The Russellville Democrat., 1876-10-19
THE RUssELLyIILE DENfoCRAT, THURSDAY, f1s7e.
to the tillers of the soil.

tile omissions of Republican l Congress and the errors of our treaties and our diplomacy, which
 has, stripped our fellow citizens of
 foreign birth and kindred race re-
 erasing the Atlantic from the
 shield of citizenship, and has ex-
 posed our brethren of the Pacific
 coast to the incursions of race
 not sprung from the same greas
 parent stock, and, in fact, now by
 law denied citizenship through
 naturalization as being to the tra-
 ditions of a progressive civiliza-
 tion, one exercised in liberty un-
 der equal laws; and We denounce
 the policy which thus discards
 the liberty. loving German and
 tolerates the revival of the Coolie
 trade in Mongolian women, inn
 ported for immoral purposes, and
 Mongolian men held to perform
 servile labor contract.
 Reform is necessary and never can be effected but by making it the controlling issue of the cleo
 tion and lifting it above the two
 false issues with which the office
 holding classes and the party in power seek to smother it.
 l. The false issue with which this would enkindle sectarian strife Ill respect to the public schools of which the establish ment and support belong exclu- sively to the several States, and which the Democratic party has cherished from their foundation and is resolved to maintain with out partiality or preference for any class, sect or creed. and with out contributions from the treas ury to any.
 }, The false issue by which they seek to light anew the dying embers of sectional hate between kindred people once unnaturally estranged. but now reunited in one indivisable republic and a common destiny.
 All these abuses, wrongs and crimes, the product of sixteen years ascendepcy of the Republi- can party, create a necessity for reform, confessed by Republicans themselves; but their reformers are voted down in convention and displaced from the Cabinet. The party's mass of honest voters is powerless to resist the eighty thousand office holders, it's lead CTS and it's guides. Reform can only be had by peaceful civic revolution. We demand change of system, a change of Admins tration, a change of party, that we may have q change of n.eas ures and of men.
 Resolved, That this Convention representing the Democratic par ty of the States, do cordially en- dorse the acton of the present House of Representatives for re ducing and curtailing the expen ses of the Federal Govern ent, in cutting down on rous salaries, ex- travagant appropriations, and in abolishing useless offices and places not required by the public necessities, and we shall trust to the firmness of the Democratic members of the House that no committee oi conference and no misinternretation of rules will be allowed to defeat these whole some measures of economy de by the country.
 Resolved, That the soldiers and sailors of the republic, and the widows and orphans of those who have fallen in battle, have just | claim upon the care, protection and gratitude of their fellow citi- ZenS.
 Reform is necessary in the civil service. Experience proves that efficient and economical conduct of the Government is not possi ble if its civil service be subject to change at every election, be a prize fought for at the ballot box, be an approved reward of party zeal instead of posts of honor as signed for approved competency and held for fidelity in the public employ; that the dispensing of should neither be tax upon the time of our public men nor an instrument of their Here, again, profcs- sions falsified in the performance attest that the party in power can work out no practical or salutary reform. Reform is necessarily even in the higher grades of pub lie service. President, Vice Pres ident, Judges, Senators. Repre- Cabinet officers these and all others in authority are the peoples servants. Their offices are not private perquisite they are public trust. When the annals of this. Republic show disgrace and censure of Vice Presidcnt; late Speaker of the House of Representatives mar keting his rulings as presiding officer; three Senators proiiting by their votes as law makers; five Chairmen of the leading Commit tees of the late House of Repre-