, 1876-10-07
DEMOCRATIC PLATFCRM.
Adopted by the Democratic National SoH-
yeniiOn in Session as ~. Ao"'ss s".ie
:ssth. 1875.

sdopied by the Democratic National Coii-
yeniion in Session as 81. Louis' '".ie
2Sii- 1875.
We, the delegates Of the democratic party or the
limited States Ia national convention ssselEbled DO
blv declare the administration OF tie federal gov
srut.nt to be IN great need of IsnIneltte reform 90
hereby enjon upon the uumIn oi tins convention,
and OF the democratic party IN taca S'te 'tu AT -
Iouis 70 make efforts AMI cooperate To tins end
,T5 H. hereby appeal TO fellow citizens OF every
former poLtila connection 20 undertake with US tLS
rst ana mos; pressing patriotic duty Tor the oeneht
of the whole country.
"a. here stt,rn our faith in the permarency Of the
federal EuIun; our devotion to the Constitution Of
the United States with Its amendments universally
scrpp;ed Us fn,I settlement ot the controversies
tbt n..aIeri the evil var, and DO here record our
sIeiiiS confidence III thr IerpetaIty OF rrpubllcin
silt; -sr1 H. 4: IN an absolute acques,=iuye IN the
Will of the minority, the PrILep!e OF rtpubhS' IN
the supremacy of the ciyl over the lniIltary au-
tlOrity IA the Total SEPARATION oi church ana Stt.e,
tr The sake alike Oi evil and religious freedom; II
eou.Iirv OF all citizen before the Just kNS OF their
own enactment the liberty Ut individual conduct
unyrx,,i by sumptuary laVSi IN the faithful educi-
iion OF the rising generation, that they may preserve,
enjoy and trahsult lLtSe Oest Omnibus u A'4l'Ai
happiness anu LOpe.
Ne uphold the uohlest products Of one hundred
years Of changeful history, but while unfolding the
toud OF our union, and the great character OF these
Cur rights hehOOVts free people to Practice also
that eternal vigilance which Is tie price OF Liberty
Reform Is necessary to rehuId and establish IN The
hearts OF the whole people the uUIon eleven years
ayo happily IesCuei tIOm danger OF eOrlupt central
isn winch after l;filcln upon ten States the Tdluc-
itv OF gslrpsi-I.g tyranny, Aas LCHeY-Combed the
oe The federal sUyeTIIeLt itself with lucfpT n y
80, than II III inflicted States and municipalities
80. tL. eoutaalon - nlSrule ami -ceke,t last tie
rrn-e,tv nj IN iqi,:s:rious people IL -; !ardysiS 0I
hard times Re;orm necessary 10 establish sound
currency, restore tie pubic rTr't TN II i'h The
NATIONAL EJLJr.
We jeEouuce tie failure OF ali these ten years 70
make good the promises of the legal tender notes
which are changing the STANDARD Of value IN the
hands Of the people, and tie uOn-paymeut ot which
Is a disregard the pghtel faith OF the nation Ne
denOunce she lmQTOyldtnce which IN eleven years ui
peace has taken nom the qeCpe III frauds ten times
the amount OF tie legal tender Eo:gs and sIuAIderej
four times the sum ia useless expense without ac-
cumula,lng any reserve Tor tLe.r re'leniU;IoA.
We denouuce tIp. financial policy and immortality
of TINT party which, during e-evt years OF peace,
has made 10 advuLcg ment toward resumption, no
pr paratUn Tor resumption, but instead, has OBJ
strurted resumption by wasting our resources
anI rXhaEstiIg all our SI:p.us income; AMI while
annually protesting 10 u.teni "A speedy return TO
specie payment has annually added fTUsl hInlTdnCc
thereto As such hIutraIce, We deuounce the t.
