The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-12
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by tho
Committee.
Adopted a, ~. Louis. June IS, 1879.


administration OF the federal government
! 10 he ia urgent need OF immediate reform:
| do hereby enioin upon the nominees OF ihls
| contention. and of tue Democratic party 10
| e.eh state. 4 jealous EFFORT snd 80 opers-
ton To this end. and do hereby appeal 10
| our fellow. ciiiZe chs OF every former political
conue elton - undertake With Va TIL, hist
All most pressing patriotic duty.
| the UNION. THE CONSTITUTION. RErUBLt-
| cas- SELf-tFo, EENNENf
| For the democracy of the whole country.
| we DO hereby resttirm our islth la the per-
| manence OF the federal union: our devotion
| - the constitution OF the pl,rd States.
with its amendments universally accepted
| A. the tinal settlement Of the contros er>ies
| that cngendered civil war. ana 10 bere re-
| cord our stesdisst confidence in the perre-
Iuitv Of republican seli-goNerninent.
1HE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the viii of
| the msioriiy--the vital principle Of repub-
| hes: in the supremacy Of the civil over the
! military authority. in the totsi separation OF
| church and state, Tor the sake alike OF civil
| and religious freedom: in the equslits o;
| sill citizens before just laws OF their own en-
| ac,mcnt: in the liberty Of individual con-
| duet. uuvexed by sumptuary laws: IN The
| faithful education OF the rising generation,
tina, fbey may preserve. enjoy aud transmit
| these best conditions Of human happiness.
and hope we behold the noblest products OF
| a hundred years of changeiul history: but
| while upholding the bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, i. be-
hooye. free people 10 practice also that
eternal vigilance which is the price OF
liberty.
| REFoRM-CORETPI IpN-rENTRALIsM.
Reform is necessary to build and establish
in the hearts OF the whole people the union,
| eleven years ago happily rescued from The
a al. >s.sn hut 70
be saved from corrupt ceutralism, viii ID.
| after iu1icling upon ten states the rapzci'y
! of cari,ct-bag t.ranDies. has honey combed
the Offices OF the federal government itself
| with incspacity, waste and fraud: in'sete d
| States and municipalities with the copts-
| cion OF mi :rIlc. and locked fast the pros.
| perity OF an industrious people in the pa
| ralysls of hard time.
REFORM OF TnE CUKRgNcY->rICIE
PAYMENTS.
Eeforu Is necessary 10 establish n sound
| currency. restore the public credit and
| maintain the national honor. We denounce
the failure for all these eleven years 10
make good the promise OF the legal tender
notes, which are changing standard oi
value in the bands OF the people. and the
non payment of which il a DIR gard OF the
pligbtesl faith Of the nation.
We denounce the iinprO, iIcDce which IN
eleven ycarr Of peace has taken IRON the
| peopIc, III Icucia JAAe,, tuit ts-ea tIiiIr. tnc
whole amount of the legal tender notes,
and squsndered fOui times THE sum 10 use-
less expense, Without accuUbistip. any re-.
serve tor their redemption. We dcDoance
the financial iinbeciliiy and immortality oil
that party " hicb, during eleven years oi
peace. has made no sdyance toward re-
denption; no PREPARATION for resumption,
bat, instead, has oDsIucted resumption by
| wasting ouT resources and exhaustiB. al
| ttlTniiiS Income. and hIlS aDp,laiiy
protesting TO intend speedy return Il
specie payment, lis. annually enacted fresl
hindrances thereto-as such \ hindrsBc.
we dcnounce the n sumption clsuse Of tn,
act OF 1870, and we demand it, repeal.
We demand judicious system OF pre-
paration. by public economies. BY ofiicia
Ictrenchment, and by the finances, which
| shall enable tue nation room 10 assure til,
whole world OF its perfect ability aud il
perfect readiness to meet any OF it, prom
ises at the call OF the creditor entitled u
payment,
We believe such system, well devised
and, above all. entrusted IN competen
hands for its execution, creating at no tim
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at NJ
time alarming the pubic mind INTO with
drawal OF that vast machinery Of credit b.
| which % per cent. OF all our business trans
actions are performed; a system open L
| the public and in.piriLg general c0nfdenc &c
| would, from the day Of its adoption, brin
healing on its wings To all our hsrrsssed in
, dustries, set in motion the wheels OF com
. merce, manufactures and the mechanics
arts, restore employment 10 labor, and re
a, new in sll IL. national sources the prosper
: ity OF the people.
REFORM OF THE TARIFf-FREE TRADE
Reform &. necessary In the sum and mod
OF federal taxation, 10 the end that eapiis
may he set tree from distrus. and iats
. | lightly hardened. We deuouuce the pre-.
eEt tarin levied upon nearly four thousan,
e articles a. mast piece Of injustice, ia
equality and false pretense. IL yields
dwindling, not \ yearly rising revenue 1
has impoverished many industries 10 sui
J, sidize few; II prohibits imports that mig b
purchase he products OF American l,bofs
II has degraded American soIiImerce irOu
the nrst To an inferior rank upon the hig
seas; IL has cut down the salss OF America
y manufactures Al home an abroad, and de
pleted the returns Of American agriculture
an industry followed BY halt our people.
4 costs the people live times more than il pro
duces To the Treasury; obstructs the proce.
OF production, and wastes the fruits OF ID
bori II promotes fraud. fosters sLiugg CLING
enriches dishonest officials and tupL ruut
!. | honest merchants. We demand that a
custom hou.e taxation shall be only 10
revenue.
REFORM -ECONoMY ~ PUBLIC EXPENSE
Aefcrm Ia necessary in the scale OF publ
eXpense-federal. State and municipal
our federal taxation has swollen from eli /
millions gold, III lisa, to four hundred an
MY millions currency, in $50. Our aggre
gate taxation. from one hundred and III,
four millions gold in 1850, To seven hundre
and thirty millions currency In 1870; or, 1
one decade, from less than nye dollar. pe
head 10 more than eighteen dollars per he a,
70 since the peace the people have paid I
their tax-gatherers more than thrice Ia
sum OF the national debt, and more tina
twice that sum for the federal goyernmeI
~ alone We demand vigorous irugaity i
al every department, and from every office
81 oil the government.
REFoRM-PUBLiC LANDS 10 Actual ~
Tiers.
Reform Il necessary to put a stop 10 tb
pionisate waste oil the public lands an
=, ,heir diversion from actual settlers by IN
~ party IN power, which has squandere
p, 2O0,0oO,OOO acres upon railroads alone. An
n. IN amount VI more than thrice that aerI,
= gate, has disposed of less than a sixth d
fectly 10 the tillers OF the soil
!, MISUNDERSTANDING CITIZENS, EEJKCTE
hoNGOLs
,d HqCrm IL necessary 10 correct the ommi,
SION OF republican congress and the error
oi our treaties and our diplomacy. wb,U
nave stripped our fellow-citizens OF ioreir
N, uhth anu kindred race, recrossiny the A,
NJ lsn,ic, oil The shield OF American cit,zsn
IN snlp, and have exposed our brethren of IN
H. faeihc coast 10 the incursions of race No
sprung from the same great parent stoek
aha, In Tact, now BY law denied citizenshil
throish naturalization, AZ being neither I'd
Gus, 'med to the traditions Of pro.ressiy
cNAi<aloni nor exercised in liberty unde