Year: 1871

The Democratic State Convention assembled
, at Sacramento on Tuesday, June 25th. The
first day was principally occupied in efrecting an
organization. On the second day the Commit
tee on resolutions reported and the Convention
unanimously adopted the following
PLATFORM.


Resolved, by the Democratic party Of Caifor-
: MIA


First-That waving all differences of opinion
as to the extraordinary means by which they
were brought about, we accept the natural and
legitimate results of the war, so far waged for
the ostensible purpose to maintain the Union
and the constitutional rights and powers of the
Federal Government


! Second-That we regard the three several
amendments to the Constitution recently adopted
as settlement in fact of all the issues of the
war, and that the same are no longer issues be-
fore the country.


Third-That we demand that the rule of strict
construction as proclaimed by the Democratic
fathers, and embodied in the Tenth Amendment
to the Federal Constitution, be applied to the
, Constitution as it is, including the three recent
amendments to that instrument that the abso-
lutte equality of each State within the Union is a
fundamental principle of the Federal Govern
ment; that we shall always cherish and uphold
the American system of State and local govern
ment for State and local purposes and of the
General Government for general purposes only,
as essential to the maintenance of civil liberty
and are unalterably opposed to all attempts at
Capitalization or consolidation of power in the
hands of the Federal Government.


Fourth-That we demand of Congress univer-
sal amnesty for all political offenses.


Fifth-That while we condemn all rotous and
unlawful combinations to disturb the peace or in
fringe the rights of any citizens, we denounce
the act commonly called the " Bayonet bill, -
na cad nv EonUrpse and tho ~
commonly called the 90 Kuklux bill - as enacted
for no other purpose than to complete the work
of Capitalization, and by establishing military
despotism to perpetuate the present Administra-
tion without regard to the will of the people
that these measures are not only inconsistent
with the whole theory and character of the Fed
eral Government, and revolutionary and danger
Gus in their tendency but are in direct conflict
with the spirit and letter OF the Constitutions in
| cluding the amendments which they pretend to
| enforce.


Sixth-That we are in favor of tariff for rev.
enue only, and we denounce the system COM
monty called the protective system, as unjust,
oppressive, prolific of corruption, and injurious
to the best interests of the country that the
tariff legislation of the Republican party during
the last ten years has destroyed our shipping
paraly1cd industry, and plundered the mass of
the people for the benefit of capitalists and mo-
nopolists.


Sevcnth-That the prohsatc grants of vast
tracts of the public domain made b., the Radical
majority in Congress, to railroad corporations,
regardless of the rights of settlers, and without
any proper conditions restrictions, are fraud
upon the people of the country.


Eighth-That the failure of Congress to repeal
the odious income tax, the maintenance of a vast
army of tax gathers, to harass the people and eat
out their substance, and the failure to restrict
the importation of Chinese coolies whose compe-
| titiOn tends 6irpctIv n nd do
white labor, constitute a catalogue Of grievances
for which Radical Congress will be held Justly
| accountable.
| Ninth-That we are uncompromisngy op-
posed to subsidizing railway or other private
corporations out Of the public treasury, to the
overwhelming increase of debt and taxation :;
that laws which impose taxes upon the mass of
citizens in aid of such corporations whether in
the form of donations, loans subscriptions
are an invasion of the rights of private property
and Il departure from sound maXims of govern
ment, and result in the bankruptcy of towns and
counties; that they lead to gross abuses are II
prolific source of corruption, and violate the
cardinal principle of Democracy, to wit: that
government is instituted for the welfare and Sc
curity of the mass of the people, and not for the
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of favored few and that the
law upon the statute book known as the five per
cent law, ought to be Immediately repealed.


Tenth-That we are in favor of amending the
pIulc OOuSlllullOu So us 10 PROVIDE additional
safeguards against the taxation of private prop
erty in aid of private corporations or individuals
and against improvident legislation, and of Sc
| curing needed constitutional reforms.


Eleventh-That the Democratic party, deriv-
ing its strength from the working classes, is the
natural enemy of monopolies and has always
been and always will be ready to support and
urge such measures for the elevation of the la
boring population and the ameioration of their
condition as an enlightened policy may suggest
that we point to the legislation of the past three
years, reducing the hours of labor, requiring
public work to be done by the day, and seeking
to restrict Chinese immigration, as evidence Of
the sympathy of the Democracy with the wishes
and interests of the laboring classes


Twellth-That we believe that the labor of
our white people should not be brought into
competition with the labor of a class of inferior
| people, whose living costs comparatively moth
ing, and who care and know little about our
churches, schools, societies, and social and po-
lltlcal institutions, and that we are, therefore
opposed to Chinese immigration that Congress
by its legislation having sought to foster such
immigration and to prevent our local authori-
ties from interfering with it, and by its at
tempted abrogation of the foreign miners IL
cense tax, deserves our severest condemnation
and has given us another illustration of its in
tention to concentrate all power in the hands of
the General Government


Thirteenth-That the public lands vet left to
the United States and the State of California
should be disposed of only to actual settlers in
limited quantities and on most favorable terms;
and the laws, both State and Federal, should be
so framed as to insure this result so vital to
free people.


Fourteenth-That the interference by the Pres
ident OF the United States, with the military
power of the Union, in elections to overawe the
people and control the right of suffrage is trea-
son to the Constitution.


Fifteenth-That we are compelled, by pro-
found convictions of their injustice and impolicy,
to record our solemn protest against the LEADING
measures of the National Administration, and
we pledge all the power with which we may be