The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-17
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted "a, 81. Louis. June Is. 1870.

We. the delegates of the democratic
party of the United states, in national con-
Ventou assembled, do hereby declare the
administration of the federal government
to he in urgent need of immediate reform:
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this
COW entiOL, and OF the democratic party in
e ach state, jealous effort and eo.opera-
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal to
our sellow.ctiZens of every former political
come elton to undertake with liz this first
AM most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION. RKrUBLI-
CAN SELF-GON ERNMENT.
For the democracy of the whole country,
we do hereby reafiirm our faith in the per-
manence of the federal union; our devotion
to the constitution of the United States
with its amendments universally accepted
rs 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-government.
1HE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will Of
the majority-the vital principle OF repub-
hes: 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. unyeXed by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful education of the rising generation,
that they may preserve, enjoy aud transmit
these best conditions of human happiness,
and hope we behold the noblest products of
a hundred years of changeful hi tory: but
while upholdDg the bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, i. be-
hooyes a free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which IS the price of
| liberty.
| REFoRM-CORRUPTIO
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 secession OF states but now to
| be saved from u corrupt centralisD, viii ch /.
! after in1licting upon ten States the rapaciiy
| of carpet-bag tyranuies, has hOney-combed
| the offices OF the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud: infecte d
! States and municipalities with the conta-
glon OF mlsrule. and locked fast the pros
perity OF an industrious people in the pa.
| rayss of hard times.
| REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
Reform is necessary to establish sound
currency, restore tue public credit and
maintain the national honor. We denounce
the failure for all these eleven years to
make good the az. promise ts. Of tie legal tender
value in the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which is a disrs gard OF the
plighted faith OF the nation.
| We denounce the improyidence which ia
eleven years of peace has taken from the
il sasra axe thirteen Times the
and squandered foui times this sum in use
less expense, without accommodating any re-
serve Tor their redemption. We denouncs
the financial imbecility and immortality OF
that party which, during eleven wears OF
4 moi - has N Al u n,I
demption; no preparation for resumption,
but, instead, has obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and eYhausting all
our surplus income, and while annually
protesting to intend speedy return TO
specie payment, has annually enacted fresh
| Llndrances thereto-as Sucn a hindraDce
we denounce the re sumption clause OF the
act OF 1910, 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.
ises 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 public mind into a with.
drawal OF that vast machinery of credit by
which 80 per cent. OF all our business trans
| actions are performed: a system open to
| the pubic and inspiring general confidence,
would, from the day of its adoption, bring
healing on its wings to all our hsrrassed in
| dustries, set in motion the wheels of com
| merce, manufactures and the mechanical
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 federal taxation, TO the end that capital
may be set Tree from distrust and labor
lightly burdened. We denounce the pres
eEt tarih levied upon nearly four thousand
articles a. master piece Of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t yield.
dwindllng, not yearly rising revenue. II
has impoverished many industries TO sub.
sldlle Anew; II prohibits imports that might
purchase me products of American laboTs:
II has degraded American commerce from
the hrst TO an inierior.rank upon the high
seas; II has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home an abroad, and de.
pleted the returns Of American agriculture
an industry followed by halt our people. Ii
costs the people live times more than il pro-
duces 10 the treasury; obstructs the process
OF production and wastes the fruits OF la
Dor; II promotes fraud. fosters smuggling,
enrlches dishonest officials and BANKRUPT,
honest merchants. We demand that all
custom house taxation shall be only Tor
revenue.
| REFORM -ECoNOMY IN PUBLIC Expense.
Reform Is necessary in the scale Of public
| cNp.nse-iederal, state and municipal.
| our federal taxation has swollen from sixty
| millions gold, IN 1850, 20 four hundred and
| MI! HiIiions currency, in 1870. Our aggre-
! gate taxation. from one hundred and t,ity.
four millions gold in 1860, to seven hundred
ana thirty millions currency 10 1870; or. in
| one decade, from less than i've dollars ner
| head TO more than eighteen dollars per head
| since the peace the people have paid to
| teclr taX-gatherers more than thrice the
| sum OF the national debt, and more than
| twice that sum Tor the federal government
| alone. We demand vigorous frugality in
| every department., and from every officer
| OF the government.
| REFORM PUBLIC LANDS TO ACTUAL SET
| TIERS.
| Reform, il necessary 10 put stop TO the
profligate waste OF the public lands ana
their diversion from actual settler. by the
| party in power, which has squandered
| zoooOO,OOO acres upon railroads alone, and
| IN amount OF more than thrice that aggre-
gate, has disposed of less than a sixth di-
rectly TO the tillers Of the soil.
RRfoRM-ADorTED CITIZENS. REELECTED
| NONGOLs.
| Hf0rH. Is necessary To correct the ommi,
sion OF republican congress and the errors
OF our treaties and our diplomacy, which
nave stripped our fellow-citiZens OF foreign
| DHln ana kindred race, recrossing the At
I iantie, OF The shield Of American citizen
| snip, and have exposed our brethren of the
racine coast TO the incursions Of a race not
sprung from the same great parent stock,