Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-07
THE DEMOCRATlC PLATFORM.
Reform, Retrenchment and Recon.
ciIIatiOn.

ciIiatiOn.
EAdopted in Convention at st. Louis, June
%, 1876. Revised and corrected nom the
original manuscript
We, the delegates of the Democratic party
OF the United States in National Conven-
ton assem- bled, do hereby declare the ad-
ministration of the. Federal GovernmenC
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees OF
this Convention, and of the Democratic
party in each State, a jealous effort and co.
operation to this end and do hereby ap-
peal to our fellow -citizens OF every former
political connection, TO undertake with us
this first and most pressing patriotic duty.
we do here reaffirm our faith in the per-
manence of the Federal Union, our devo-
ton to the Constitution of the United
accepted as q final settlement Of the con-
troversieS that engendered civil war, and do
here record our steadfaSt confidence in the
perpetulty OF Republican self-government.
In absolute acqutescence 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 separa-
ton 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 enactment; in the liberty of in
dividual conduct, unvexed by sumptuary
laws; in the faithful education of the
rising generation, that they may preserve
enjoy and transmit these best conditions
of human happiness and hope, we behold
the noblest products of a hundred years OF
changed history; but while uph0lding the
bond OF our Union and great Charter OF
these rights, it behooves q free people to
practice also that eternal vigilance which
Is the price OF Liberty?
Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish
in the hearts of the whole people, the
Union, eleven years ago happily rescued
but now to be saved from corrupt Central
ism which, after infiicting upon ten States
honeycombed the ofices OF the Federal
Government itself with tncapacity. waste,
and fraud /; infected States and municipal
tiles with the contagion of misrule, and
people in the paralysis of Hard Times !"
Reform is necessary to establish q sound
currency, restore the public credit, and
maintain the national honor.
We denounce the failure for all these
eleven years of peace 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 is a disregard ofthe plighted faith
of the nation.
We denouncethe improvidence 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 tour times their sum in
useless expense without accommodating any
reserve for their redemption.
We denounce the financial imbecilfty and
Immortality OF that party which, during
eleven years of peace, has made no adj
vance toward resumption, no preparation
for resumption, but instead has obstructed
mptiOn, by wasting our resources and
exnauSting all our surplus income and,
while annually protesting to intend
nually enacted fresh hfndrances thereto.
AS such q hindrance We denounce the Re.
sumption-day clause of the act of 1875, and
demand its repeal.
We demand a judicious system OF prepa-
ration by public economies, by official re-
trenchments. and by wise fnanee, which
whole world of its perfect ability and its
perfect readiness to meet any of its pro-
misses at the call of the creditor entitled to
We believe such a system, well devised,
and, above all, Entrusted to competent
hands for exec utiOn, creating at no time
an artificial scarcity of currency and at no
time alarming the public mind into with
drawal of that vasLer machinery of credit
by which s. per cent. of all business trans
actions are perfOrmed-a system open,
public, and inspiring general confidence,
would from the day Of its adoption bring
healing on its wings to all orr harassed In
merce, manufactures. and the mechanic
arts, restore employment to labor. and re-
new in all its natural sources the prosper
ity of the people.
Reform is necessary in the sum and modes
of Federal Taxation, to the end that cap
ital may be set free from distrust, and labor
lightly burdened.
we denounce the present Tariff, levied
upon nearly 900 articles, as masterpiece
of injustice, inequality, and false pretence.
revenue. Il has Impoverished many in
dustries to subSidize few. 1t prohibits
imports that might purchase the products
OF American labor. 1t has degrated Amer
lean commerce from the first TO an inferior
rank on the high seas. 1t has cut down
the sales of American manufactures at
home and abroad, and depleted the returns
of American agriculture-an industry fol-
lowed by half our people. 1t costs the peO-
pie five times more than II produces to the
/ ~tl1Nv-r mt,
duction, and wastes the fruits of labor. 1t
| promotes fraud, fosters smuggling, enricheS
dishonest officials, and bankrupts honest
merchants. We demand that all CuStO m
House taxation shall be only for Revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scales OF Pub
| lie Expenses-Federal, State, and NUM-
| cipal. Our Federal taxation has swollen
| from so millions gold in 1850 to $50 millions
currency IN 1870 our aggregate taxation
| from l54 millions gold in lS60to 100 millions
! less than IS per head to more than SIS per
| head. Since the peace the people have
| paid to their tax-gatherers more than
/ thrice the sum of the national debt, and
more than twice that sum for the Federal
| Government alone. We demand rigor-
| Gus frugality in every department, and
! from every officer of the Government.
Reform Is necessary to put stop to the
| profligate waste of public lands and their
/ diversion from actual settlers by the party
| in power, which has squandered 200 mill
| lions of acres upon railroads alone, and out
| of more than thrice that aggregate has dis
posed of less than sixth directly TO tillers
| of the soil.
| Reform is necessary to correct the omis-
| sions of Republican Congress and the er-
| rors of our treaties and our diplomacy,
| which have stripped our fellow-citizens OF
| foreign birth and kindred race recrosstnG
| the Atlantic of the shield of American
citizenship, and have exposed our brethren
| of the Pacific coast to the tncursiOnS OF O
race not sprung from the same great paIe emit
stock, and, in fact. now by law denied ctt1"
zenship through naturalization, as being
! tn n n
! progressive civilization nor exercised In
| liberty under equal laws. We denounce
the policy which thus discards the liberty.
| loving German and tolerates the revival OF
the coolie trade in Monaghan women, i'm
| ported for immoral purposes. and Mongo-
liam men, hired to perform servile labor
Reform is necessary and can never be
| efe0Ied but by making II the controlling
issue OF the elections, ana ilitlng u above
1 the two false Issues with which the Office
holding class and the party In power seek
to smother it
enkindle sectarian strife in respect to the
public schools, of which the establishment
| and support belong exclusively to the sew
eral states, and which the Democratic
party has cherished from the foundation,
! and is resolved to maintain without pre-
Judge 0F preference for any class, sect, Oh
creed, and without !areesses nom the treas
ury to any.
light T aee lSf tSt ss GsiRs Ssbas t
| hats bet%eeR Kindred people once es-
prahged: bat now Fe1plted in one tndtvist-
hlerepubliG and common destiny
Reform is necessary in the civil service
| Experience proves that efficient, econoni-
| cal conduct OF the government business IL
| not possible II its civil service be subject to
change at every election, be prize fought
for at the ballot box, be a BRIEF reward OF
party zeal, instead of posts OF honor as
signed for proved competency, and held
Tor fidelity in the public employ that the
dispensing of patronage should neither
be a tax upon the time of all our public
| men, nor the instrument oftheir ambition
| Here again promises falsified in the per.
| tQFmanne, attest that the party in power
gan N9rh fGt R9 PFaGtlcai or salHtaFV re-
form y 80 ."
Reform is necessary even mora in the
higher grades of the public service. Pres
ident, Vice-President, Judges, Senators
| Representatives, Caoinet officers, these and
| all others In authority are the peoples ser
| OufSftp-fHeW are n Dubllc trust.