Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1880 — DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

1. We. the Democracy of Indiana, in Delegate Convention „sscinbled, congratulate the Democracy of tha country upon the harmony prevailing within its organization, and upon its unanimity in the purposes to cast behind it every occasion and sentiment of discord, and to stand as one man for success in 1880; and we give assurance to the Democracy of the country that, accepting the declaration of principles, and purposes, that may be made at Cincinnati, and the candidates who may be there chosen; we will give to them our earnest and undivided support. 2. We believe that laws should be enacted, executed and administered only for the public good, and all class legislation, and all favoritism m the affairs of Government, should be defeated and made odious: that taxes should be levied justly, affd the most rigid economy should control public expenditures: that the elections must be treed from the control of the army, and of partisan officials, in that they shall be fair and honest as they once were; that the rigbtitll jurisdiction of the State Courts must be restored, in all ca<es where it lias been usurped by the Federal authority, so that justice may be administered cheaply an>. speedily. 3. The coiu and paner money of the tountr should be of uniform value, and readily converti - ble, and should hate as great purchasing power as the money of other first class commercial countries of the world, and the paper money, like the coin, should be furnished by the I nited States, aud should not be in excess of such quantity as will be, and remain always, ut par with coin. •J. Inasmuch as the outstanding Treasury notes are no longer necessary to the Government in the use of its credit, and are useful only as money, they should be made subject to taxation, the same as other money. As tax payers, we declare our gratification at the action of the Democratic members of Congress in reducing public expenditure, and in cutting oil the allowance ai d payment of questionable and fraudulent claims, resulting in a saving to the Treasury of more than $100,000,000. 5. We will stand with all our might against the aggression of the Uepubl'cnn lenders upon the rights of the States, made for the purpose ot building up a strong central power, dangerous to the Hourly of the people. . . , We will iu all fidelity maintain the Constitutional rights and powers of the Uniti d 8 ates, and us faithfully we will maintain and vindicate the rights of tile States as reserved to them in the Con stitutioii. ... , ti. The Legislature of 1879 is entitled <o honorable mention for having redeemed the pledges of the Democratic Convention of 187 ti to provide by law for tne comfortand safety of laborers in the mines, and for securing their wages to the persons employe 1 by corporations, aud we are m invor of such further legislation in the premises as may be necessary and proper. We congratulate the people ol the State that by the action of the Democrats of the last Legislature in basing representation on population and contiguity ol territory only, the shame and taint ol fraud have been removed from the apportionment of representation, and that now the people will be equally and fairly represented. 7. The people of Indiana are justly proud of their system of tree schools, and will maintain them iu their fill! f >rce and usefulness, and to that end we must see to it that the management thereof does not become wasteful or extravagant, and, rhat no part of the munificent fund which they have provided shall be used for sectarian or for any other purposes whatever than the support of common schools. . 8. We are giatiticd that the Democrats in Congress have acted in respect to bounties and pensions for soldies and their families in the spirit of justice aud liberality. 9. We hold up to public detestation the conduct of the lenders in the Republican party in placing Hayes aud Wheeler, by criminal practices shocking to every honest sentiment, and damaging to our institutions, in offices to which they were not el rcted. It was an outrage upon free'government, and a crime against the el-ctive franchise that can not be forgiven, and must not be repealed, and for which the guilty parties must be driven from power aud consigned to n imy. And we hold up to public, detestation t e conduct of the President in rewarding the guilty parties by conferring upon them high and luciative offices. To reward crime is itseli criminal., 10. During the past few years our country has been blessed in a High degree with favorable seasons, and the production of our valuable staples has been enormously in excess of our own consumption. We have sold, to foreign countries many hundred millions m< r ■ than we have purchased from them; gold and silver has come to us; business confidence lias been restored, and we have the hope and promise of good times again. In ail this we recognize the blessing of God upon our country, and we denounce it as false and blasphemous when partisan leaders chum that this is the work of their hands, and that the people should be thankful to them and not grateful to Heaven for our returning piosperity. IL We approve the sentiment expressed by Governor Hendricks in bis letterof acceptance in 18 T>, rhat “the iniquitous coolie system whieh, through the agency of wealthy companies imports Chinese bondsmen, establishes a species of slavery and interferes with the just rewi rd ol labor on our Pacific Coast, should be utterly abolished. 12. Our State administration is en i ied to the respect and support of the peop'e. Tne governme‘i* of Indiana is < fli lently administered, and more chcupiv than thutof any other Slate. 13 That we recognize the right of colored citizens as well as white to immigrate into Indiana, but we condemn and denounce the action of the Republican partv in importing into this State pauper negroes lor the sole ptuposeof using them llS l4° We herebv insaruct our delegates to the National Convention at Cincinnati to present to that body the name of Thomas A. Hendricks as a candidate for President of the United States, one who has at all times faithfully maintained the cause ot Democratic truth and justice acceptably to tne Democracy Of the whole Union, thus assuring the election of a Democratic Legislature and Lmtea States Senator in 1881, and a fresh, pure and constitutional administration of the General Government. ■ , , ... . 15. We favor the continuance of the two-thirds rule in the Natio al Convention, and the dele oates this day chosen are hereby instructed to vote for Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks as our candidate for the Presidency, and to vote as a unit on all quodi'.'iis in said Convention.