Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-10-28
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

ECrGeCS.
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
We the delegates of the Democratic party of the
Ini:ed States in national convention assembled. do
hereby declare the administration OF the tedeia 10Y
ernment to be in great need OF immediate REFORM 90
hereby enioin upon the nominees OF the convention!
and Of the Democratic party i'll each state anu 81
do hereby appeal to fellow citizens of every Lrer
political connection to undertake WIN us thls nrsl .
most pressing and patriotic duty Tor the Deheh' VI e
We here aifirm our faith in the pcrnanency OF the
Federal Union devotion to the constitution Oh S
United States with its amendments universally accepted
as final settlement of the controversies tat eases
dered the civil war; and do here record seadast conn
n an absolute ACQUISITION in the will of the majority
the prcipe of republics; i'll the supremacy OF the civil
Church and State for the sake alike OF civil and rels
ous freedom; in the equality OF al cZes ueo.e W G
laws of their own In ht ws ~ y tbe fth
full education Of the rising geneal'3n 'na. 5Gy may az
pres rye, enjoy and transmit these oes' cohoiios VI
human happiness and hope.
We unho the noblest products of one hundred years
of changefu history but while uphoidlhg the tohd OF
our union and the great charter Of these our
Schooves free people to practice also that eternal Wig
ilance which is the price Of liberty Reform Is nsces
sarv to rebuild and establish i'll the hearts OF the whoe
people Of the Unon eleven years ago happily rescued
from danger OF corrupt centralism wncn ai.er iCss
upon ten states the o' Of ,t he Federal Govern
ment tseif with ncapacity worse than fraud
States and municipalities with :" ,nuie
and locked fast the property of an INDUSTRIOUS peop'e
n the paralysis Of hard times -, -
Reform is necessary to establish sound currency,
the public credit and maintain the natlonai ho
or We denOunce the failure for all these ten years 10
make good the promise of the legal notes winch are
chanciy the standard value in the Hands OF the people
and the non-payment of which is disregard OF the
nlghte faith of the nation. We denOunce ne 'lhproV-
dence which In eleven yGas ymes be Whole of the
egaf tender notes and squandered IOur times e sn
in useless expense without M amy nn
cy and immortality OF that party which during eleven
Years Of peace has made no advance towards resnmp
Lion no preparation for resumption, but instead has
obstructed resumpton by wasting our resources and
exhanstng ali our surplus income; and while equally
nrnessnp to intend speedy return to specie payment
has smnnsliy added fresh hindances thereto As such
q hindrance, we denounce the resumption clause OF
the act of 1876 and demand its repeal we demand
inJicions system of preparation by public economies;
oy official retrenchments and ny wise nhanCe, wiicn
shall enable the nation 10 ss o meet any Of its
promises the call OF its creditors entea " lsy
We believe that such system wel devised anu M M ;
cd tn competent hands Of execution creates at no te
an ARTIFICIAL scarcity of currency and at no time alarm
ing the public mind in withdrawal OF that Xasef ma
chinery of credit by which 9 per cent ol all business
transactions are pefOrmed-a system open, public ana
imspirinr general confidence would from the DAY OF It's
indnsries set i'm motion the wheels of commerce, man-
nfscfures and the mechanic arts restore employ ment
70 m S Sns s,m apd moe Of Federal taxation the
e"i that canita be set free from disrust and labor
lightly burdened.
