Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-18
THB DHMOCRATTc pr,ATFoRM


 ty has adopted a sociasstlc and anarchis- tic platform:
 "When the godly MT. Wanamaker ex- eluded The Kreutzer Sonata from the mails he instilled an irresistible desire to read the book into the minds of multi tudes of people who would never have thought of such an amusement if it had not been represented as so delightfully."- shocking. The rampant Mckinley or gans are performing a similar service for the democetic platform. Party plat forms, as rule, are not particularly en- |. ticing reading, but the lurid attractions of the one adopted at Chicago have been described in such blood -eurdlng terms as to give at all the fascination of a TO- nance of piracy.
 "When the honest citizen timidly se cures a copy of this awful manifesto of revolution and anarchy and, locking himself up in his room, prepares to feast on horrors, what will he find? Suppose we take up the platform in order and sec Tn the first place, the democracy re- affirms it's allegiance to those great es< sential principles of justice and liberty upon which our institutions are founded, and which the democratic party has ad- Vocated from JeffersonS s time to our own freedom of speech. freedom of the press, freedom of conscience, the preser- Vation of personal rights, the equality Of all citizens before the law, and the faith- full observance of constitutional limlta- tions.'
 That would undoubtedly beincendiary ard revolutionary in Russia. It would insure it's authors a passage to Siberia. But in America it can be read, except by persons of extremely sensitive dlsposl- tionS, without a qualm.
 Next, the platform advocates the set clement of the financial question by the free coinage of silver, instead of by bona issues and the retirement Of the green backs This may be regarded as mis- taken policy but as 1t is one that has been vigorously advocated by leading men of both parties for the last twenty years, has been indorsed by scores or state conventions, both democratic and republican, and has commanded maJorl- ties in both houses of congress, 1t can hardly be considered wild explosion or nihilism. If a vote for free silver be am archy, then William Mckinley is at best only a reformed anarchist.
 .rhe disappointed citizen, still pur- suing the phantom atrocities of which the Mckinley organs have warned him, then reads:
 ".We hold that tariff duties should be levied for purposes of revenue ana that taxation should be limited by the needs of the government, honestly and econom- ieally administered. We denounce as disturbing to business the republican threat to restore the Mckinley law, which has been twice condemned by the DEODle III ndLlOfdl GitcllOilo anu WiitSAt' enacted under the false plea of protec- ton to home industry, proved prollnc breeder of monopolies, enriched the few at the expense of the many, restricted trade and deprived the producers of the great American staples of access to thelr natural markets.
 "'ITntil the money question is settled we are opposed to any agitation. TOT further changes in our tariff laws, ex- cept such as are necessary to meet the deficit in revenue caused by the adverse decision of the supreme court on the ln- come tax.
 "Plainly there Is no anarchy there Anarchists do not object to things that are disturbing to business disturbance is just what they want. The chleI op- lection old-fashioned democrats will ma to this plank is its intense conservatism. It opposes any present change in the tariff, except to raise more revenue. Radical democrats would prefer to see d further reduction of duties.
 But the elusive shudder seems at last to be at hand. Here IS the olreIui supreme court and income tax plank, which. according to the organs, reeks with the blood of slaughtered order:
 There would be no deficit in the revenue but for the annulment py the supreme court of a law passed by dem- ocratic congress in strict pursuance or the uniform decisions of that court TOT nearly 100 years, that court having sus- tained constitutional objections to It's en- actment which have been oVerruleu py the ablest judges who had ever sat on that bench. .,... e congress- to use all the constitutional pow or which remains after that decision, or which may come from it's reversal Dy tne court as 1t may hereafter be constituteu, so that the burdens of taxation may De eauallv and impartially laid, to the end oI1 ha1r DrODOrtlOn or Inc expenses of the government
 nOn examination the sanguinary char acter of this resolution seems to eVapo rate The first part of 1t IS slmpLy tne cool, unlmpassioned statement or aI @ uu- questioned historical fact. Nobody can deny that the platforms account or the nroeeedings in regard to the income tax Is literally correct. The secono part tnSh' must be that in which revolution iurhs. Js inc sedition in the declaration that It is inc dutv of congress to use all the con stitutional power that remains to IL so that the burdens of taxation may pc equally and impartially laid! or IS It III the hint that the supreme court may hereafter be constituted ollleIenliy Doubtless the latter, and yet we all know that the supreme court always has been constituted differently from time to tlme If if had been constituted differently last wear from it's composition at any time In the previous century the income tax
 
 one bond issue would have been spared and perhaps MT. Bryan might not have been nominated on free silver plat form.
 Next, the platform demands the pre- yention of the importation of foreign pauper labor, denounces the profiigate waste of public money and insists upon A return to simplicity and economy. The searcher for dime novel sensations passes hastily over this unpromising ground and proceeds to the next plank: i've denounce the arbitrary interfer- ence by federal authorities in local af- fairs as A viola ton of the constitution of the United States and crime against free institutions, and we especially ob- feet to government by injunction as new and highly dangerous form or op- nression. by which federal judges. in the contempt of the laws of the states and rights of citizens. become at once legis- lators, judges and executioners; ana we approve the bill passed at the last ses- .io,, oP tha Tinted States senate and now