The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-08
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted a, 81. Louis. June rs. 1876.

to be in urgent need OF immediate reform |
do hereby enioiu upon the nominees of this
con, entiuL, and OF the democratic party in
,ch State, Jealous effort ana 60 opera
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal to
our fellow-citizens of every former political
connection to undertake with Us th, first
an most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION. THE CONSTITUTION, REPUBLI-
CAN sELF-GovERNMENT.
For the democracy of the whole country, |
we do hereby rcaflirm our faith in the per- |
manence of the federal union: our devotion |
to the constitution of the United States |
with it's ameL dments universally accepted |
as the final settlement of the controversies
that engendered civil war, and do here re-
cord our steadiast confidence in the perpe-
tuity of republican seli-government.
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will of
the majority--the vital principle of repub-
| lies; in the supremacy Of the civil over the
military authority, in the total separation of
| church and state, for the sake alike OF civil
| and religious freedom; in the equality of
| all citizens before just laws of their own en-
| acment; in the liberty of individual con-
duct, unveXed by sumptuary laws; in the
| faithful education of til, rising generation,
| that tney may preserve, enjoy and transmit
| these best conditions Of human happiness,
| and hope we behold the noblest products of
IA hundred years OF changetul history; but
| while UNFOLDING the bond of our union and
| great charter OF these great rights, i. be-
| huoves free people to practice also that
| eternal vigilance which is the price of
| liberty.
| REToRM-CORRUPTIo N-cENTRALIsM.
Reform is necessary to build and establish
in the hearts OF the whole people the union,
| eleven years ago happily rescued from the
| danger of a secession of states but now to
be saved from a corrupt centralism, viii ID,
after inticting upon ten States the rapaci,y
of carpet bag tyrannes, has honey.combed
the offices OF the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud; infected
states aud municipalities with the conta-
gion of misrule, and locked fast the pros
perity OF an industrious people in the pa
ralysis OF hard times.
REFORM OF THE CuRRENCY-sPECIE
J PAYMENTS.
Ref0rR is necessary to establish sound
currency, restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor. We denounce
| the failure for all these eleven years to
make good the promise of the legal tender
notes, which are Il changing standard of
value in the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which is disre gard OF the
phghted faith OF the nation.
| We denOunce the imDrovidence which in
| eleven years of peace has taken from the
people, in federal taxes, thirteen times the
| whole amount of the legal tender notes,
and squandered toui times this sum in use
LEES expense, without accommodating any re.
serve Tor their redemption. We dcnounce
the financial imbecility and immortality OF
that party which, during eleven years OF
peace. has made no advance toward re-
demption; no preparation for resumption,
but, instead, has obstructed resumption by
| wasting our resources and eXhausting all
our surplus income, and while annually
processing to intend a speedy return to
specie payne mt, has annually enacted fresh
Liudrances thereto-as Sucn "a hindrance
we denOunce the re sumption clause OF the
act of 1879, and we demand its repeal.
We demand juuicious system OF pre-
= paration, by public economies. by official
retrenchment, and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world of its perfect ability and its
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom.
ses at the call of the creditor entitled to
payment.
We believe such system, well devised,
and, above all, entrusted to competent
hands for its execution, creating at no time
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at no
time alarming the pubic mind into with.
drawal OF that vast machinery of credit by
| which % per cent. OF all our business trans
actions are performed; system open to
| the public and inspiring general confidence
, | would, from The day of its adopt on, bring
,, healing on its wings to all our harrassed in.
dustries, set in motion the wheels of com
l
I arts, restore employment to labor, and re-
: new in all its national sources the prosper
= ity OF the people.
REFORM OF THE TARIFF-FREE TRADE.
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode
of federI taxation, to the end that capital
may be set free from distrust and labor
lightly burdened. We denOunce the pres
= ent tariif levied upon nearly tour thousand
| articles a. a mast n piece of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t yields a
dwndling, not yearly rising revenue. 1t
! | has impoverished many industries to sub
sidize few; II prohibits imports that might
purchase .he products of American l.boIs;
1t has degraded American commerce from
., ! the hrst To an inferior. rank upon the high
seas; 1t has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home an abroad, and de
pleted the returns of American agriculture
d an industry followed by halt our people.
costs the people five times more than ii pro
duces to the treasury; obstructs the process
Of production. and wastes the fruits OF la
Dor; IL promotes fraud, fosters smuggling
!, enHches dishonest officials and bankrupt,
| honest merchants. We demand that all
custom house taxation shall be only ton
revenue
REFORM-ECoNoMY IN PUBLIC EXPENSE
Reform is necessa in the scale OF publ,
eXpense-federal, State and municipal
Our federal taxation has swollen from sixt,
millions gold, IN 1860, 10 four hundred ant
nifty millions currency, in 1870. Our aggre
gate taxation. from one hundred and nifty
four millions gold in 1860, To seven hundred
and thirty millions currency in 1870; or, II
one decade, from less than five dollars pei
j. head 10 more than eighteen dollars per head
since the peace the people have paid I,
their taX-gatherers more than thrice III
sum OF the national debt, and more thai
~ twice that sum tor the federal government
a, alone. We demand a vigorous frugality il
every department, and from every office
OF the government.
REFORM-PUBLiC LANDS TO ACTUAL SET
Tiers.
HJDyN4 l. necessary 10 put stop TO til,
h, prohigate waste of the public lands an,
~ their diversion from actual settlers by tn,
7, party in power, which has squandere,
n. ZOO,ovO,VO acres upon railroads alone, an,
- an amount OF more than thrice that aggre
gate, has disposed of less than a sixth di
\ reetiy 10 the tillers Of the soil.
| RECONSTRUCTED CITIZENS. REELECTED
AONGoLs
REFORM Is necessary TO correct the ommis
sion OF republican congress and the error
OF our treaties and our diplomacy, which
nave stripped our fellow-citzens OF foreign
:. birth and kindred race, recrossing the Al
\. laniic, OF the shield Of American citizen
snip, and have exposed our brethren of IN,
racine coast 10 the incursions of a race no
sprung from the same great parent stock
and, in fact, now by law denied citizensbi,
"A Ia la.a -