sumption c.JIse OF the act o: iS1S, ami demand Its
repeal. " Z demand JUlIc.ous system OF pgelaIa-
ton by public ucuaUu,S; by Uiiyui! re;rencAIents
and by wise finance, which sna.! nabe the i.tlOn u
tie TCis wOrl4 OF IL perfect ability and rs
perfect readiness meet any OF its promises at the
call OF is CIe!ItCr entitled % payment
We believe such a systeIa well devised and intTust-
el competent hands 80: execution, creating at EO
time an artificial scarcity @: Acy nd tine
alarming the public mind Tito I withdrawal OF that
Vaster machinery, Of credit 10y which % per cent. Of
all business transl, tons are pe.iurHa-d-a system
open, puti- and inspiring general oonnItLcr wuUIi
from The day Of Its Adoption buIg Ee.hus Its
WINS 10 al Uur LGr.ssei industries ST IL notion
the Wheels OF co.aHr ge, manufactures and the
mechanic arts restore employ lent 20 lhJT AM pros
pIity 10 the Ieop!e-
Reform : necessary u ;ie sum AMI mol. Of federal
txsiau 10 tLe enl Jhit capital be free from dis
trust and L.b,r lightly bu-laEei Ne deuouuce the
present tariff leyIe! upon nearly 1000 articles 4
maSlstp p'see Of injustice AID t-!>e pfeJlu>r. II
yields dwUdhHg, not q yearly rs!Es scyehue- Il
has .OveTisl. many Industries 70 Slls!.z- few
II protIusts imports that might purchase tie pre-
ducts Of the country II h.s reduced American
mrrce iIOm the fist 20 IN Ller.uT rank upon III.
high seas. 1t has lowered Jlae sale oi American
manufactures ~ home AMI abroad, ami depict the
TeiuIn Ut American agriculture and Industry t'.-
Lowell by hall % our peupe. II costs the people TIVE
um,S ore than II produces TO TIE treasury. 10 Oh
srucls the processes oi Q1o-Uc ION. and wastes the
fruits Ui huuI. II promotes fraud, fosters Snug
cling euIiggS dis, CJ-,t Olicl.S and hILsIUp,s Lon
ct merchants. - .a!nsUt ti.t cul;CIn-h taxa
ticn SHAH be- oI.y IL revenue
Reform Is ssry in the sclle Of ,ubIic expense
national, Stale and MUNICIPAL. Our Iy!rI..i taxation
has Svuil,u tTCru S6nuCJ,CgG gOi, 1863 10 $780,
OU. 90 currency III 1879, OF oae decade nom .->s
than - Per he'd tAan SiS le- head. S.uce
the peace tie people hive IIId u Tie tax gathers
mo than three times tLr amount OF the national
debt and than twice IN of federal outlay
Above all, demand iIug4lIly every department:
Of tie government
Reform Is necessary to pDt a stop to prod gate
waste OF puh! bands and ;htir diversion from actual
settlers by the party IL power, which ,s sIUu'GcTJi
TEo LuntTel HllLoES OF acres upon RAILROADS alone
add cut Of NO. than thrice TIA, a.g-.Ite L=S dis
Iu>l o.. lg>S tam sixth 20 Ja- tsli..= 81 TIE soil
Et.uIm is Necessary 10 g,srl-rt tie omissions Of
republican Congress AMI the emo u Ou. treaties
GEI Cu- dlT.uaIry wi.cll have srIlIV-i oGr fellow
c,l-us Ot foreign u.r.u and ki!.nI races crossing
tie Atlantic Of tie shield VI II. I!=lH ylGz-ss and
have sEIOSei orr bT Thrrn Cf The Pacific oEs, the
nCuTSiIH> Of a not SpeallE- language Iron. the
sIm- great parent stock, uui, J.. E-rt HcG by law ie
med cltsz,Is!Tp Though naturalization as being
neither accustomed t. tie traditions Of pgo-rrsa ":
cV!lZg,I TOR exercise! in liberty I qU.I laws
Sc Genuuuce tie policy wac! thus Gisv.rls tlr
EbertE-.CvLg German alI to!-Ett,S the revival Of
the cooIe tIale ia AoIss, iin women imported Tor
immoral purposes al! AOn.UlI.n men led ., per-
form -INI.r labor contracts AMI demand such q
mo iii The treaty with tie Chinese i-lqIre,
OF sUci. I>UrOn ly CUugT within oHustItUt oGsl
limitations shall prevent the luz Ler importation
or iIs.i;Ii- ration of lie Mongolia: race.
