The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-07-24
TIE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

| IKE ,OLAnVNhAAtS LII - OAhAs
We, tho delegates OF the Democratic party
Of the United Ssates, In national convention
assembled, do horOby declare tho admipistra-
tion Of tho Federal government to bc in
urge1t--need of-4mmcdlAte Reform DO
hereby cnjaln upon the nominees OF this COLI
ycution, aud Of tho Democratic party In each
Safe, a jealous effort and cooperAtion to this
end, AID do. hereby appeal 10 our fellow citi-
zcus OF ovsTy former political connection to
| undertake with US this nrst and most pressing
patriotic duty.
For tho Democracy OF tho whole country. wo
| 10 hero rcaflirm our faith ID tho pcrmAncuco
Ct tho Federal union, our devotion TO the
Constitution OF tho United STATES, with its
Gnicndmcutt, universally Etcepted 81 tlasl
sosIlcmbnt VI the controversies that cnycn-
dsrCd civil war, and do hero record cllr strad-
| fact confidence In tho pOrlttuily OF RspuLlt-
cau seli-Goyerun;eut; In Absbluto acqnicsccnco
Ia tho will Of the majority, tho vital principle
Of republics; in tho supremacy OF tho civil
over tho military authorized; IN tho total sep
sr4iiOn OF church and state, for tho sake alike
II civil and religions frOeJQii; iu tho equality
uf al citizens before jlst'laws OF thor own
| enactment; In the libOrty of individual cor-
dpct unvOAed by sumptury laws; In tho
20 thiul education OF tho rising generation,
that they m4y proservo. cvjoy and traazmi:
thcgO b6et conditions OF Lutlar happiness and
hope, wo behold tho uoblest pIoductB u hun-
dred years OF chAnEeful history; but, while
uphGlIing tho bond ot o1r UnlOn end tic great
charter OF those our rights, u behoovcs a free
people to practice, also, that eternal ViCillnee
which Is tho price OF liberty
Reform il necessary tO Idbuild and establish
In The hcarta OF tho wholo people ut tho
Union. eleven years ago ESpptY rescGca ftoui
tho danger OF { secession u States, but nov
10 be saved from cUrruptcontEAlism, which.
after inilicting upon ten StJcs tho rapacity Of
cArpet-bSg tyraunics, has Lonty.cVm0ed tho
offices OF tho Federal government itseit with
iucaI acity, waste and fraud, Infected States
and municipalities with thasontaSiOa OF mis-
rGlc. and locked fast tho prosperity OF all in:
drstriOus people IN tho paralysis OF lard
TIMED.
Reform IL nocessary 10 establish Il sound
currency, Tcstoro tho pab!id credit, ard main
tA.u tho national honor. We deuOuEco tho
failure for all these einv6l years OF Eeace TO
mako good tho prcnlisS Il tho legal tender
notes, which arc changing st',ildAtd OF value
IN tho haGds Of the people and tho non-psy::
luunt OF which Is dsrcStrd OF tho p!iSntcd
faith u tho nation.
We dluyunce Tho impIovIeuce which in
cioyGn years Of peace has takon from the poo
plO III Federal taxes thirteen times tho whole
AMOUNT Of the lCgEl tender votes, aud zllAu-
tsIe1 four times their suu In useless expense,
without AccuuulAting Eny reserve FOR their re-
dUrlp.ion.
W. donounce tho financial imbocilIty aud
immortality uf that party which during ulOven
ytars OF peace has mAdo no advance toward
resumption, TO preparation for resump-
ton, Dnt, instead, has Ubatrncted resumption
BY wasting our RESOURCES and e1hAustlns all
our surplus incoup, uId, whlle annually pro-
fc.siug to intond a speedy return 10 spceis
payIncuts, has annually enacted fresh hin-
drlnces thereto. As such u hiudrsncv We de-
nvuuc. the resumption day clause OF the act OF
1875, aud demand It's repeal.
