The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-08-18
STATE AND NATIONAL PLATFORMS.

under the false plea Of protection 10 hOm'
industry. proved a prolific breeder o
trusts and mOnOpOlieS. enriched the few
at the expense Of the many, restricted
trade and deprived the producers OF th'
great American staples OF access 10 then
natural markets.
Until the money question is settled We
are opposed To any agitation for further
changes in our tariff laws, except such a.
are necessary to make up the deficit IL
the revenue caused by the adverse deciS'
ion Oi the Suprru g Court on the income
tax. But for this decision by the Su'
Dreme Court there would be no deficit IN
the revenue under he law passed by q
Democratic Congress i'm Strirt pursuance
OF the uniform decisions OF that court fol
nearly one hundred years. that court
having sustained constitutional Ob1ec-
tiOnS 70 its enactment, which have been
oyerruied by the ableSt judges who have
ever sat upon the bench. We declare
that it is the duty of Congress to use all
the constitutional power which remains
after that decision, or which may come
from lis reversal by the court as it may
hereafter be cOnstitut d. 30 that the bur
denS Of taxation may be equally and i'm
paltially laid to the end that wealth may
bear its due proportion Of the expenses OF
/ the Government
/ We hold that the most efficient way TO
| protect American labor is to prevent the
/ importation of fOreign pauper labor To
compete with it in the home market, and
/ that the value OF the home market to our
| American farmers and artisans is greatly
reduced by a vicious monetary system
which depresSeS the prices of their pro
ducts below the cost of production, and
| thus deprives them of the means of pur-
chasing the products Of our home manu-
/ facturerS.
| The absorption of wealth by the few,
| the consolidation of our leading railroad
systems and the fOrmatiOnOf trusts and
/ pools require a Stricter control by the
/ Federal Government of those arte les of
commerce. We demand the enlargement
! of the powers of the Interstate Commerce
/ Commission, and such restrictions and
/ guarantees in the control Of railroads as
, will protect the people from robbery anC
| oppression.
We denOunce the prOhigate waste Of thu
money wrung from the people by OppreS
Sive taxation and the lavish apprOpria-
tionS of recent Republican COngresse!
which have kept the taxes gh viii e thC
| labor that pays them is unemployed, anC
the products of the peoples toll are de
pressed in price till they no longer repa!
the cost of production. We demand a re
turn of that simplicity and economy
which BELTS Democratic government anC
a reduction in the number of useless Off
ces, the salaries of which drain the sub
stance of the people.
! We denounce arbitrary interference b!
Federal authorities in local affa rs as {
violation of the constitution of the Unit
ed States and a crime against free inSti-
tutiOnS. and we especially object to gov
eminent by injunction as a new ant
highly dangerous form of oppression b,
which Federal judges, in contempt of tn
laws of the States and the rights of citi
Zens. become at once legislators, judge
and eXecutiOnerS; and we approve the bill
passed at the last session of the Cnitet
States Senate and now pending in tn,
House relative to COntemptS in Fedora
courts and providing for trials by jury il
certain cases of contempt,
No discrimination should be indulget
by the government Of the United State
i'm favor of any of its debtors. We ap
prove Of the refusal of the Fifty hire
Congress to pass the Pacific Railroad
funding bill. and denOunce the effort 0
the present Republican Congress to enac
asmilar measure.
Recognizing the just claims of deServ
ing union soldiers, we heartily indOrSe tn
rule of the Commissioner of Pensions tina
no names shall be arbitrarily dropped
from the pension roll, and the fact of en-
liStment and service should be deemed
conclusive evidence against disease OF
disability before enlistment.
We favor the admission of the Terrific
rieS of New Mexico and Arizona into TIN
union as States, and we favor the earl,
admission Of all the Territories havinl
the necessary population and resources Il
entitIc them to statehood and while they
remain Territories we hold that the Off
cials appointed to administer the gov
ernment of any Territory, together will
the District of Columbia and Alaska
should be bona hde residents of the Ter
ritory or district in which their duties ar,
to be performed. The Democratic party
believes in home rule, and that all publ,
lands of the United States should be ap
prOpriated to the establishment of fret
homes for American citizens. We rec
ommend that the Territory of Alaska bC
granted a delegate in Congress, and tina
the general land and timber laws Of thu
United States be extended to said Terri
tory.
We extend our sympthy to the people o
Cuba in their heroic struggle for libert!
and Independence.
We are opposed to life tenure in tn,
public service. We favor appointment
based upon merit, fixed terms Of office anC
such an administration of the civil service
laws as will afford equal opportunities I,
all citizens of aSCertained fitness.
The Federal Government should carr
for and improve the Mississippi River anC
other great waterways OF the republic, 81
as to secure for the interior States easy
and cheap transportation to tide water
When any waterway of the republic is o
sufficient importance to demand aid Of tn,
Gov rnment such aid should be extended
upon definite plan of continuous worl
until permanent Improvement is secured
We declare it to be the unwritten Law
of this republic, established by the Gus.
toms and usagGS Of a hundred years, and
sanctioned by the examples Of the great
est and wiscst Of those who founded anC
have maintained our Government, tina
no man should be eligible for third tern
of the Presidential Office.
The constitution Of the United State
guarantees to every citizen the rights o
civil and religious liberty. The Demo
cratic party has always been the eXpOnen
Of political liberty and religious freedom
aud II rcncws its obligations and reaG
firms its devotion to these fundamental
principles Of the constitution,
We are in favor of the arbitration o
differences between employers engaged II
interstate commerce and their employee
and recommend such legislation as Is nee
cssary to carry out this principle.
Confding in the justice Of our caus,
and the necessity Of its success at tn,
polls. we submit the foregoing declara
tion Of principles aud purpose to the con
sideratc Judgment Of the American peo
pie. We invite the support Of all cit
zcns who approve them and who desire tC
have them made effective through legisla
tion for the relief Of the people aud tn,