Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-08

nent of spare figure, blue eyes and
fair complexion. His hair, originally
chestnut, is now partly silvered with
age.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
official Text. as Reported by tho
Committee.
We, the delegates of the Democratic party of
he United States, in National Convention as
,embled, do hereby declare the administration
,f the Federal government to be IN urgent need
he nominees OF this convention and OF the Dem
Dcralc party in each state q jealous effort and
co operation to this end. and do hereby appeal
ical connection TO undertake with us this first
AMI most pressing patriotic duty.
TIE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION, REPUBLICAN
SELF-GovKRNhENT.
For the Democracy of the whole country We
DO here reuilirm our faith Ia the permanence oil
the Federal Union, our devotion to the COnsti-
universally accepted as final settlement of the
controversies that ensendsred civil war; and do
here record our stsadfast confidence in the per-
petnity sf republican self government;
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will of the
majority-the Vital principle OF = republic; in
ihOrlty; in the 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 enactment; in the
liberty OF individual conduct as unvexed by
sumptuary laws; in the faithful education OF
the rising generation that they may preserve,
enjoy and transmit these best conditions OF hu-
man happiness and hope, We behold tho
sSangsu hissory But while the
bond of our Union and great Charter of these,
our Rights. it behooyes free people to practice.
also that eternal vigilance which is the price OF
Liberty
REFeRM-coRRUPr cENTRAL1sM.
tabIish in the hearts of the whole people Of
| the Union eleven years ago happily res
cued from the danger Of q Secession of states,
but now to be saved from a corrupt Centraiism'
which, after infictng upon ten states the rapac-
ity Of carpet bag tyrannies. has honey -Sombei
| incapacitY. waste and frauds, infected states
anu municipalities with the contagiOn of mis-
| trious people IN the paralysis OF lizard Times"
| REFORM OF THE cUnRENCY-sPEclE PAYMENT.
Reform Is necessary to establish sound cur
| rency. restore the public credit and maintain
the national honor.
We denounce the failure for all these eleven
years of peace 10 make good the promise Of the
legal-tendsr notes; which are changing stan
dard OF value In the hands of the people, and
| the non payment of which is disregard of the
pighted 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 legal-tendcr notes, and squandered four times
| this sun, in useless expense without accumuiat-
dGnounce the financial imbecility and i'm
| morality OF that party which during eleven years
| OF peace has made no advance toward resump-
tIOn-nO preparation for resumptiOn-but in
| stead hus obstructed resumption by wasting our
resources and exhausting ali our SUI plus income,
| and while annually protesting to intend speedy
return to specie payments ,has annually enacted
fresh hinui ances thereto. AS such q hindrancs,
We denounce the resumption clause OF the acr
of 1875. AMI We demand Its repeal.
| We demand u judiclOus system of preparation
by public economy by official retrenchment, and
| by wise finance, which shall enable the nation
soon to assure the whole world OF Its perfect
| ability and its perfect readiness to meet any OF
its promises at the call Of the creditor entitled
to payment.
We believe such u system, well devised,
and, above all, entrusted to competent hands
tiIiciaI scarcely ef CURRENCY. and vt no time
alarming the public mind into Withdrawal OF
that vaster machinery OF credit by which 50 per
cent OF all our business transactions are per-
forrned-a system open and public. aud IN
spring general confidence, would from the day
our harassed industries, set in motion the wheels
, of commerce, manufactures, and the mechanic
urts restore employment to labor and renew in
all Its natural sources, the prosperity To the peo-
: pie.
Reform Is necessary in the sum and modes OF
sci Tree from distrust anu labor lightly burden
We denounce the present tariff levied upon
nearly 600 articles AS masterpiece Of injus-
dwindIiny, not y yearly rising revenue 1t has
Impoverished many Industries to substitute y
4 few. 1t prohibits imports that might purchase
graded American commerce from the first to an
inferior rank upon the high seas. 1t has
at home and abroad and depleted the returns OF
! American agriculture and industry followed by
, half our people. 1t costs the people five timea
more than it produces to the treasury, obstructs
the processes OF production and the fruits
: OF labor. 1t promotes fraud. fosters smuggling,
+ enricnes dishonest officials and bankrupts honest
merchants. We demand that all custVn house
), taxation shall be only for revenue.
