The Russellville Democrat., 1876-09-07
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
 PLATFORM.

Dlcd. U0 ncleny tcCldIt Viie d.t- Administration of the Federal Gov rrnment to be in great need of immediate reform. Do hereby cnjoin upon the nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, a 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 ing patriotic duty for the Democ- racy of the whole country, we do here reaflirm our faith in the per manence of the Federal Union, our devotion to the Constitution of the United States with it's amendments universally accept ed as final settlement of the controversy that engendered the civil war-and do here record our steadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican self-govcrn- ment; in absolute acquiescence in the will of the majority, the vital principle of republics, in the sn- premacy of the civil over the mil itary; in the two-fold separation of the Church and State, for the sake alike of civil and religious freedom; in the equality of all citizens before just laws of their 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- ". But while upholding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, onr rights, it behooves 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 n sound cur rency, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We deneunce the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes which are 8 changing stan dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non-payment of which is the disregard of the plighted 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 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 protesting to intend a speedy return to specie payments, has annually enacted fresh hin dgances thereto. As such him drances, we denounce the resump- tion clause of the act of 1875, and we here demand it's repeal. We demand q judicious system of preparation by public economies, by official retrenchments, and by wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of its ability and its perfect readiness to meet any Of it's promises at the cail of 8 cred itor entitled to payment. We be- licve such a system wcll-advlsed 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 machln- cry of credit by which ninoty-iive per cent. of our business transac' tions arc perlormed--a system open and public, and inspiring general confidence-would, from the day of it's adoption, bring healing on it's wings to all our harasscd industries, set Tn mo
 tion the wheels of commerce, manufactures and the mechanical arts, restore employment to labor, and renew in ali it's sources the prosperity of the people. Reform is necessary in the sum and mold of Federal taxation, to tho end