Reform Is Necessary, and never be Ell cte! but
by making It the controlling >-Ue ot the el.st oIs
and hf,llg II above the Two :lse issues with when
tie ot e-Lolhng class and the party III power seek
ing 70 smother it.
/. Tie false issue with which they would eukiuIa
secarian strife N respect % the publ, schools Of
which the establishment and SUPPORT belong cxclu-
siyvly 10 TIE states winch III. democratic lrrv his
CHERISHED i:o-n their foundation, AM resolved 10
MAINTAIN without any p tlsIty Tor class set or
creed, and without contributions from the treasury
;. The false issue ty NLI.h they s., x 20 lisht
anew the dViu; eiuteTS OF sectional .at. between
kiutreJ peuQie once UTHItugs,ly strssil-,l but ROW
united IL one Ind.y-slte republic aud . Common
destiny.
Reform Is necessary IN e:vI service. Experience
proves that the efficient lIuC conduct OF tie.
government i not possible If It's cyl be =
pTlLr lUughJ iGr al the ballot box, he b:l-i reward,
OF party z4l instead II IUs;= OF homer ass,rsI for
proved competency, ami held IJr fIeiity N puLE.
employ Tia the dispensing 81 patronage should
neither be Tax the time ot uur public men u0r
The lhstrCin. IT OF ;Al-r a;l.t!Jn Hgle again p.0-
t,sIJns !.SlEe1 IL the performance attest that ts
party IL power now can work cut 10 pttctIcsl. or
satisfactory reform.
Reform = nrc crrsiTy even more in Llier eiaes #
puhic SerF!ce-Ii esa!eHt, Wee President, judges,
senator's representatives, cabinet oIig-rs-tLgse AID
al IN authority are the prupr'S servants. IheIr
otilces are not private PerqulSlt-s ;-y aYv q public
trust hrn the annals OF this republic show the
disgrace and ce:sUrr of Il Vire President; of a late
Speaker OF the House Of R,u~geurstv-s rE.rketiu.s
his rulings u presiding officer: Of tlree senators
Irohti;is secretly ty their law makers; Of
1ye eLarInen OF The leading cumrn;tels Of tie late
liCu>e VI Representatives exposed IL robbery Of a
IuIe secretary 81 tie treasury forcing a.ancc, IL the
pUbhc account; OF a late attGrI. y,,.el li-.r,,.rg
TratnS public fCu.s of secretary Uf the treasury
eilrleed cr eIrlclii friends, by per ceD;aee ievr,l
Of tAr profits Of contractors with lis deprtu-rr i
an eTF3o,tiOr 10 England cei.srel Tor d!sLouOra-
bic speculation, OF Presidents private secretary
barely escaping uV.cton upon tIIa Tor guilty COM
Illlty ~ ..-- 8 UP'n the reyeuJ OF secretary Of
war !-pcauLrI -Or LIsl cT-TeS and el ni- e
meaIOTs
he demonstration i complete that the first stcp in
reiOin must be tie p opire coicr for Ion. 81 men IA
another party lest fine diss- ot one political lIi /
zaticn should IEfrc. the body Io.tIc, AMI lest by
making no c!i2uSe u men or psTty get change
OF measures iit no reform al these 4hJses wrong,
ana CRIMES That the pro uctiOis Of sixteen years
oi Sceuaeney Of the Trl ublCan p-rty cr,4te nena-
sty Tor reform Is confessed ty r-TutT,,.rs I'm