Wilmington journal., 1876-08-04
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM,
Adopted at st. Louis. June %. 1879.

| rs an uueSnalled general 1nvlgOrant They are
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NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM,
Adopted at st. Louis, June 28. 1875.
We, the delegates of the Democratic par
ty of the United States, in national con-
vention assembled, do hereby declare the
| administration of the Federal Government
to be in urgent need of immediate reform
do hereby enjoin alpon the nominees OF
this Convention, and of the Democratic
party in each State, Jealous effort and
cooperation tc this end, and do hereby
! appeal to our fellOw-citizens of every for
mer political connection to undertake with
us this first and most pressing patriotic
duty for the Democracy Gf the whole
country.
We do here reaffirm our faith in the per-
manency of the Federal Union, our devo-
| ton to the Constitution of the United
| States, with its amendments, universally
| accepted as a final settlement of the con-
troversies that engendered the civil war,
and do here record oNr steadfast confidence
in the perpetuity of republican self-govern-
ment; in an absolute acquiescence in
the will of the majority, the vital princi-
| pie of the Republic; in the supremacy of
the civil over the military authority; i'm
! the total separation of Church and State,
for the sake alike of civil and religious
freedom in the equality of all citizens he
fore just laws of their own enactmenteS m
the liberty of individual conduct unve&eds
by sumptuary laws in the faithful edu-
cation of the rising general ion that they
may preserve, enjoy and Transmit these
best conditions of human happiness and
hope. We behold the noblest products of
hundred years of changeful history but
while upholding the bond OF our Union
: mr. af ph artQ nff ho
hOoves free people to practice also that |
eternal vigilance which is the price of lib |
erty.
THE NEED OF THE HOUR.
Reform is necessary to rebuild and |
establish in the hearts of the whole people |
the Union, eleven Years ago happily res
cued from the danger of corrupt central |
ism, which, after inflicting upon ten States |
the rapacity of carpetbag tyrannies, has |
hOneycombed the offices of the Federal
government itself with incapacity, waste
and fraud, infected States and munich
palities with the contagion of misrule, and
locked fast the property of an industrious
people in the paralysis of hard times.-f
Reform is necessary to est abliSh a sound
currency, restore the public credit, and
maintain the national honor.
RADICAL. FINANCE DENOUNCED.
We denounce the failure for all these
4
the legal tender notes, which are chang
ing standard OF value in the hands of the |
people, and the nOn-payment of which is
disregard 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 four times this sum
in useless expense, without accumulating
any reserve for their redemption.
r We denounce the financial imbecility of
that party which, during eleven years of
peace, has made no advance toward re-
that instead, has obstructed re-
by wasting our resources and
all our surplus income, and
while annually protesting TO intend a
speedy resumption to specie payment, has
enacted fresh bindrances thereto.
As such a hindrance we denOunce the re- |
clause of the act of 1875, and We
here demand its repeal
DEMOCRATIC FINANCE DEMANDED.
We demand a judicious system of pre-
paration by public economies, by official
and by wise finance, which |
shall enable the nation to assure the whole
world of its perfect ability and perfect
readiness to meet any Of its promises at
the call of the creditor entitled to payment.
We believe such system we'll devised, and
above all, entrusted to competent hands
for execution, creating al no time an arti-
ficial scarcity of currency, aud at no time
the public mind into the with
crawal of that vast machinery of credit by
which 95 per cent. of all business transac-
tfOns are performed-a system open, public
and inspiring general confidence, would,
from the day of adoption, bring healing on
its wings to all our harassed industry, and
set in motion tho wheels of commerce,
and the mechanical arts
restore employment to labor, and renew:
10 all its national source, the prosperity of
The people. |
REFORM IN TAXATION.
Reform is necessary in the sum and
mode of Federal taxation so that capital
may be set free from distrust and Ia
Dor lightly burdened. We denounce
she present tariff levied upon nearly
five thousand articles as a master
piece of injustice, inequality and false
Dretence. 1t yields a dwindling, not
! yearly rising revenue. 1t has impover-
shed many industries to subsidize few;
It prohibits imports that might purchase
he products of American labor; it has de-
graded American commerce from the first
% an inferior rank upon the high seas. It |
las cut down the sales of American manu-
actures at home and abroad, and depleted |
he return of American agriculture or in
1ustry, followed by half our people. 1t
,osts the people five times more than it !
PRODUCES to the treasury, obstructs the /
processes OF PRODUCTION, and wastes the |
ruits Of labor. It promotes fraud and
osters smuggling, enriches dishonest Off
ials and bankrupts honest merchants. We |
demand that all custOmhouse tax alton shall | {
Ne only for revenue.
RET IN EXPENSES.
Reform is necessary in the scale of pub
Federal, State and municipal
tut of Federal taxation has swollen from | c
$50, ,O00, 900 gold, in 1850, to $450, ,OO0 100, q
urrency, IN 1870. Our aggregate taxa c
ion was from S1S4, 900, gold, in 1860
o $3.50, ,000, 600, currency, in 1870, or in |
NE decade less than SIS per head to more
han SIS per head. Since the peace the 4
eople have paid to their tax gatherers
more than thrice the sum of the national {
ebt, and more than twice that sum for {
he Federal Government alone We de- {
nand vigorous frugality in every depart
nent and from every officer of the gov z
lG
: WASTE OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. i
Reform is necessary to put stopt the l L
rofiigate wastes of the public lands and L
heir diversion from settlers by the party Z
q power which has squandered two hum L
red millions of acres upQp railroads alone, I
nd out of more than shrfce that aggregate \
las disposed of less than sixth directly u
0 tillers of the soil.
CHRIsTIAN CITIZENS AND HEATHEN
CHINESE.
RefOrmi is necessary TO correct tie mis- | c
axes OF, the Republican Congress and the \
rrOrs of our treaties, aud our diplomatic 4