174 



CONNECTICUT. 



Suraner, of Hartford ; Secretary of State, D. 

 Ward Northrop, of Middletown ; State Treas- 

 urer, Alfred R. Goodrich, of Vernon; State 

 Comptroller, Thomas Sanford, of Redding. 



The following platform was unanimously 

 adopted : 



Whereas, The Democratic party, originally organ- 

 ized in the early days of the republic to secure the 

 administration of public affairs by those most loyal to 

 our form of government as defined by the Constitution, 

 and to the principle of the sovereignty of the people, 

 upon which the Government is based, has always 

 aimed to meet political issues as they have from time 

 to time arisen in the spirit which actuated its founders, 

 and to determine such issues by the test of their rela- 

 tions to the first and unchanging principles of the 



And whereas, The great changes which have fol- 

 lowed the civil war, and the rapid growth of the 

 country in population and wealth, the dangerous and 

 growing evils developed by years of partisan strife, 

 without any clearly-marked differences of political 

 conviction or definite object of administrative action ; 

 the immediate necessity of putting an end to vicious 

 habits that are fast hardening into a permanent sys- 

 tem, and of securing the selection of public officers 

 and the administration of public affairs in accordance 

 with the true underlying principles of our Govern- 

 ment and the aroused conscience of the people, seek- 

 ing expression in many ways, but in every way de- 

 manding a thorough clearing of the political atmos- 

 phere, and an honest and definite presentation of 

 political principles, all require a restatement of Demo- 

 cratic principles as applicable to the condition of to- 

 day and the political issues of the immediate future 

 the Democrats of Connecticut, in convention assem- 

 bled, do declare : 



First. The Constitution of the United States, with 

 its amendments, is the supreme law, and defines a 

 form of government which is peculiar to itself, the 

 natural growth of our history, and is of all forms of 

 government the best adapted both to the protection 

 of life and property and the security of personal free- 

 dom. Under this form of government the exercise of 

 sovereign power is not confined to any one agent, but 

 is divided ; the exercise of certain specified powers is 

 intrusted to the Federal Government, and the exercise 

 of all other powers is reserved to the States and to the 

 people ; to the existence of this Government the su- 

 preme authority of the Federal Government, within 

 the limit of the powers to it confided, is absolutely 

 essential, and equally essential is the independence of 

 the several States and their unimpeded exercise of all 

 powers not assigned to the General Government. The 

 Constitution or the United States, together with the 

 constitutions of the several States, defines the form of 

 government for one people, constituting " an inde- 

 structible union of indestructible States." To this 

 form of government we give our undivided support 

 a support rooted in the firm conviction of its absolute 

 wisdom and strength and to maintain and preserve 

 the Government in its strength and purity we deem 

 it necessary : 



1. To give a hearty support to the vigorous action 

 of the General Government in the wise exercise of all 

 powers to it assigned. The supremacy of the General 

 Government within the range or its powers is essential 

 to the protection of the whole people and to the pro- 

 motion of the general welfare. 



2. To fearlessly maintain the independence of the 

 States in the wise exercise of all powers not assigned 

 to the General Government. Such independence con- 

 tributes to the permanent strength of the whole Gov- 

 ernment, and is essential to the preservation of per- 

 sonal freedom. 



3. To persistently oppose all strained interpreta- 

 tions of the power named in the Federal Constitution. 

 The authority of the Federal Government being su- 



preme within the limits of its action, strict construc- 

 tion of the powers assigned to it is absolutely essential 

 to the permanent preservation of that division of the 

 exercise of sovereign power between the local and the , 

 General Governments, which is the peculiar basis, 

 the strength, and the glory of the American Republic. 

 Second. Our government is the result of the will of 

 the people. Back of all laws and all forms stand as 

 supreme sovereign the qualified voters. To this sov- 

 ereign we owe allegiance ; to honestly and fearlessly 

 aid this sovereign in the wise administration of affairs 

 is the highest duty of every citizen; to ascertain and 

 establish" the best methods by which this sovereign 

 can govern a powerful, rich, and populous country is 

 the great political problem now demanding solution. 

 We oelieve in the sovereignty of the people; we be- 

 lieve that the absolute despotic power, which in every 

 government must be vested in some man or body of 

 men, is most wisely and safely intrusted to the quali- 

 fied voters ; and to maintain the sovereignty of the 

 people, to secure its wise exercise, to preserve its 

 purity, and to insure its permanency, we deem it 

 necessary : 



1. To hold and to encourage a firm and generous 

 faith in the ability of the people _ to govern; in their 

 intelligence, honesty, and patriotism, and inspired by 

 such faith to speak to our own sovereign, honestly 

 and truly appealing to his reason and conscience, not 

 seeking to make him the slave of passion or the vic- 

 tim of deception. 



2. All sovereigns must govern by agents. The 

 people, as sovereign, must of necessity almost wholly 

 govern by agents. The selection of these agents 

 should be determined by laws, so framed that the 

 selection may be made in accordance with a perma- 

 nent system adapted to the rejection of the incompe- 

 tent and the appointment of the most fit. 



3. To protect the people in the direct exercise of 

 power through the ballot, not only by providing more 

 efficient guards against intimidation and fraud but by 

 securing a true expression of the people's will when 

 called upon to appoint by ballot any public agent. 



Third. In pursuance of these principles, and apply- 

 ing them to the chief questions now at issue, we ad- 

 vocate : 



1. Strict economy in the expenditure of public 

 moneys, and the restriction of appropriations from the 

 national Treasury to objects clearly of a national char- 

 acter. 



2. A revision of the internal revenue law and of 

 the tariff that shall reduce taxation, so that the reve- 

 nue shall not exceed the present needs of the Govern- 

 ment l and shall establish a tariff upon the only con- 

 stitutional basis, the production of a revenue sufficient 

 to meet expenses, giving incidental protection to in- 

 dustries that promote the general welfare, and no 

 protection to mere monopolies. 



3. Legislation appropriate to secure the abolition of 

 all unnecessary offices, the clearing from the civil serv- 

 ice of all retainers of politicians, and the future ap- 

 pointment of such persons only as shall have proved 

 themselves most fit Iby tests of merit provided by law 

 and open to the free competition of every citizen. 



4. Legislation appropriate to secure a most careful 



formed. 



5. Legislation appropriate to afford a more thor- 

 ough protection against fraud in the use of the ballot, 

 and to secure to the people when called upon to ap- 

 point any public officer by ballot the practical power 

 as well as the right to express their preferences under 

 the forms and protection of law. 



fourth. Willing to recognize in a political oppo- 

 nent any act worthy of commendation, we cordially 

 approve the veto by President Arthur of the Eiver 

 and Harbor Bill. Following in the footsteps of the 

 Democratic Presidents who have heretofore prevented 

 such unconstitutional legislation by the exercise of 



