Ellsworth American., 1876-07-06
The st. Louis Convention.
TIE PLATFORM,

/ ltiE fIAItoltM.
The platform was then submitted aud
\ finally adopted as follows =
/ THE PLATFORM.
! We. the delegates OF the democratic party of
the United States IN national convention as
sembled do hereby declare the administration
| of the federal government TO be in urgent need
! OF immediate reform. We do hereby enioin
/ npnn the nominees of this convention and OF
! the democratic party in each state a Jealous ef-
/ fort and cooperation to this end. and do hereby
| appeal 10 our fellow citizens OF every former
political connection To undertake with us this
/ first and most pressing patriotic duty of the de-
mocracy OF the whole country. W" do hereby
reaftru our faith in the permsnency of the feder
| al union. our devotion to the Constitution of
/ The United States with it, amendments unycrs-
| ally accepted a tnal settlement of the CON
| troyersie, that were cugrndered by the civil
/ war. and do here record our steadfd-t conf
dence in the perpetuity Of republican seli-goV-
eTument; in absolute acquiesencc "a the " IN of
! the majority, the vital principle OF republics; /;
I in the supremacy Of the civil OVER the military
authority; IN the total separation of ehujch
and state for the sake alike ofciyii and religious
! freedom; in the equality Of an citizens before
lust laws of their own enactment: IA the itpcr-
/ " OF indiN Nidual conduct unycNcd by sumptu-
AIRY laws: in the faithful education OF the rising
| generation that they NAV preserve. enjoy and
trans init those best condition Of honor. hapui-
ness and hope. We behold the noblc-t products
/ oi hundred wears of changeful history hut
while unfolding the bond Of our 'ninn. and
/ the great charter Of these. our rights. II be-
hoove> 4 free people to practice al>o that etcr-
/ na vigilance which j. the price of liberty.
Reform /, necessary TO rebuild and establish
/ IN the hearts OF the whole people of the Union.
| eleven wears ago happily rescued from the dam
ger of a secession of states but none to he say
ed from a corrupt ccntrai>m which. atler in
! icing upon ten states the ripaciiN of carpet
bag tyrannie>, has honeycombcd the offices Of
| the federal government itself with incapactv.
| waste and fraud. IN federal states and munich
/ paitie, with the coniaci0n of mi>Tuc. and
| locked last the prosperity Of an indu>iriou,
| people in the paralysis OF hard times.
! Reform i necessary in the sum and mode oi
! federal taxation. 10 the end that capital NAV
/ be- >ct free from di>trust and labor lightly bur
dencd. We dcnounce the present tariff lev led
/ upon nearly i0o articles. a masterpiece Of in
/ Justice, inequality and false prctsncc. II Airld,
| a dwlndhng. not yearly rising revenue; il
| ha- impoverished money ndu>trio, 10 suh,i-
/ lie few: il prohibits import, that ought to
purchase the products OF American labor: u
! ha> degraded American commerce from the
hr>t 10 an inferior rank on the high scas u ha-
/ cut down the >alc Of American msnuftcture,
/ At home and abroad. and depicted the returns
/ If American agritulturc-an industry followed
/ by hnlf cur people; it costs The lcoplo iiV"
| times more than IT proiucr> ta the trcA.ufy; H
ph>trli~'> tie process Of production ani wa-tc~
| hs fruits Of labor: II promote 'raul- and t".-
| ipr~ smuggling. curirhc, dishonest officials aud
| hauATupi> houc>i> merchants. ". demand
/ that all custom house taxation shall br uu
/ lor revenue.
/ Reform j, necessary to c,iabl,ha sound cur
| rrucy. r->tprc public credit AMI maintain the
! national honor. Ne drnouncr th" iailur, for
! all these eleven wears t0 make good the prom
I-c Of tho ic.ii tender note, which are . chang
us standard OF alue in the hands OF the people
/ and the upn-paymcnt Of which = = ds>r".srl
| Of the p!.ghi,d fash Of iho nation. W" de-
| uounce thc mprovilcuce which in eleven wear
| of peace has taken from the pcopl, in federal
! taxes thirteen times tho whole amount oi the
/ ccal lender notes and squauderod tour time,
| TN sum IN useless expense without any re-
| serve for their redemption.
| We dcnounCe the financial inlecjlsiy aud
/ immoraliy Of the party which for eleven year,
| II peace ha, made no advance toward rc>ump-
/ lion. that Instead Ia, ob>tmrtei resumption hy
! wasting oar resources and cNhausiing all cur
| surplus income. and while annually protesting
| 10 intend a speedy return to specie payments
! hI> annually enacted fresh hlndrAnce> thereto
/ " such hindrauce w dcnouucp the re>ump-
| ton clause OF the act of $50. and We herr d.
