The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-09
Liberal Republican PLATFORM.


the liberal Republican, Convention
held in Cincinnati last week reported
the following Address and Resolu-
tons, which were adopted by accla-
nation, without dissenting vote:
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNIT
~ ED STATES.
The Administration now in power
has rendered itself guilty of wanton
disregard of the laws of@the land in.
the exercise of powers. not granted by
the Constitution. It has acted as if the
laws had binding force only for those
who are governed, and not for those
who govern. 1t has thus struck blow
at the fundamental principle of con-
stitutional government and the Iber-
ties OF the citizen. .,.,,s .....,'
/ The President of the United States
has openly used the powers and OPP
portunities of his high office for the
promotion of personal ends. He has
kept notorionsly corrupt and unwor-
thy men in places of power and re-
sponsibility, to the detriment of the
| public interest. fs..ss, rsl - s,,..s +.
| He has used the public service of
| the Government as machinery of
| partisan and personal influence, and
| interfered, with tyrannical arrogance,
in the political affairs of States and
municipalities + 10 fafS sJ5 ~
/ He has rewarded with influential
and lucrative offices men who had ac-
quired his favor by, valuable. presents,
! thus sstimulating,thed dem moralization of.
| our political lite. byii his conspicuous
texampte- nor49q ~ ;.d, sI.ls .,3as
I He has shown. himself deplorably
unequal to the tasks imposed upon
him by the necessities of the country,
and cuIpably careless of the responsi7
kbility OF his high office. ad ~ .yqs4
/ ThepartisaDs OF the Administration
assuming to be the: Repu blican party
/ and controlling its organizatio a.. have
attempted to justify such wrongs. and
| pailiatei such abuses to the end OF
maintaining partisan ascendency-
They have stood in the way, OF nee
! essary investigations and indispensa-
| BILE reforms, pretending that ne rseri-
GUS fault, could be. found with the.
present administration of PUBLIC af-
i fairs, thus seeking to,blipd the eyes of
/ the peopienoqn szael.assiiIi AZ. s-syd 4,
They have kept alive the passions
/ and resentments of the late civil war,
to use them tor their own advantage.
They have resortedto arbitrary meas
/ ures in direct conflict with the organ
ic law, instead Of appealing to the bet
| ter instincts and latent, patriotism of
the Southern people by restoring to
| them those rights, the enjoyment. of
! whiehlis Indispensable for q successful
| administration of their local affairs
and would tend to restore . patriotic
/ National feeling. They have degra-
| ded themselves and the name of their
party, one justly entitled 10 the conf.
dence of the inatien,r d by a base. syco-
4 phaney to the dispenser of Executive
power aud patronage unworthy of,
Republican; freem eH.ai They, have.
sought to silence the voice of just crit,
! icism. to stifle the moral sense, of the
people and to subjugate public opin;-:
len by tyrannieala party discipline :,
| theJ are Striving to, maintain them
selves in authority for selfish ends, by
an. n.unscrupuiouB use OF the . power
whichrighttul[y belongs to, the people
and should be Employed, only. in the
service of the country Naf5.1s liatfi
| Believing that no organization thus
led and controlled, can longer, be
of service to the best interests of the
Republic, we have, resolved to make
an independents appeal to the sober
judgment, conscience and patriotism
of.the American people Ia .qig slitil =
s REsoL tT1o&s." T" ~ 9Iodsf
We, the Liberal Republicans of the
United States in National Convention
assembled, at Cincinnati, proclaim the
following principles as essential to
| lust government: "u fHo !! tta-H trs1st
FirstLWe recognize the equality Of
all men before the law, and hold that
4 it is the duty of the government in its
dealings with the people to meteo ont
equal and exact justice to all, sofiwhat-
ever NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. persuasion,
religious or political. 3@iu5ii Il h
/ .Second-We pledge ourselves ITO
maintain the Union of the States,
Emancipation and Franchisementj and
to oppose any re-opening of;the ques-
tions settled blythe Thirteenth Four
teenth and Fifteenth AmendmentsAto to
the Constitution. s Il 80 sgTo=fi
Third-We demand the immediate
and absolute removal of all disabili-
tiles imposed on account of the rebell-
ion which was finally subdued seven
wears ago, believing that universal
amnesty will result i'm nicompiete paci-
tfcafion in all sections of the country,
Fourth-Doeal lself-governnlent with
impartial Suffrage will guard the
rights of all citizens more securely
than any centralized power. The pub
lie welfare requires the supremacy gDf
the civil over the military authority
and freedom OF of'persontunder tbesarO-
ftection of the haboas corpus.os Wedfe-
fnahd for the individual the largest
4 liberty consistent with public order !;
:! for the'State self-governmcnt,sa land for
the nation a returns TO the Inethodsiof
peace and the CONSTITUTIONAL limita-
I lions of toWgf.b yfYg t.u otsnn l..
1at Fifth 1.-The civil service 7bf f the gov
; ernmeDt has beceme q mere ihstFu-
& n1ent of partisan tyranny and person
al ambition, and an object Of selfish
4 dgrced. is a scandal and reproach
I upon free institutions, and breeds a
Decentralization dangerous to the per-
| petuity of republican, governments
r Sixth-We q therefore regard a thor
ough reform of the civil service as one
fof the! most pressing necessities ofthe
hour; that honesty, CAPACITY and fidel-
ity constitute the-onfy valid claims to
public employment; that the offices
/ of the government cease to be q mat
liter of arbitrary favoritism and patron
age, and that public station becomes
again post of honor; To this end it
is imperatively required that no Pres
l'ident shalltbe q candidate for re-elec-
/ ton. i[ 9h1 GWoh ia9porsf eg41
Seventh-We demand a system of
1 general taxation which shall mot sun-
{ necessarily interfere with the indus
try ofthe psople,and whichE shall pro-
ivideathe means necessary to- pay the
2 expenses ofthe government, econom-
ically administered, the pensions, the
interest on the public debt and a mod
crate annual reduction of the lprinci-'
4 pie thereof1and recognizing that there
are in our midst honest but irreconci-.
liable differences of opinion with re-