The Russellville Democrat., 1876-08-24
NATTONAL DEMOCRATIC
 PLATFORM.

We, the delegates of the Dem ocratic party of the United States, iE National Convention assem
 blcd, do hereby declare the ad- ministration of the Federal Gov ernment to be in great need of immediate reform. Do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, q zeal ous effort and cooperation to this end, and do here appeal to our fellow citizens of every form of political connection to undertake with us this first and most press inc patriotic duty for the Democ- racy of the whole country, we dc here reaflirm our faith in tlie per ,nanence of the Federal Union, our devotion to the Consultation of the United States with its amendments universally accept
 cd as a final settlement of the controversy that engcndcred the civil war-and do here record our steadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican self-goyern- 1ncnt, in absolute acquiescencc Ill the will of tie majority, the vital principle of republics; in the su- premacy of the ciyll over the mil itary; in the twofold separation of the Church and State, for the sake alike of civil and religious freedom; in the equality of ali citizens before just laws of their own enactment: in the liberty of individual conduct unyeXed by sumptuary laws; in the faithful education of the rising generation, that they may preserve, enjoy and transmit these best conditions ot human happiness and hope, we behold the noblest products of hundred years of changeful histo- ". But while upholding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, our rights, 1t bchooyes 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 . COT. rupt centralism, which, after in dieting upon ten States the rapae- ity of carpet bag attorneys, has honey -combed the offices of the Federal Government itself with incapacity, waste and fraud: ln- fected States and municipalities with the contagion of misrnle, and locked fast the prosperity ot industrious people in tue paraly- sis of hard times. Reform IS nee essary to establish sound cur rencv, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We dcnounce the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes which are q changing stan
 dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non payment oi which is the disregard of the 1liohted faith 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 squandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve for their redemption. We de nounce the financial imbccility 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 eXhaustlng all our surplus income, and while annually prcfessing to intend d speedy return to specie payments has annually enacted fresh Inn drances thereto. As such nm dranccs, we denounce the resump- tion clause of the act of 1879, and we here demand its repeal. We demand a judicious system of, preparation by public economies, by official rctrcnchments, and by il wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of its ability and its perfect readiness to meet any ot it's promises at the call of a cred itor entitled to payment. We be- lieve such a system well-advlsed and, above all, entrusted to com potent hands for execution, creat- inc 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-iiye per cent. of our business transac- tions are performed-a system open and public, and inspiring general contidence-would, from the day of it's adoption, bring healing on its wings to all our harasscd industries, set m mo tion the wheels of commerce, manufactures and the mechanical arts, restore employment to labor,
 ii ;tn cnnrcns Inc