We demand Il lndlCivna syst0m OF prepaia'
ton by pubic economics, by official retreneh-
ncnte, aud by wIao linagcc which shall enable
tho MStiOu sJ0u 10 assurs the whole world OF
It's perfect ability and It's perfect readiness to
meet any Ut It's promises a. tho call OF tho
creditor entitled tU payment. We be!ievc such
rysiem, well DEVISED AID, above all,
mtrustcd TO competent hands for execution,
creating at 10 timo Ru artificial scarcity
| Of carrency, and at no ttmo alarming
tho pubic mind into withdrawal OF
L,SL YR,tpr machinery Of crvlit by which
uiaety-il3v por cont. Of ali business transAc-
tiuus are purformel-A system open, public,
ard inspiring general cOuidence-wUnlu, from
the day Of its adoption, bring healing on its
TtuEs 10 all our harrAssod Industries, ret III
motion tho wheels OF commerce, nlAnutHcturts
and tho mechanical STte, restore employment
to labor, GIId renoT IN ell its natural sources
the prosperity OF the people.
Reform is necoesaryin tho sum and mcdcs OF
Fedora. taxation, to the end that capital Ilsy
ba rus free from dlstrus., aud labor lightly
bCrleGel. Wo dGnounco tho present tariff
levied upon nearly 4,U0J articles as n master.
p.UcG VI Injustice, inequality and false pre-
ieGsO. 1t yields adwindllnS,not yearly rising,
revenue. |. has Impoverished many Industries
10 suUaidize fow. 1t prohibits imports that
mi- ~ purchase tho products OF American
l4Ogr. II has degraded American commerce,
! from the hrst, " an Inferior rank on the
| high sSas. II has Gu: down tho sales OF Amer.
lean manufactures at home uiId abroad, and
depleted tho returns Of American agriculture,
an Industry followed by half our people. It
cost. tho people two ttnos more than it pro-
d. cSs to the treasury, obstricLs the processes
OF production, and wastes tho fruIts OF labor.
Il prOuotrs tIaud, fotters smuggling, enricheS
dishonest officials, aud OEuArupta honest mer'
chInls. We domAud that all custom house
taxation shall bo only FOR revenue.
| Reform Id necessary iu tho scAIo or puelic
expense, Federal, State and municipal Oar
Federal taxation has swollen from go, OJO
lu gold In 1850, to si5O, ,OO0 900 In currency IL
1870 our aggregate taxation from 100, WI
in gold IN 1860, to :73O, 900, 900 in currency III
1870. or. In one decade, from lees than hrt
dUllGTs per head to more than eishtccn dollar
per uaAd. Since tue poAcc, tho people have
paid to their tax gAthcrers moro than thrice tht
sum OF tho national dcbt aud moro than twIc'
that sum for the Federal government alone
We demand a rigorous frugAlity In every do
partmcnt and from every otlleer OF the govern
Inent.'
Reform is necessary to put stop to taI
wLiligaIU wa2tO Of public lands, and thel
IYuIriou from actual settlers by the patty II
power, which has squAndetcd 9JJ, 600, 900 acre
usuu railroads alone, and out OF moro thai
ilIr.co that aggregate has disposed Of lCss thai
\ Blxth directly 10 tillers Of the soil.
lIciorm Is necessary To correct the omission
OF tho Repubicau C0ngr 81 aud tho errors
our treaties and our diplomacy which hAy
stripped our fellow citlZOns OF foreign brit
and kindred race rGcrOSslng tho Atlantic
tho shield Of AmoricSn citizenship, and hNy
exposed our brethrou OF tho Pacific coAst I
tho incurrious Of rAco not sprung from III
same l;reNt parent stock, and IN fact now b
law denied citizenship through naturalization
III being neither accustomed 10 tho tradition
Of progressive civilization nor exercised /
iiboIty under equal laws. We dGnounco th
policy which thus hIseardS the liberty.lovin
ucrmau and toleratGs tho revival OF tho cooli
trade in AIorgollAn women imported for llE
moral purposes, aud NlongolIan mon hired
perform sGrvile labor contracts.
Reform Is necessary, aud can mover be el
tcC.Od but by making IL tho controlling issl
OF tho elections aal lifting u Hboye the tw
false tissues with which the tllicOholdlnG elAs
aud tho party III power seek to smother II,
the false Issue with Which they would onkindl
: sectArIAn stritO In respect to the public school
Of which the UstAblshmcnt and support b,
, longs o1clu-ivUly TO tho several States, ~
which the Dem cratic party has eheriahe
from their foundation, and Il resolved TO mall
tHip without prejudice Or preference Tor Ah
class, soc. Or creed, aud without LARGEST