4 RxFoKM-EcoNoMY IN PUBLIC ExPRNsE.
Per. 10 noe in no n Z.
pensesIFederai state. and muncipai 9 pal ooo 0M Sai
gold 1850 to $3.50 600 900 currency in 1870. Ou
aggregate taxation from $l54 900 900 gold in ls6(
to S73O. O0o, 900 currency in 1870. Or, in ono dc
!. SIS per head. since the peace the people hay'
paid to their taN N-gatherers more than thrice tn
!! l. sum OF the national debt, and more than twlG'
l. that sum for the Federal government alone. W
Il demand u vigorous frugality III every de
partment and from every officer of the govern
ment. ...f
a RKrORM-PUBLIC LANDS TO ACTUAL SETTLERS
/. Reform is necessary to put stop to the prohi
Il gate waste of public lands and their diversion
has squandered 200. 600 900 of acres upon rail
l. reads alene, and out Of more than thrice tha
. rectly to the tillers OF the soil.
REFORM: ADOPTED CITIZENS, REJECTED MON
COILS. .....
c Reform is necessary to correct the omission
our treaties. and our diplomacy. whlc
have stripped our fellowcitizens Of foreign birt
II and kindred race rc.crOssing the Atlantic OF tn
n shield OF American citizenship, and ex
posed our brethren of the Pacific coast to tn
" lncursiOns OF y race not sprung from the sam
# Raw are denied citizenship through naturaliza
- ton rs being neither accustomed to the tradi
) tions Of q progressive clviiization' not ea eea
nounce the policy which thus discards the liber
i ty loving Germans, and tslerates the revival o
III the Coolie trade IN Nongolian women importe
4 for AN immoral purpose, and M0ngOlian me
> 4. held to perform servils labor contracts.
]" THE FALSE sEcTARIAN ISSUE; THE FALSE SIC
TIONAL ISSUE.
re Reform is necessary and can never be e6acte
ST but by making it the controlling issue of tn
election and liftinh 1t above the two false issue
vi with which the Oiiice-hoding class and the part
1t in power seek to smother it:
- FTrst-Tbe false issue with which they woul
- enkinde sectarian strife in respect to the publ
y schools Of which the establishment and SUI
port belong exclusively to the several states, an
-, which the Democratic party has cherished fro
sr their foundation, and is resolved to maintain
IN without partiality preference Ior any clas:
4 sect or creed, and without contributing frol
" the treasury @ to any: ,..,. H., ,,., ,,o. -.
j. to light anew the dying embers of sectional hal
Of between kindred peoples once unnaturaliy ei
d. tranged. but now reunited in one indivsibed II
OF public and r common destiny.
" REFoRM-TuE CIVIL SERVICE.
~ Reform is necessary in the civil service. E!
y perlence proves that efficient economical col
to duct of the government business il not po
er sibie if its civil service be subject to change
ID every election; be u prize fought for at the ball
| DOX, he u DElel IcWhFd VI party LchI iIlsIehu
We posts Of honor. assigned Tor proved competent
er and held tor fidelity in the public employ Tn
the dispensing ef patronage should neither be
IL. tax upon the time OF all our public men, nor d
Sc instrument of their ambition. Here again pr
. Irssions, falsihed in the performance, attest tn
" the party in power can work out practical
et salutary reform.
IL nrFOsM-CoRRurTIoN OF HIGH PUBLIC OFFICER
Reform Is necessary even more IN the high
grades of the public service. President, Vic
Oh President, Judge, Senators, Representative
la Cabinet ofiicers-these and all others in autho
or ity are the peoples servants. Their offices q
VI not private perquisite. They are publ
IS trust.
in When the annals OF this republic sho
the Disgrace and censure of q Vice-Prrsident;
IL late Speaker of the House of Representative
IL marketing his rulings presiding officer; thr
senators prohtiDs secretly by their votes as IL
makurs; i've chairmen OF the leading committe
"a OF the late House Of Representatives exposed
he lobbery; late Secretary OF the Treasury foI
49,, ing balances in the public accounts; . late A
Oh tOrney-General hisappropriating public fund
tie Secretary OF the Navy enriched or enric
Ic ing his friends by percentages levied on
profits OF contractors with his department;
lu ambassador to England censured in dshonC
S. able speculation; the Presidents private secl
TO- tary barely escaping conviction, upon trial,
es- Secretary of War impeached for high Grin
tr and misdemeanors. The demonstration
complete that the first step in reform must
the peoples choice Of honest men from anott
up party, lest tho disease OF political Organi1
81 ton infect the body polite. and lest by maxi
'o' no change OF men or parties, We get no change
Ill measures aud no reform.
'as N.. .hElonMuharS nnsr,. anG SHM. a.;.
Dl nrn,iuct of yeare' asCendaucy OF the L