The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-11
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted nj -. Louis. June -. 1875

of the federal government
TO he i'm urgent peed OF immediate reform;
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this
and OF the democratic party In
e ach state a jealous effort and eO.Opera-
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal 10
our felow.citizens of every former political
connection to undertake with us this first
All most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION. RKPuBLI-
CAN sELF-GoVERNMENT.
For the democracy of the whole country,
we do hereby reaffrm our falth IN the per-
mapence of the federal union; our devotion
TO the constitution Of the United States,
with its amendments 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 selt-oovernmen
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will OF
the msiority-the vital principle OF repub- |
lies; in the supremacy OF the civil over the |
military authority, in tIe 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-
actment; in the liberty of individual con-
duct unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful education of the rising generation,
that they may preserve, ENJOY ana transmit
these best conditions of human happiness,
anu nope we DeUOlu tHc hoDicst ptouuetc VI
a hundred years OF changeful history; but
while upholding the bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, i: be-
hoOves a free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which Is the price OF
liberty.
REFoRM-CORRUPTIoN
Reform IL necessary to build and establish
in the hearts OF the whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily Rescued from the
danger of secession oil states but now TO
be saved from 4 corrupt centraism. WIFI eh,
after inficting upon ten States the rapaciy
| of carpet-bag tyranpies, has hone y-cOmbed
| the offices OF the federal government itself
| with incapacity, waste and fraud; infected
States and municipalities with the conta-
| glon Of mi srule. and locked fast the pros
| perity Of an industrious people in the pa
| ralysis of hard times.
REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
| Reform is necessary to establish a sound
currency, restore the public credit anu
| 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 q changing standard Of
value in the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which IL a disrs gard OF the
plighted faith Of the nation.
We denOunce the imprOvidence which in
l
people, in federal taxes, thirteen times the
whole amount of the legal tender notes
and squandered foui times this sum in use
= less expense, without accommodating any re
serve tor their redemption. We denOunct
the financial imbecility and immortality o.
that party which, during eleven years o.
peace, has made no advance toward re-
demption; no preparation for resumption
but, instead, has obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and eXhausting al
our surplus income, and while annually
protesting to intend speedy return L
specie payment, has annually enacted frest
bindrances theretO-as such hindranct
we denOunce the re sumption clause Of the
act Of 1875, and we demand its repeal.
We demand judicious system OF pre-
paration, by public economies. by oftcia
retrenchment, and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world of its perfect ability and IT.
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom
ises at the call of the creditor entitled to
payment.
We believe such a system, well devised
and, above all, entrusted to competent
| hands for its execution, creating at no time
An artificial scarcity Of currency, and at nc
time alarming the public mind into with
drawal OF that vast machinery of credit by
which % per cent. of all our business trans
actions are performed; q system open Il
the public and inspiring general confidence
| WOuiu, IIOm the uhy VI ltb duOpuOu,
healing on its wings to oil our hsrrassed in
dustries, set in motion the wheels Of com
merce, manufactures and the mechanlca
1 | arts, restore employment TO labor, and re
e new in all its national sources the prosper
! ity OF the people.
:REFORM OF THE TARIFF-RREE TRADE.
Reform is necessary In the sum and mod,
of federal taxation, to the end that capita
#. may be set free from distrust and iabo
| lightly burdened. We denounce the pres
| ent tariff levied upon nearly four thousand
articles a. a mastsr piece Of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t yields I
dwindlng, not yearly rising revenue. II
!, has impoverished many industries to sub
sidze few; 1t prohibits imports that nigh
purchase :he products Of American labOTs
1t has degraded American commerce iron
=. the first to an inierior..rank upon the higi
seas; it has cut down The sales of American
manufactures at home AMI abroad, and de
| peted the returns OF American agriculture
A AN industry followed by half our people.
costs the people five times more than II pre-
duees TO the treasury; Obstructs the process
Of production, and wastes the fruits OF Ia
Dor; IL promotes fraud, fosters smuggling
enriches dishonest officials and bankrupt
NJ honest merchants. We demand that u
| custom house taxation shall be only e
revenue.
REFoRM-ECoNoMY IN PUBLIC EXPENs
Reform is necessary in the scale OF publ
eXpense-federal, State and municipa
our federal taxation has swollen from six
millions gold, IN 1850, to four hundred al
fifty millions currency, in 1870. Our aggr
gate taxation, from one hundred and hit
four millions gold In 1850, TO seven hundre
and thirty millions currency 10 1870; or,
a one decade, from less than flye dollars p
% head to more than eighteen dollars per hea
Since the peace the people have paid
their tax-gatherers more than thrice d
sum OF the national debt, and more tn
GE twice that sum tor the federal goyernme
AR alone. We demand vigorous frugality
he every department. and from every Offic
OF the government.
REFoRM-PUBLiC LANDS To ACTUAL sE
TLRRS.
Reform Il necessary 10 put a stop to I
prohigate waste OF the public lands al
nv their diversion from actual settlers by I
RIP, party in power, which has squander
IN | 2OO, 900 900 acres upon railroads alone, u
. an amount OF more than thrice that aggl
= gate, has disposed of less than q sixth
N recty TO the tiileTs Of the soil.
~ REFoRM-ADoPTRD CITIZENS, REJECT
Il AONGoLs.
ana Reform 10 necessary to correct the Omn
sion Of republican congress and the err
Of our treaties and our diplomacy, VIII
have stripped our feliow-citizens Of torei
birth snd kindred race, recrossing the
,po' lautic, OF the shield OF American cit,z
ven ship, and have exposed our brethren OF
,e,h Pacific coast TO the incursions Of a race
lhp- sprung from the same great parent sto
and, in fact, now by law denied citizensI
or through naturalization, as being neither
aud | eust0med TO the traditions Of progress
a. tciyilizstion, nor exercised In liberty un,