The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-20

cies Of wretchedness and wrong
with which the masses have suf
|fered even TO the point of
desperation. They have failed
as methods of popular govern
ment 70 serve tie resent needs,
regardless Of their pas !; and the
time is OF band when the Amer
lean citizen must make less of
party and more of persona u re-
sponsibility in government We
are confident that an appeal to
the people will not fail in right
ing this calling wrong Man
still believes III man; and faith
in government BY, for and Of the
people, rather than by party,
has not by any means past from
the earth. But il is the duty of
the National party TO lead the
popular belief back to this fun
damental article of faith. We
must make it our business as
| a movement to re establish a
national government IN which
that diabolical device of ir-
responsible parties ind machin.
cry can no longer be made the
agency for tie evasion of Off :
cial responsibility. Govern
nent BY man must be made to
succeed government by machin
cry. The National party asks
simply that, with its sense of
this situation, its candidates
may be called to do the will of
the people, be accountable &C
cording to their asowed pledges.
1t asks TO serve the whole peo-
pie as public servants. and not
as partisan masters, in the evo-
luton of a fuller and nobler
national life.
Our platform is a clear~cut
enunciation of the governing
IDEAS by which this national
development is to be put into
fleet. II is positive and Gre
alive in its proposals; it is not
negative or obstructive on the
one hand nor revolutionary on
the other, it is above all things
progressive and constructive
program of progress which no
other political organization has
dared to invite the people to un
dertake to realize for the COM
mon good. Nor is it subject to
che criticism of being impracti
cable, because there is not a
single plank in 1t which is not
at this very day in effective and
successful practice in actual ad
ministratiou either in this coun-
try or in others. Altogether it
offers the soundest expression
of governmental experience as
the basis OF the suffrages of the
people.
| ltrecognizes that our periodic
cal industrial depressions are
the out come net OF work but Of
aaste-of economic waste SO
enormous in its drain upon the
people as to exceed several
times the annual revenue which
the government exacts from its
citizens. The history of the ad
ministration of liquor reguia-
tir ms has long since proved that
the only hope of eliminating
this exhaustive impairment OF
industrial vigor lies in appeal to
the strong arm of the nation
itself. All other methods dem
onstrate themselves to be fool
hardy excuses.
II believes that the expansion
of the right of suffrage is the
best method of bringing new
elements of moral power and
,ocial purpose into popular gov
Iernment.
| IL holds that the government
itself is the safest repository
and the most responsible trustee
If all monopolies of commerce
and communication just as i
now controls the inter. stat,
streams and the coasts.
IL insists on a fiscal policy
based on the taxable capacit!
If its citiz MS in support of gov
eminent; a commercial polio,
which shall first of all be faith
full TO ourselves and friend,