Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-04

efnIHSHL INTO one, and tnuS TO create
real despotism," and declared itself in SO
many words for "home rule" The plat
form of 1884 declares for the preservation
of personal rights, of the reserved rights
of states and the supremacy of the fed
eral government, within the limits of the
constitution" as the Indispensable basis
of freedom, and reaffiirms the liberal prin-
ciples embodied by Jefferson in the De-
claration of Independence and sanctioned
in the constitution. The platform OF 1883
not only reaffirms that of 1884 in these
points, but denounces the republican par
ty for refusing statehood and self-govern-
ment to our own qualified territories, and
expresses cordial sympathy with the
struggling peoples of all nations, and
especially with the Irish in their contest
for home rule. In 1892 not only did the
party in its platform denounee the re-
publican party for its attempts to con-
troll elections by federal interference
therein, and for their efforts to enact
1.-THE most infamous bill that ever crossed
the threshold of the senate namely,
Lodges detestable force bill, and thereby
usurp "despotic control over elections III
AFT the states" but used the following
language in the first and most prominent
section of it's creed:
"Section l. The representatives of the
democratic party of the United states IN
national convention assembled, DO rear.
firm their allegiance to the principles OF
the party as formulated by Jefferson ana
exemplified by the long and illustrous
line of his successors in democratic lead
ership from Madison to Cleveland; we
believe the public welfare demands that
these principles be applied to the con-
duct of the federal government through
the accession to power of the party that
advocates them, and we solemnly declare
that the need of a return to these funda-
mental principles of free popular gov
eminent, based on home rule ana lndl-
yidual liberty, was never more urgent
than now, when the tendency to central-
ize all power at the federal capital mas
become a menace to the reserved rights
Of the states that strike at the very roots
of our government under the constllu-
ton as framed by the fathers of the re-
public
Thus we have in 1892 a strenuous rear.
firmation ratified and approved by the
people at the polls, of the party's allie
glance to it's principles "as fornuIated
nv Jefferson. and exemplified by the long
and illustrious line of his successors IN
democratic leadership, from Madison 10
Cleveland" the vile apostasy therelroii
of this person last named not having theh
developed, nor being even remotely sus-
pected Herein we have summed up III
one. and reasserted every democratic ae-
liverance from the resolutions Oh 1850
down. on the vital subject OF home-ruie
and individual liberty, the sovereignty
and reserved rights of the states anu
tbe dangerous tendencies to centransm'
striking at the very roots of our govern
mont under the constitution as framed
nv the fathers of the republic. Let any
candid man now compare this language
of the platform of 1892 with that OF the
Dlatform of 1885, which denounces ar
hitrarv interference by federal authori-
ties In local affairs" and if the platform
of 1892 is right and democratic, let him
point out and prove what is not So and
vbv IT is not so, in the platform of 1896.
Section w of Article " of 1.-The Con-
stituion. as framed by the fathers of the
renublic." contains the only grant to
federal authority even to intervene in
the local affairs of the jeople; and it care
fully prescribes the conditions and mode
of it's exercise. 1.-The United States shall
Guarantee to every state in this union a
republican form of government, and shall
nrOteCt
on application of the legislature. or of the
executive (when the legislature cannot
be convened) against domestic violence.
These are all the cases in which the
federal authority is justified or excused
in even appearing or taking any action
in local matters. All other interVentlohs
by it, under any pretext whatever are
lawless and in derogation OF the honof'
the rights and sovereignty of the states
and the people.
Nowhere in the constitution of the
United States, or of any state, is there
anv nrovision or allowance for "arbi-
trarv" action of any department or OF
fetal of the government To assert such
to be the fact, is to affirm that we i've
under a despotism, and not a republic,
and that we are governed, not by law,
hut by the capricious whims, discretion
and will of tyrants, and evinces an utter
IGNORANCE of the nature of liberty and
free government.
We repeat, that here is not one word
in the platform of 1896 that criticizes or
questions the exrcise of any constitu-
tional or lawful authority of the federal
government-not one that antagonizes
Ine IullSSt SASSbeiOA "a oHS 10" "a sfiS
United States. 1t does denounce, and
ought to denounce, every exercise of ar
bitrary power-which can never be law
full here-every arbitrary exercise of
power of any sort-which can never be
anything less than an assault upon free
dom, whether 1t comes in the shape of
open usurpation or disguised by pre-
tense Of the exercise of legitimate pow
ers, apparently for rightful objects, bat
really for purposes abhorrent to and Sub
versive of those for which they were
granted. When the democratic party