Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-09-11
Our Platform.

The following series Oi ieoOiuiioh9 WV
unanimously adopted by the Democratic-Con-
seryative Convention, Mt Hagerstown. They
have the ring of the true metal, aud will com
mend themselves to every true lover oil his
country:
First. That decade has almost passed since
the close OF the war, and the party IN power
has wholly failed 10 give that peace ana re-
lief to the country which the people require
and should expect at its hands; That lhe
wretched policy of reconstruction pur-
sued by the Republican party has given over
entire States to anarchy and mlsrule, 10 u"-
scrupulous adventures and corrupt ONCE
holders; that enormous expenditures upon
the army and navy have made neither eihcienti
that prodigal waste of money upon lnolans
have not given us peace upon the border; that
immense sums are spent in the civil service,
and we see with it all kinds of official corrup-
tion and peculation; that public LANDS are
being dissipated in railroad and other grants;
that large subs dies are paid to steamship
compauies, and salaries of ofiiceholders IN
creased that there is total absence OF f:ugali-
ty in the expenditure Of money, and want oil
purity and faitbfuness in official position
that our duties and other taxes are high ana
enormous. and the revenue derived from them
enormous, yet there is 10 adequate curtailment
of public debt. Besides all this there is no
limit to usurpation of federal authority under
the avowed policy of this party in every d.
reclion. II has passed laws interfering WIN
elections in States, with the freedom OF the
press and the civil relations of the people, and
it proposes, as in the civil rights bill already
passed BY the Senate, to enforce an equality
among races in schools, places Of resort and
burial, alike injurious and insulting to hoth
the white and colored races it does not stop
here, but proposes further to measurably con
troll or interfere with the school system OF
States 1t not only proposes 10 take control
of the railroads and canals of the country, UNI
der specific plea of regulating commerce, but
is projecting policy for vast works OF inter
nal improvements, involving an expenditure
of hundreds Of millions of dollars and of ne
cessity accompanied by unjust discrimination,
sectional favoritism individual ard official
corruption increased debt and taxation, and
every kind of discomfort
Second, That gold and silver is the univer-
sal standard of value, and that our fathers in
the very organization of the federal government
recognized this by making il the only legal
tender in payment in debts that all paper
used as currency should be convertible into
coin, and all debts, public and private, and,
above ALL wages Of labor, should be payable
in coin or its equivalent in coin; that an ir-
redeemabe paper currency is one of unmxed
evil to the people, blight upon honest labor,
and grievlous wrong done to the sturdy in
dustry Of the country, and in an inevitable ex-
cess ofwhich stock jobbing, money gambling,
and all kinds of extravaganza and corruption
riot at will that if there is one characteristic
more prominent than another which has distin-
guished the Democratic party, it is its steady
adhesion to these evident truths. We are,
therefore, for a return to specie payments as
speedily as the condition of the country will
permit; and we take this occasion most hearth
ly to applaud the position taken by The De-
mocracy of Illinois upon this subject in their
late State Convention, regarding it as a most
encouraging sign of the times towards speedy
return to steady government, sound morals,
solid industry and substantial prosperity, and
we trust the example set us by the Democracy
OF that State may be followed by the party
throughout the country.
Third, That the administration of the gov
ernments of Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Mis-
souri, Tennessee and Texas by the Democratic
Conservative party is in such happy contrast
with the governments of those States before
they passed out of the hands of the Republican
party, as also with North Carolina, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Florida, that commends it to
the country and strengthens the hope now
growing strong with the people, that soon
The National Government will be restored
to the same safe hands, and once more peace,
order and justice be restored.
Fourth, That the democratic conservative
party is frugal simple, plain adminstra-
ton of the general government, to oe confined
to a strict exercise of its constitutional power,
and TO avoid the exercise of doubtful powers ;
for reducing the expenses of the government
to the lowest necessary amount and reducing
all taxes and duties to IA point sufficient to de-
fray such expenses.
Fifth, That we reprobste the passage of the
bill known as the salary or back-pay bill by
the last Congress, and earnestly protest against
the principle or precedent involved, regarding
the same as implied breach of faith with
the constituency of the country, and subver-
sve Of sound political morality.