Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1880 — DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

1. We, the Democracy of Indiana, in Delegate Convention assembled, congratulate the Democracy of tho 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 thpt, 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.

S. We believe that laws should be enacted, exc- j cutedand administered only for tho public good, ' •2?,#1l class legislalion, and all favoritism in the 1 ?? Government, should be defeated and made odious; that taxes should be revied justly, aoa the most rigid economy should control public < expenditures.; thst the elections must be freed from the control of the army, and of partisan officials, la thatthay shall be fair and honest as they onca ware; that the rightful jurisdiction of the State Courts must be restored, in all cases where *t haa baen usurped by the Federal authority, so thatjustlce may be administered cheaply and S. The com and paper money of the country should be of uniform value, and readily convertible, and should have aa great purchasing power as the money of other first class commercial countries of tbs world, aud the paper money, like thecein, should be furnished by the United States, and should not be In excess of such quantity as will be, and remain always, at par with coin. 4. Inasmuch as the outstanding Treasury notes are no longer neeessary to the Government In the use of its credit, and arc useful only as money, they should be made subject to taxation, the sanie as other money. As/ tax payers, we declare our gratification at the action of the Democratic members of Congress in rodncingpublic expenditure, and iu cutting off the allowance and 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 Republican lenders upon the rights of the States, made for the purpose of building up a strong central power, dangerous to the liberty of the pooplc.

We will in all fidelity maintain the Constitutional rightsand powers of the United States, and as faithfully we will maintain and vindicate the rights of the States as reserved to them iu the Con stitutien. 6. The Legislature of 1879 is entitled to honorable mention for. having redeemed the pledges of the Democratic Convention of 1878 to provide by law for the comfort and safety of laborers in the mines, and for »ecuring their wages to the persons employed by corporations, and we are in favor of such farther legislation in the premises as may be necessary end proper. We congratulate the people of the State that by the fiction of the Democrats of the last Legisla

tare in basing representation on population and contignity or territory only, the shame and taint i ot fraud nave been removed from the apportion- ; ment of representation, and that now The people will be equally and fairly represented. 7. The people of 1 ndiana are justly proud of j their system of free schools, and will maintain them In tbeirful! force and usefulm ss, and to that end we mu at sec to It that the management thereof does not become wasteful or ext uvagant, and that no part bf the munificent fund which they have provided shall be used for sectarian or for any other purposes'Whatever than tbe support of common schools.

8. We are gratified that the Democrats in Congress have acted in respect to bounties and pen sions forsoldies and their families in the spirit of justice and liberality. 9. We hold np to public detestation the conduct of the leaders in the Republican party in placing Hayes and Wheeler, by criminal practices shocking to every honest sentiment and damaging to our institutions, in offices to which they were not elected. It was an outragenpon freCyov rnment, land a crime against the elective franc uise th'at can not be forgiven, and must not be -repeated, and for which the guilty parties must be driven from I power and consigned to infamy. And we hold up j to public detestation tte conduct of the Prcsij dent in rewarding the guilty parties by conferring npon them high and lucrative offices." To reward : crime is itself criminal. j. 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 more than we have purchased from them; gold and silver lias come to us; business confidence has been restored, and we have the hope and promise of good times again. In all this werecopMze the blessing of God upon our country, and we denounce u as false and blasphemous when partisan leaders claim 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. 11. We approve the sentiment expressed by Goyernor Hendricks in his letter of acceptance in 1871), rhat “the iniquitous coolie system which, through theagency of wealthy companies imports Chinese bondsmen, establishes a species of slavery, and interferes with the just reward -if labor on our Pacific Coast, should be utterly abolished." 12. Our State administration is entitled tit the respect and support of the people. The government of Indiana is efficiently administered, and more cheaply than that of any other State.

13. That we recognize the right of colored eiti" sens as well as white to immigrate into Indiana, but we condemn and denounce the action of the Republican party in importing into this State paupernegroes for the sole purpose of using them as voters. 14. We hereby iusaruct 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 tin- cause of Democratic truth and justice acceptably to Uie Democracy of the whole Union, thus assuring the election of a Democratic Legislature and United States Senator in 1881. and a fresh, pure and ton stitutionnl administration of the General Government. 15. We favor the continuance of the two-thirds rule in the National Convention, and tlie delegates this day chosen are hereby instructed to vote for Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks as our candidate for the Presidency, and to vote ns a unit on a 1 questions in said Convention.