The Russellville Democrat., 1876-10-26

own enactment; in the liberty of individual conduct unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the faithful education ofthe 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 changeful histo- ry. But while upholding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, our rights, it behooves a 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 from the danger ofa secession of States, but now to be saved from a cor rupt centralism, which, after in flicting upon ten States the rapac- ity of carpet. bag attorneys, has honey-combed the offices of the Federal Government itself with incapacity, waste and fraud: in- fected States and municipalities with the contagion of misrule, and locked fast the prosperity of industrious people in the paraly- sis of hard times. Reform is nee essary to establish a sound cur rency, 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 wl.ich are a changing stan dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non-payment of which is the disregard of the plighted faitt. of the Nation.
 We denounce the lmprovidence 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 sqnandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve for their redemption. We de- nounce the financial imbecility and immortality of that party which, during eleven years of peace, has made no advance to- ward resumption, no preparation for resumption, but instead has obstructed resumption by vast ing our resources and exhausting all our surplus income, and while annually professing to intend a speedy return to specie payments, has annually enacted fresh hin- drarces thereto. As such hin- dranccs, we denounce the resump- tion clause of the act of 1875, and we here demand it's repeal. We demand a judicious system oi preparation by public economies, by official retrenchments, and by a wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of it's ability and it's perfect readiness to meet any ol it's promises at the cail of a cred itor entitled to payment. We be- lieve such a system well advised and, above all, entrusted to com petent hands for execution, creat- ing at no time an artificial scarci- ty of currency, and at no time alarming the public mind into a withdrawal of that vast machin- cry of credit by which ninety five per cent. of our business transac- tions are performcd-a system open and public, and inspiring general confidence-would. from the day of it's adoption, bring healing on its wings to all our harassed industries, set Tn mo- ton the wheels of commerce, manufactures and the mechanical arts, restore employment to labor, and renew in all it's sources the prosperity of the people. Reform is necessary in the sum and mold of Federal taxation. to the end that capital may be set free from distress and labor lightly bur dened.
 We denounce the present tariff levied upon nearly 4,OOo articles as masterpiece of injustice, in equality and false pretense, which yields a dwindling, and not q yearly rising revenue, has lmpov- erished many industries to subsi- dize few. It prohibits imports that might purchase the products of American labor; it has dcrang- ed American commerce from the first to an inferior rank upon the high seas; it has cut down the walls of American manufacturers at home and abroad; it has depict ed the returns of American agri- culture, an industry followed by half of our people; it costs the people five times more than It produces to the treasury; ob- structs the process of production and wastes the fruits of labor; 1t promotes fraud, fosters snug
 gling, enriches dishonest officials, and brnkrupts honest merchants. We demand that all Custom House taxation shall be only for revenue. Reform is necessary in the scale of public expense-Fed eral, State and Municipal. Our