirect bene-
fit to others. That is that silver
owners should have the coinage profit
the government now has, thus doub-
ling the value of their product. And
this scheme is urged because it is for
the public good. The mine owner
cannot be enriched unless at the ex-
pense of others as the government
cannot create wealth Thus far have
we gone in favoritism because govern
ment has departed from its legitimate
functions, We are going farther I'M
less the tide is checked. Government
will soon be asked to buy all the rail
roads, to buy the telegraph lines and
public utilities in fact to engage in
every line of business, trade, com
merce, manufacture and transporta-
ton.
The indianapolis platform in de
manding that government return to
its Legitimate functions, demands that
this rush to destructive paternalism
and interference with natural laws of
development cease. 1t is the first
political convention which touched
tho sore spot and it requests that the
people apply the remedy Every
petty consideration of selfishness
should be discarded while studying
the trnths of this platform. There
was no selfishness involved in the
preparation Of this platform. 1t is
Declaration of Independence against
class Legislation and against the evils
which we have so long supineIy yield
ed to-