The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-09-13
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted a, 81. Louis. June -. 1875.

connection to undertake with us thi. first |
M most pressing patriotic DUTY
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION. REPUBLI-
CAN sELF-GOvERNMENT
For the democracy of the whole country, |
we do hereby reaffirm our faith in the per- |
nanence of the federal union; our devotion |
% the constitution of the United States, |
with its ameL dments universally accepted
,s the final settlement of the controversies
that engendered civil war. and do bere re-
cord our stesdiast confidence in the perpe
tuity of republican self-3overnment.
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In alb ,olute acq,iiescence in the will Of
the maiority--the vital principle OF repub-
lies: in the supremacy If the civil over the
military authority, in tle 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 unvexed by sumptuary laws; In the
faithful education of the 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 changeiul hl'tory; Dut
while unfolding the bond of our union and
great charter of these great rights, |. be-
hooves free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which Is the price OF
liberty.
RECONSIDERATION
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 corrupt ccntralism, viii eh,
after inflcting upon ten States the rapaci' Y
of carpet bag tyrsnnies, has honey combed
the offices of the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud; intecte d
states and municipalities with the conta-
glon Of mi srule. and locked fast the pros
perity OF an industrious people in the pa.
ralysis of hard times.
REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
Reform is necessary TO establish a sound
currency. 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, which are q changing standard OF
value in the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which is a di-rsg gard of the
plighted faith OF the nation.
We denounce the improvidence 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 foui times this sum 10 use
| less expense, without accumulating any re
/ serve fOr tnelf TeUtmpuDu. w ueDOunct
| the financial imbecillty aud immortality o.
| that party which, during eleven years o.
peace. has made no advance toward re
demption; no preparation for resumption
| but, instead, has obstructed resumption b,
| wasting our resources and exhsusting al
or surplus income. and while annual,
| protesting to intend a speedy return Il
| specie payment, has annually enacted fresi
hlndrancss tnere;o-as such hindrancs
we denounce the II sumption clause Of tn,
act of 1875. and we demand its repeal.
We demand judicious system OF pre-
paratiOn. by public economies. by offfcia
retrenehment. and by the finances. which
| shall enable the nation soon to assure tht
whole world Of its perfect ability aud il
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 timt
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at M
| time alarming the pubic mind into a with
| drawsl OF that vast machinery Of Gre dit b,
which 50 per cent. OF all our business trans
| actions are performed: system open I,
| the public and inspiring general confidence
| would, from the day Of its adoption, brin,
I healing on Its wings to all our hsrrassed In
dustriee, set in motion the wheels OF com
merce, manufactures and the mechsnIca
arts, restore employment to labor, and re
new in all its national sources the prosper
ity OF the people.
REFORM OF THE TARIPF-FREE TRADE
Reform is necessary in the sum and mod
OF federal taxation, TO the end that capita
may be set Tree from distrust and lab
lightly hardened. We denounce the pre-.
ent tariff levied upon nearly four thousan
articles a. a mast n piece of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t yields
dwindling, not yearly rising revenue.
has impoverished many industries to sui
sidize few; II prohibits imports that migl
purchase The products of American liborI
II has degraded American commerce lrou
, the first to an inferior rank upon the biv
seas; IL has cut down the sales Of Americs
manufactures at home an abroad, and d
pleted the returns Of American agrlcultur
4 an industry followed by halt our people.
costs the people five times more than il or
duces TO the treasury; obstructs the proce
or production, and wastes the fruits of /
Dor; IL promotes irIud, fosters smugglin
n | enrlches dishonest officials and bankrun
honest merchants. We demand that :
custom house taxation shall be only 4
revenue.
| bEF ECONOMY IN PUBLIC EXPFSx
reform Is necessary in the scale of pub
eXpense-federal. State and uruBiein,
our federal taxation has swollen from SIX
intN'ohs goiu, III 1850, TO four hundred an
nifty millions currency, in 1870. Our agar
gate taxation, from one hundred and IN,
four millions gold in 1860, to seven hundr,
ana thirty millions currency in 1870: or
!. one decade, from Less than five dollars n
mead 10 more than eighteen dollars per hea
slhce lhe peace the people have paid
tneir tax-gatherers more than thrice 4
T. sum OF the national debt, and more IN,
Ar twice that sum for the federal goyernme
et alone. We demand a vigorous frugality
every department, and from every on
OF the government.
kEfoRM-PUBLIC LANDS TO ACTUAL sR
TIERS.
| hqorm l. necessary TO put "A stop IN n
|. proiligate waste OF the public lands a,
their diversion from actual settlers nv n
party In power, which has sauander,
2oO,OoO, 900 acres upon railroads alone n,
IN amount o! more than thrice that aggT
gate, has disposed Of less than sixtb
recty to the tillers Of the soil.
hkfoRM-ADOPTED CITIZENS, REJrcrr
a nONGOLs
HyOfM 4, necessary TO correct the o,nui
sion OF republican congress and The Gro
9I our Treaties and our diplomacy. Viii,
=, nave stripped our fellow-titizens OF toreis
y o'rth and kindred race, recrossipp tbs 4
!, lantie, OF the shield of American cit'zs,
snip, and have exposed our brethren Of n
racine coast 70 the incursions Of a race M
sprung IRON the same great parent sfocI
| and, In fact, now nv Ia IN dsnisa a;,i