NN articles as q masterpiece of injustice ana lalse
nretenses 1t yields dwndng. not yearly rlsing rev
enue 1t has impoverished many hi nnr.hase
the nrodncts of the country. 1t has reduced American
commerce from the first to an inferior upon .ne gn
at home and abroad and depetcs the returns Of
American agriculture and industries followed oy mar o
our npnces to the Treasury 1t obstrucs the processes
Of production and wastes the fruits OF labor II pro-
ncssls and bsnSrupts honest merchants We demand
that en- ,tom house taxation shall be only for revenue
Reform is necessary IN 5nG scae r Feder taxation has
swollen from 500 .OO0 gold in 1863 to $4oOoo0OoO
in ls Our q G m oo aas
or in one decade from than S per head to more
than SIS per head. Since the peace the people nave
ad 10 their tax yatherers than three times the
n"onnt of the national debt and more than twice OF
that sum for Federal Outlays ABOVE all, we DEMAND
fugay in all the departments ana every 'n'e u ''o
Government
Reform is necessary to put stop to the prof cate
waste of public lands and their diversion from actual
settlers By the PARTY IN %Ga raroas ras
out of than twice that mas disposed OF
less than sixth to the tilcrs OF the sou.
Reform il necessary to correct the omissions OF ke-
publican Congress and the errors OF our treaties and
plomacy which have stripped our fellow citizens OF
frecn birth and kindred crossing the Atlantic OF
the shield of American citizens and exposed our breth
ern OF the Pacific the incursions of race no.
and in fact now by Jaw denied citizenship through matt
ufalization being neither accustomed 10 the trad
Of a
erty under equal laws. We denounce the policy which
thus discors the liberty loving German and toerafes
the cooie trade in Mongolan women imported for i'm
vile labor contracts and demand such modification
of the treaty with the Chinese Empire or such gisla
fon nv Congress within Constitutional limitations US
shall prevent The further importation, or immigration
of the MOnSOlian race.
Reform is necessary, and can never be effected but
bvmakny it the controlling issue of the elections and
hiring it above the false issues with which the Of
cehoding class and the party In power seek 10 snot
or it, l. The ,alSe issue with which they would en-
Sde sectirian strife in respect the public schools
of which the establishment and support belong exclu
eively the States which the Democratic party has
cherished from their foundation and is resolved to
maintain without paraity preference for any class
sect or creed and without contribution from the Treas
ury 2. The false issue by which they seek to light
anew the diving embers of sectional hate between Kin
drcd people unnaturaly estan,ed but united
" Reform is necessary in civil service. Experience
Oroves the hcient economical conduct OF the
eminent business is not possible its civil service be
party zeal instead Of pests of honor assigned for proved
competency, and held for fidelity in public employ.
That the dispensing of patronage should neither be
the time of all our public men nor the nstru-
ment of their ambition. Here again profession ialssi-
fed in the performance attest that the party in power
now work out practical satisfactory reform Re-
form is necessary even more IN higher grades of public
service-Presidcnt Vice Presidents Judges Represen-
tatives Cabinet oicersthese and all i'll authority
the peoples servants Their offices private per
uuisites they public trust When the annals of
this 3epubc show the uisglace and censure of Vice
Presldent of late Speaker of The House OF Represen
tatlvcS marketluSs uls pTcSNlllS OWcer
of three Senators proting secretly by their voting
law makers; of five chairmen Of the leading commit
robbery of late Secretary of the Treasury. forcing
balances In the public accounts of late Attorney Gen
the Navy enriched enriching friends by percentage
levied off the p:odts OF contractors with his depart
ment of an ambassador to England censured for dis
honorable speculation; OF the Presidents private
reary barely escaping conviction upon trial for guilty
completely in frauds upon the revenue; OF Secretar,
of War impeached for high crimes and confessed mis-
demeanors. The demonstration is complete that the
first step in be the peoples choice for hon
est men from another party, lest the disease of po
ltcal Or,azation infect the body polite, andest by
making no change of men party We get no change
and no reform Of all these abuses wrongs
crimes That the production of sixteen years of as
cendsncy of the Republican party create necessity fol
reform, is confessed by the Republicans themselves
but their reformers voted down in convention ant
displaced from the Cabinet The partys Of the
hone st voters is powerless to resist the 5000 Oct
holders, its leaders and guides Reform can only b
change OF parties that we may haye change Of meas
ures And Of men