Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-05-16
PLATFORM.
OF TIE
CINCINNATI CONVENTION.

ADDRESS to The People Of the United States.
The Administration now in power has
rendered itself guilty of wanton disregard
Of the laws Of the laud and of usurping
powers not granted by the Constitution; it
has acted as if the laws had binding force
only for those who are governed, AMI not
for those who govern. 1t has thus struck o
blow at the fundamental principles of Con-
stitutional government and the liberties of
the citizen.
The President Of the United States has
openly used the powers and opportunities
of his high Office for the promotion of per-
sonal ends.
He has kept VIGOROUSLY corrupt and un>
worthy men in places of power and rcspon-
Sbility, to the detriment of the public in
terest.
He has used the public service of the
Government as q machinery Of corruption
and personal influence and has .interfcred,
with tyrannical arrogance, in the political
affairs of States and municipalities.
He has rewarded with influential and
lucrative offices men who had acquired his
favor by valuable presents. thus stimulat-
ing the Generalization of our political life
by his conspicuous example.
lie has shown himself deplorably UNEQUAL
to the task imposed upon him by the neces-
stiles Of the country, aud culpably careless
Of the responsibilities Of his high Office,
The partisans of the Administration, as
Stunning to be the Republican party, and
controlling its organization, haye attempt
ed to justify such wrongs, and ralliate
such abuses, to the end Of maintaining
partisan asce1dcncy.
They have stood in the way of necessary
investigations and indispensable reforms,
pretending that no serious fault could be
found with the present administration Of
public affairs. thus seeking to blind the
eyes Of the people.
They have kept alive tho passions and
resentments Of the late civil war, to use
them for their own advantage they have
| resorted to arbitrary measures in direct
conflict with the organic law, instead Of
appealing to the better instincts and latent
patriotism Of the Southern people by re-
storing to them these rights, the enjoyment
of which is Indispensable to q successful
administration of their local affairs, and
would tend to revive patriotic and hope
full national feeling
They have degraded themselves aud the
name of their party, once justly entitled to
the confidence Of the nation by base syco-
phancy to the dispenser of Of Executive
power and patronage unworthy Of republi-
can freemen: they have sought to silence
the voice Of just criticism, and stiAe the
moral sense OF the people, and to sublugato
public opinion by tyranic.l party discip-
line.
They arc striving TO maintain themselves
in authority for selfish ends by an un.
scTupnlous use Of the power which right
fully belongs to the people, and should be-
employed only in the service Of the country
Believing that an organization thus lee
and controlled can no longer be Of serYic,
to the best interest of the Republic, we have
the SOBER Judgment, conscience, and na,ri
o.ism Of the American people.
RESOLUTIONS.
We, the Liberal Republicans Of the Unit
ed States in National Convention Assem-
blad at Cincinnati, proclaim the followin;
principles as ESSENTIAL to just government:
]. We recognize the equality Of all me1
before the law, and hold that it is the dut,
Of GOVERNMENT, in its dealings with til,
people, to mete out equal, and and cxac
justice to all, of whatever nativity, race
color or persuasion, religious or political.
2. We pledge ourselves to maintain tn
Union Of these States, emancipation, ant
enfranchiscment and to oppose any reopen
ing of the questions settled by the Thir
teenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend
ments of the Constitution.
| 3. We demand the immediate and abso,
lutte removal of all disabilities imposed or
account of the Rebellion which was finall,
subdued seven years ago, believing tha
universal amnesty will result In complete
pacifcaton in oil sections Of the country.
4. Local self-goysrnment, with Impartial
suffrage, will guard the rights of all citi
zens more securely than a.y centralized
power. The public welfare requires the
supremacy of the civil over the military
authority, and the freedom of persons un-
der the protection Of the habeas corpus. We
demand for the individual the largest liber-
~ consistent with public order, for the
State self>goverument and for the Nation q
return to the methods of peace and the Con-
stitutional limitations of power.
5. The Civil Service of the Government
has become mere instrumest Of partisan
tyranny and personal ambition, and an obs
ject Of selfish greed. 1t is scandal and
reproach upon free institutions, and breeds
a decentralization dangerous to the perpetu-
ity of Republican government.
6. We, therefore, regard thorough re>
form of the Civil Service as one Of the most
pressing necessities of the hour; that hon
esty, capacity, ard fidelity constitute the
only valid claims to public empl oyment !;
that the Offices Of the Government cease to
be matter Of arbitrary favoritism and pat
ronage, and that public station shall be-
come again place of honor. To this end
it is imperatively required that no Prcsi-
dent shall be acandidate for reelection.
Z. We demand system Of Federal taxa
| ton which shall not unnecessarily inter-
fere With the industry of the people, and
| which shall provide the means necessary to
| pay the expenses of the Government, econ
| omically administered, the pensions, the in
terest on the public debt, and moderate
annual reduction Of the principal thereof J;
and recognizing that there are, in our
of opinion with regard to the respective
systems of Protection and Free Trade, we
remit the discussion Of the subject to the
The decision of Congress thereon, wholly
free from Executive Interference or dicta-
ton.
g. The public credit must be sacredly
maintained, and we denounoe Reputation
in every form and guise.
O. a speedy return to specie payments is
demanded alike by the highest considera-
tons of numerical morality and honest
government.
10. We remember with gratitude the
heroism and sacrifices Of the soldiers and
sailors Of the Republic, and no act Of ours
shall ever detract from their justly earned
fame or the rewards OF their patriotism.
a. We are opDosel To all further grants
Of land to railroads or other corporations.
The public domain should be held sacred to
actual settlers.
II. We hold that i is the duty Of tho
Government in its intercourse with foreign
nations to cultivate the friendships of
peace, by treating with all on fair and
equal terms, regarding it alike dishonora-
Bile either to demand what is not right or
submit to what is wrong.
49, For the promotion and success of
4 haze ito1 pripcinlmc and tho ut ofI