! niaui IL repeal. VI demand JudIciuus sy~-
/ 'en of preparation by public economies. hN Of
/ d ial retrcnchmcnts. and hy wise finsnce which
! shalt enable the nation soon TO assure The
whole world OF IT. perfect READINGS 10 meet
/ lny of IL promises At the call of the creditor
! entitled TO payment We believe such 49,
! TEN well devised. and. above all, entrusted 70
NJ AAllfs~ ltt f4FAal4- al t'f
time an artificial scarcity oi cure uCy, and At no
| time alarming the public mind into with
| .!rawal Of that vast machinery oi credit hN
| which - per cent Of lali business Transactions
| are performed. n y Stem open. puhtt. and III
! -pirlug general CpLHdeucr. would from tAt Gat
/ Il IL adoption, bring healing on IT, win-> -
t.l our hara>>ed industry. and ~ n motion
! the wheels Of commerce, manufactures. and
/ tIc mechanics. ari>, restore employment and
! labor. anl renew IN a,i - nati"ual fore The
| prosperity ui thc people.
Reform i urcec,>>ary in ih, seal, uf tuh'i,
| expenses. federal. stale aud municipal. our
federal taxation has swollen from S'sl.npp.uHb
/ gold in l~n. L. >tiA.N,l.op in currency in
$50. or IN a decade from lcs, than = % more
i'm SIS per head. Since the peace the people
: uaVc paid 10 their .taN-gathcrcrs more than
thrice the sup Of the national debt. aui more
than thrice that sum for the federal govern
meni alone. We demand vigorous frugAlity
IN every department and flOm eNerS oiiicrr ui
The government.
Reform l. necessary 10 pui stop Ia ID,
prof gate waste of public land, and their diver
sion from aciual settlers by tue party IN pow"
which ha- >quand.rci .s1l.vppUD Of acres upon
railroads alone aud cut OF more than ihrlc,
hat aggregate has disposed OF lr-> lhan skill
directly 10 the settlers OF the >un.
Reform /. necessary to correct Ia, uml>- iuu'
Il the republican Consrc-> and the error o
our treaties and our diplomacy, which haN,
stripped our fellow citizens OF foreign birth aut
| kindrcd race recro>>ing the Atlantic Of ths
shield Of American citizenship aud have expos
ed our brethren OF the faeinc coast tu the IL
curslons Of 4 race not sprung from the >au'
parent stock, and in faci now by law denies
citizenship through naturalization 4 neither 80
cu>tomcd to the traditions al a progressive CIV
iiizstion nor exercised in liberty under cquA
avs. We denounCc the policy which thu
discard, the liberty-loNing German aud toior
ates the revival of the CoOlic trade IN Mousoli-
. | an women imported for immoral purposes
! and VI lupnifau- hired tn -srkll4 tttstf
| contracts, and demand such modification of ih,
treaty with the Chinese empire or such legi.la
tiOn by Congress within constitutional limit a.
shall prevent further importation Or lmmigrA-
tion fthe Mongolan race
Reform j. necessary ani can never BE- eject.
"a but by making it the controlling issue OF
the election and lifting il above the tSO fil>e
issues with which the Office holding class and
the party IN power seek 10 smother II. The
false issue with which they would cukIudlp
sectional strife in respect TO the public schools
which the democratic party has cherished from
their foundation aud resolved TO maintain with
out paTiiaiiiY or preference for any class. sect
| OF creed. and without contributions to Inc
treasury from any of them, aud the false issue
by which they seek 10 light anew the cmber- oi
sectional hate between kindred people e>-
ranged but now reunited in one indiyi,iblc
republic and common destiny.
Reform j. necessary in the civil service. TX.
pericnce proves that efficient economical con
duct Of the governmental business i not pOssi-
bic ifthe civil service n subject Ia chang ii
every election. be 4 prize fought for at the bal.
lot box. be a brief reward Of party Zeal instead
of post OF honor assigned for proved compete ncy
and held for fidelity in the public employ: thai
the dispensing Of patronage should neither be
tax upon the time Of all our public me- II nor the
instrument OF their ambition. Here again. pro
fe,sions falsiiied in performance attest that Ia,
party III power can work oat 40 practical or
>alutsTy reform.
Reform i neeesa>y even more in the higher
grades Of the public service. President. ice
President, judges. represe natives. cabinet OF.
icers. these and all others in authority, are the
peoples servants. Their offices are not pri-
vate perquisie: they are pubic trusts. VIE
the annals Of this republic show the disgrace
and censure OF Vice President, late speaker
| Of the House of Representatives marketing hi.
rulings As presiding officer. three senators.
prOfiting secretly by their votes a. law makers,
i've chairmen of the leading committees of the
late House Of Representatives exposed in job
berry late Secretary of the Treasury forcing
balances in public accounts. late Attorney