Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-08-13

the platform promulgated by the Chi
cago Convention, for that repudiates
all past teachings and traditions of
the Democratic party and puts the
stamp of bad faith upon every pledge
made by the party to the people dur
ing the past twenty years.
The Chicago platform denounces
the civil service policy of the present
ADMINISTRATION as creating q life ten
| ure in Office and as denying equal OPP
portunities to citizens of ascertained
fitness.
Under the leadership of Samuel j..
Tilden the Democratic party in 1876
pledged itself to the reform of our
civil service. That pledge has been
renewed in every National Conven-
ton held since, save the one of this
year. That vas the issue above all
others on which Gro2 Q Cleveland
was elected in 1884. The platform of
| 1888 declared that: "Honest reform
in the civil service has been inaugu-
rated and maintained by President
Cleveland, and he has brought the
service to the highest standard of ef-
ficiency, not only by rule and precept,
but by the example of his own untir-
ing and unselfish administration of
public affairs" And in 1892 the Con-
| ventlon declared: "Pubiic office is a
public trust. We reaffirm the declara-
ton of the Democratic National Con-
vention of 1876 for the reform of the
| civil service, and we call for the hon.
| est enforcement of all laws regulating
| the same"
Mr.. Cleveland accepted these decla-
rations as sincere expressions of
Democratic purpose and policy, and
he has done all in his power to carry
them into effect. He has been loyal
to the party faith SO often %professed,
and because of his loyalty the Conven-
ton condemned him.
The Convention also denounced the
conduct of the President in suppress
ing the riots at Chicago in 1894, as an
arbitrary interference by Federal au-
thority in local affairs.
1t was established by Jackson as a
cardinal point of Democratic faith
that a law of the United States might,
and, if necessary, must, be supported
by all the power of the United States,
and when the Administration enforc-
ed the free passage of mails through,
and put down the attempted obstruc-
ton of commerce between the states
it merely executed the mandate of
Jackson. "The Union! By the eter-
nal, it must and shall be preserved"
At the time the action of the Presi-
dent had the full approval of the
Democratic Representatives of both
houses of Congress. The Senate Q
solved that 'sthe action of the Presi-
dent and his Administration has the
full sympathy and support of the law
abiding masses of the people of the
United States, and he will be support
ed by all departments of the Govern
ment, and by the power and resour-
ces of the entire nation"
John w. Daniel, the temporary
Chairman of the Chicago Convention,
was the author of the resolution.
Stephen M. White, permanent Chair
man of the Convention, as a Senator
voted for the resolution, and so, too,
did Vest, of Missouri, Jones, of Arkan-
sas, Blackburn, Of Kentucky, Harris,
of Tennessee, Walsh, of Georgia, and
other members of the senatorial cabal
which ruled the Chicago Convention.
AS Senators they declared the ae-
ton of the President had the full sym
pathy of the law-abiding masses of
the people of the United States. When
as delegates they denounced this ac-
ton, they consciously and confessedly
truckled to the elements of anarchy |
and disorder.
It is not surprising that in this Con-
vention ruled by Senators the ques-
ton of tariff reform was indefinitely
postponed. We remember it was by
the Senate, professedly Democratic at
the time, tina, u great victory of
1892 was rendered a barren one. The
senatorial dignity that could humble
itself to the dust in the presence of
the mob spirit could not yield its an
tiquated and obstructive rules to speed
a great popular cause.
On the financial question the Con-
vention completely reverses the posi-
ton of the Democratic party. When
Cleveland was nominated in 1892 his
position respecting silver was well
known and was known to be in line
with the principles of Jefferson and
with the doctrines of Gallatin, the
great financier Of the Democracy. By
public letters and addresses, by his
messages to Congress during his first
term, by public declarations during
his retirement from Office he had made
his position plain. He was nominated
in 1892 because his position was thus
well known, and upon a platform con-
sistent therewith-a platform declar-
ing for the immediate repeal of the
purchase clause of the Sherman act, |
and insisting that 'the dollar unit of
coinage of both metals must bs of
equal intrinsic and exchangeable
value, Or be adjusted through inter-
national agreement, or by such safe
guards of legislation as shall insure
the maintenance of the parity of the
two metals, and the equal power of
every dollar ut ali times in the markets
and in payment of debt"
This platform 10 Democratic. It
squares with the teaching Of jefferson
that "the proportion between the val
ne Of gold and silver is q mercantile
problem altogether" and with the
teaching OF Gallatin that Governments
can not 'falter by their own reguia-