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Show A DEMOCRATIC DOCUMENT. The Dispatch has been urgently requested to publish the platform of principles drafted and adopted by the last National Convention of the Democratic Dem-ocratic party. We take great pleasure in doing so, as it is a faithful exposition exposi-tion of the cardinal principles of Democracy, Dem-ocracy, and is good food at the present time. The document is as follows: The Democratic parly of the United States, in National Convention assembled, assem-bled, renews the pledge of its fidelity to Democratic faith and reaffirms the platform adopted by its representatives representa-tives iu the convention of 1884, and indorses in-dorses the views expressed by President Presi-dent Clevelaud in his last annual message mes-sage to Congress as the correct interpretation inter-pretation of that platform upon the question of tariff reduction; and also indorses the efforts of our Democratic Representatives in Congress to secure a reduction of excessive taxation. Chief among its principles of party faith are the maintenance of an indissoluble indis-soluble union of free and indestructa-ble indestructa-ble States, now about to enter upon its seem id eentnrv r.f nnpv:imnlml rtvi. gress and renown; devotion to a plan of government regulated by a written Constitution, strictly specifying every granted power and expressly reserving to the Slates or people the entire un-granted un-granted residue of power; the encouragement encour-agement of a jealous popular vigilance directed to all who have been chosen for brief terms to enact a: d execute the laws, and are charged with the duty of preserving peace, insuring equality and establishing justice. The Democratic party welcome an exacting scrutiny of the administration administra-tion of the Executive power, which four years ago was committed to its trust in tlte election of Grover Cleveland, Cleve-land, President of the United States; and it challenges the most searching inquiry concerning its fidelity and devotion de-votion to the pledges which then invited in-vited the suffrages of the people. During a most critical period of our financial affairs, resulting from overtaxation, over-taxation, anomalous condition of our curreucy and a public debt unmatured, it has,by the adoption of a wise and conservative con-servative course, not only ayerted disaster, dis-aster, but greatly promoted the prosperity pros-perity of the peoplt. It has reversed the improvident and unwise policy of the Republican party touching the public domain, and has reclaimed from corporations and syndicates, syn-dicates, alien and domestic, and restored re-stored to the people nearly one hundred hun-dred millions of acres of valuable land to be sacredly held as homesteads for our citizens. While carefully guarding the interest inter-est of the taxpayers and conforming strictly to tne principles of justice and equity, it has paid out more for pensions pen-sions and bounties to the soldiers and sailors of the Republic than was ever paid before during an equal period. By an intelligent management and a judicious aud economical expenditure expendi-ture of the public money it has set on foot the reconstruction of the American Ameri-can Navy upon a system which forbids the recurrence of scandal and insures successful results. It has adopted and consistently pursued pur-sued a firm and prudent foreign policy, preserving peace with all nations while scrupulously maintaining all the rights and interests of our government ana people at nome and abroad. The exclusion from our shores of Chinese laborers has been effectually secured under -the provisions of a treaty, the operation of which lias been postponed by the action of a Republican Re-publican majority in the Senate. li sf reform in the Civil Service has been inaugurated and maintained by 1'iesident Cleveland, and he lias brought Ihe public service to the highest high-est standard of efficiency, not only by rule and precept, but by the example of bis own untiring and unselfish administration ad-ministration oi public affairs. In every branch and department of the government under Democratic control, con-trol, the rights and welfare of all the people have been guarded and defended: defend-ed: every public interest has been protected, pro-tected, and the equality of all our citizens citi-zens before the law, without regard to race or section, lias been steadl'astiy maintained. Upon iis record thus exhibited and upon the pledge of a cnjiiiuuauce to tlje people of M,e be-eiiis of ood government, gov-ernment, the National Democracy invokes in-vokes a renewal of popular trust by the re-ejection of a Chief Magistrate who has been faithful, able and prudent. pru-dent. They invoke an addition to that trust by the transier abo to the Democracy Dem-ocracy of the entire legislative power. The Republican party, controlling the Senate and resisting iu botu Houses of Congress a reformation of unjust and unequal tax laws, which have outlastod the necessities of war and are now undermining tha abuud-ance abuud-ance of a long peace, deny to t he people peo-ple equality before tin: law and the fairness aud the justice widen, are their right. Thus the cry of American labor for a better share in the rewards of industry indus-try is stifind with false pretences; enterprise en-terprise is fettered and bound down to home markets; capital is discouraged with doubt; and unequal, unjust laws can neither be properly amended nor repealed The Democratic party will continue, with all the power confided to it, the struggle to reform these laws in accordance ac-cordance with the pledges of its last platform endorsed at the ballot box by the suffrages of the people. Of all the industrious freemen of our land, an immense majority, including in-cluding every tiller of the soil, gain no advantage from excessive tax laws; but the price of nearly everything they buy is increased by the favoritism of an unequal system of tax legislation. All unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation. It is repugnant to the creed of Democracy Dem-ocracy that by such taxation the cost of the necessaries of life should be unjustifiably un-justifiably increased to all our people. Judged by Democratic principles, th; interests of the people are betrayed, be-trayed, when, by unnecessary taxation, taxa-tion, trusts and combinations are permitted per-mitted aud fostered, which, while unduly un-duly enriching the few that combine, rob the body of oor citizens by depriving depriv-ing them of the benefits of natural competition. Every Democratic rule of governmental action is violated when through unnecessary taxation a vast sum of money, far beyond the needs of an economical administration, administra-tion, is drawn from the people and the channels of trade and accumulated as a demoralizing surplus in the National Treasury. The money now lying idle in the Federal Treasury resulting from superfluous su-perfluous taxation amounts to more than $125,0u0,000. and the surplus collected col-lected is reaching the sum of more than $60,000,000 annually. Debauched by the immense temptation tempta-tion the remedy of the Republican party is to meet and exhaust by extravagant ex-travagant appropriations and expenditures, expend-itures, whether constitutional or not, the accumulations of extravagant taxation. tax-ation. The Democratic remedy is to enforce frugality in miblic exueuse and abol ish needless taxation. Our established domestic industries and enterprises should not, and need not be endangered by a reduction and correction of the burdens of taxation. On the contrary, a fair aud careful revision re-vision of our tax laws, with due allows ance for the differeace between the wages of American foreign labor, must promote and encourage every branch of such industries and enter prises by giving them assurar.ee of an extended market and steady and continuous con-tinuous operation. In the iuterst of American labor, which should in no event be neglected, the revision of our tax laws contemplated contem-plated by the Democratic party would promote the advantage of such labor by cheapening the cost of the necessaries necessa-ries of life in the home of every werk-ingman, werk-ingman, and at the same time securing secur-ing to him steady and remunerative employment. Upon this great issue of tariff reform, re-form, soclosely concerning every phase of our national life, and upon every question involved in the problem of good government, the Democratic party par-ty submits its principles and professions profes-sions to the intelligent suffrages of the American people. |