Show THE FIRST PLATFORM ONE NE of the essentials ot of a modern political convention is the adoption of a platform upon which the presidential nominee is to take his stand during the campaign whether or not he lie stays on it is quite another matter but few candidates would think of going before the pee pul without one the first platform appeared during the campaign of 1840 in that year the democrats holding their convention in baltimore set forth what they considered the fundamental principles 0 their party asserting that the federal government was one of strictly limited powers and that all grants not expressly made to it w were ere reserved to the states this platform declared against the assumption of state debts contracted for lo 10 cal improvements by the federal government overn ment denied the power of the federal government to foster one industry or section to the detriment of another Asser asserted tea that the federal government exceeded its authority when it raised more revenue than was required to defray the ordinary expenses of administration denied the power of congress to interfere with or control the institution of slavery declared against the handling of public funds by private banks denounced restrictions upon the privileges of citizenship and of ownership of land with respect to foreign immigrants they then unanimously martin van buren for the presidency and got ready to fight the battle of ballots along the lines of policy they had laid down but it if they expected their opponents to meet them on that ground they were grievously disappointed the whigs not only failed to adopt a platform but they failed to put forth any statement of principles for the very good reason that they have any they disregarded issues entirely and launched their whirlwind tippecanoe and tyler tool too campaign the bewildered democrats stood firm on their platform and watched the procession go past a triumphal procession for the whist whigs st 1 0 western newspaper Nw paper union |