The Florence tribune., 1898-09-24
Territorial Democratic Platform.

ne ucluOCIdbiC Pai " Ol hTl1Oud tc- | afirms it's allegiance to the principles set forth in the national democratic platform adopted at Chicago at the national convention in June. 1896.
 It demands that the hints of the United States be opened to the coinage of both gold and silver at the ratio of Is to l, without asking or awaiting the consent of any other nation.
 To enforce thegold standard through out the world is impossible. The pres- ent condition is intolerable. The Dem- ocratic party believes that the issue thus presented is the most important in American politics.
 The mission of the United States is to teach the world the sublime lesson of human liberty and self-government, and the further lesson that its people have the courage and ability to dis charge every responsibility which the fortunes of war may have thrust upon their country. Wherever the flag waves, it shall be tue symbol of freedom, and to all under it's folds it will ever guar antee the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We send greeting to our army and navy for their heroic valor displayed on land and sea.
 The democratic party of Arizona hereby approves the recent war with Spain and justly shares in the glory of it's results. We favor the independence of Cuba and the retention by this gov ernment of the Spanish West Indian possessions and the control by this government of other Spanish territory now occupied by American forces.
 It is the duty of the government to make homes for its citizens. Arizona has large amount of arabic lands. sufficient in extent for millions of pop ulation, which can be reduced to culti- vation through the agency of the government, by building storage reser- yoirs and preserving the storm flood waters for irrigation purposes.
 Therefore, inasmuch as we secure none of the benefits from the river and harbor appropriations, we think it only just that liberal appropriation should be made by the general govern ment for this purpose.
 The setting aside of one-quarter of the territorial area of Arizona as a timber reserve works a great hardship upon the territory at large, without equivalent benefits. The forests can be preserved under proper legislation without excluding them absolutely from mining, grazing and agricultural pursuits.
 We arraign the republican admins tration because, regardless of the rights of the people, they have increased our territorial debt over $300,0 1000 by the funding of illegal and spurious claims against the territory, and the enforcement of the prison contract before its final adjudication by the courts, which have largely increased the debt of the territory.
 We favor the repeal of the laws ere ating the boards of equalization, loan commission, board of control, and im- migration commissioners, and also the law granting the governor the power to remove officials at pleasure, and the passage of such laws as will lodge the powers exercised by these boards in commissions elected by the people. 1 We arraign the republican office holders of Arizona for the defeat of the home rule bill, which, pending statehood, is necessary to our advance ment as territory, because it gives the people, the taxpayers and citizens, the right to choose their own executive 1 and administrative officers.
 The democracy of Arizona are now, and always have been, earnestly in fa- yor of statehood, and we hope it will not be long before the Congress of the United States strikes from the wrists of Arizona the manacles of territorial | servitude.
 | We pledge the democratic party, its representative in Congress and it's members of the Legislature to the car l rying out of these measures of reme- dial reform, and ask all good citizens to unite with us in securing victory | for the free coinage of silver, statehood, and Legislation that will bring the government of Arizona closer to the people at large.