The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-08-09
Pr A TT R MI
ADOPTED BY
THE DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION,
lin r , 91476

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 great
need Of immediate reform, and do hereby en-
Join upon the nominees of this convention and
Of the Democratic party IN each State zeal-
Gus effort and cooperation to this end, ana do
here appeal to our fellow-citizens Of every
former political connection to undertake with
us this first and most pressing patriotic duty.
For the Democr icy of The whole country We
do Ia re re-affirm our faith in the permanence
of the Federal Union; our devotion TO the
Constitution of the United States. with its
amendments, universally accepted as maj
settlement Of the controversies that engender-
ed the civil war, and do here record our stead
ia confidence IN the perPetulty OF republic an
self-government; in absolute acquIescence IN
the will of the majority-the vital principle
Of republics; in the supremacy OF tue civil
over the military; in the total separation OF
Church and State for the sake alike OF civil
and reli gious freedom in the equality of all
citizens before just laws of their own enact
ment; in the liberty of individual conduct,
unyexed by sumptuary laws; IN the falthfuI
education of the rising generation, that
they may preserve, enjoy and transmit these
best conditions of human happiness and hope,
we behold the noblest products ola hundred
years Of changeful history.
But while unfolding the bond OF our y mon
and the great charter of these our rights, II
behooves free people TO practice also That
Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish
in the hearts of The whole people the mon,
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
danger of a secession OF States, but now to De
saved from a corrupt centTalism, winch atter
infictinp upon ten States the rapacity Of car
pet-bag attorneys, has honey bed the ofhces
of the Federal government itself with inca pacl-
ty, waste and fraud, infected States and mu-
nicipaIities with the contagion of misrule and
locked fast the prosperity of an industrious
people in the paralysis Of hard times. Reform
is necessary to establish sound currency,
restore the public credit ana MAINTAIN the ma
tional honor.
We denounoe the failure for all these eleven
years to make good the promise Of the legal
lender notes which are "a changing standard of
value in the hands of the people and the non
payment of which is a disregard of the plight
ed faith of the nation.
We deDounce the inprovidenee which in
eleven years of peace has taken from the peo-
pie, in Federal taxes, thirteen times the whole
amount of the legal tender notes and squan-
dered four times their sum in useless expet Sc,
without accommodating any reserve for their
redemption
We denounce the financial imbecility and
| immortality of that party which, during eleven
wears Of peace. has made advance to-
! ward resumption made no preparation for
resumption; but instead has Instructed re
sumption by wasting our resources ana ex-
| hausting all our surplus ineome-and, whlIe
| annually protesting to intend a speedy return
| to specie payments, has annually enacted
| fresh hindrances thereto. As such him
! drance we denounce the resumption clause Of
| the act Of 1873, and we here demand It's re-
| peal
We demand a judicious system of prepare
| ton by public economies, by official retrench-
| ments and by wise finance, which shall ena-
| BILE the nation soon to assure the whole world
of its perfect ability and its perfect readiness
| to meet any of its promises n the call of the
| creditor entitled TO payment We believe
such a system, we'll advised and, above ALL in
trusted to competent hands tor execution
! M "a N n
currency and at no time alarming the public
mind into a withdrawal of that vast ma
chinery of credit by which Einety-hve per
cent. of our business transactions IS perform
ed-a system, open and public, and inspi-
ring general confidence, would, from the day
of It's adoption, bring healing on its W ings to
| all eur harassed industries, set in motion the
! wheels of commerce, manufactures and the
| mechanic arts resiorS employment to 10 Dor,
and renew in all lis sources the prosperity
of the people.
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode
| of Federal taxation, to the end that capital
| NAV be set free from distrust and labor light
| Nv burdened. We denounce the present tariff
/ i3vied upon nearly four thousand articles as a
| masterpiece Of injustice, Inequality and false
pretense. which yields dwindling, not yearly
rising revenue; it has impoverished many IN
dustTies to substitute a few 1T prohibits I'M.
ports that might purchase the products OF
American labor A. has degraded American
commerce from the hrst ~ ~ inferior rank
upon the high seas; it has cut down Ine ga Is
of American manufactures at home and abroad;
it has depleted the returns of American
agriculture-an industry followed by half our
people; it costs the people five times more than
ii produces to the treasury 1T obsructs the pro-
cess of production and wastes the fruits of Ia
Dor it promotes fraud, fosters smuggling,
enriches dishonest ofhoiols ond bonkruPte
honest merchants. We demand that all Gus
tom-house taxation shall be only for revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scale of public
expense-Federal State and Municipal Our
Federal taxation has swollen from sixty mil
lion dollars in gold in 1860 10 four hundred
and fifty million dollars in currency in 1870
our aggregate taxation from one hundred and
ifty-four millions in gold in 1860 to seven
hundred end thirty million dollars in curren-
cy in 1870, or IN GBe decade from less than five
dollars per head to more than eighteen dol
lars per head. Since the peace the people have
paid to their tax-gatherers more Than thrice
the sum of the national debt, and more than
twice that for the Federal government
alone. We demand rigorous frugality IN
every department and from every officer of
the government.
Reform is necessary 10 put stop to the
prot gate waste of public lands and their di-
version FROM 9stual settlers by the party in
power, which has sduanaesed two hundred mil
lions of acres pom railroads aiD4e, and
out of more than thrice that aggregate has
disposed of less than sixth directly TO the til
lerS of the soil.
Reform - necessary to correct the omissions
of Republican congress and the errors ef
our treaties and our diplomacy, which have
stripped our Fellow -cltlZenS OF foreign SIrth
aud kindred race, re-erasing the Atlantic
from the shield of American citizenship and
have exposed orr brethren of the Pacific
coast to the ineUrsicEs Of race not sprung
from the same great parent STOCK, and in fact
now by law denied citizenship through natu-
raliZation as being unaccustomed to the
traditions of a progressive civilization, and
unexercised in liberty under equal laws
We depOunce the policy which thus discards
the libertSrioyiug German and tolerates the
revival of the Cooiie tT2de in Mongolian wo-
men imported for immoral purposes anu Mon
g0lian men held to perform servile labor con-
tracts We. therefore, demand such modi-
fcatiouS Of the treaty with the Chinese en-
pire, and such ie-islatio by Congress, within
constitutional limitation, as shall prevent the
further importation or Immigration OF the
MongOlian race.
Reform is necessary and can meyer be effect
ed but by making ii the controlling issue of
the election, and lifting il above the two false
issues with which the office holding class and
party in power seek to smother list the false
issues with which they would enkindle secta-
rian strife in respect to the public schools, of
which the establishment and support belong
exclusively to the several states, and which
the Democratic party has cherished from their
foundation and is resolved to maintain with
ont Partially OF preference for any class,
sex or creed, and without contributions
from the treasury to any. II. The false i<sne
by which t!sy seek 10 light anew the dying en-
bers Of sectional hate between kindred peoples,
once unnaturaliy sstFanged, but now Reunited
in one indiyisible republic and common des-
tiny.
Reform is necessary in the civil service.
Experience proves that efficient and
economical conduct of the government is not
possible ii its civil service be subject to change
at every election-if it be prize fought for
at the bailot-boK--Qr # IT be an approved re-
ward of party zeal instead ef tsests of honor,
assigned for approved competency sna held I;
for fidelity in the public employ. That the |
dispensing of patronage should neither be a |
tax upon the time of our public men, nor an |
instrument of their ambition. Here, again. |
profession falsihed in the performance attest |