The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-09-12
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.


We, the delegates of the democratic
party of the United States, in national con.
Vention assembled, do hereby declare the
administration of the federal government,
to be in urgent need of immed ate reform;
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this
convention, and of the democratic party In
each State, q Jealous effort and 90 opera.
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal to
our fellow.citizens of every former political
connection to undertake with Us this first
an most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION, RRPUBLl.
CAN sELF-GOVERNMENT.
For the democracy of the whole country,
we do hereby reaffirm our faith in the per.
manence of the federal union; our devotion
to the constitution of the United States,
with its amel dments universally accepted
as the final settlement Of the controversies
that engendered civil war, and do here re-
cord our steadiast confidence in the perpe.
tuity of republican selt-government.
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will of
the majority-the vital principle of repub-
hes: in the supremacy of the civil over the
military authority, in tie 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 en-
actment; in the liberty Of individual con-
duet, unveXed by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful 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 OF
a hundred years OF changeful history; but
while upholding the bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, /. be-
hooves free people to practic &c. also that
tniIa - hn ri Of
liberty.
REFoRM-CORRUPTION
Reform is necessary to build and establish
in the hearts OF the whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
danger OF secession Of states but now to
be saved from corrupt centralism, viii CHI,
after intiicting upon ten States the rapaci,y
of carpet-bag tyrannies, has honey.combed
the offices Of the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud: infecte d
States and municipalities with the conta-
glon OF mi srule, and locked fast the pros
perity OF an industrious people in the pa
ralysis of hard times.
REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
Reform is necessary to establish a sound
currency, restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor, We denounce
make good the promise of the legal tender
notes, which are changing standard of
value in the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which ia dsrs gard of the
plighted faith of the nation.
We denOunce the 1mprovidence 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 foui times this sum in USE
less expense, without accommodating any re-
serve Tor their redemption. We denounce
the financial imbecility and immortality of
that party which, during eleven years of
peace. has made no advance toward re-.
demption; no preparation for resumption.
but, instead, has obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and eXhausting all
our surplus income. and while annually
processing to intend speedy return to
specie payment, has annually enacted fresh
hlndrances thereto-as such a hindrance
we den0unce the re sumption clause Of the
act OF 1873. and we demand its repeal.
We demand judiciOus system of pre-
paration, by public economies, by official
relrenchment. and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
Whole world of its perfect ability and its
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom.
ises at the call of the creditor entitled to
payment.
We believe such system, well devised,
and, above all, entrusted tn competent
hands for its execution, creating at no time
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at no
time alarming the public mind into a with.
drawal OF that vast machinery of credit by
which 30 per cent. of all our business trans
actions are performed; system open TO
the public and inspiring general confidence.
would, from the day of its adoption. bring
meaning on ITS wings to all our harrassed in.
uustiles, set IN motion the wheels OF COM
merce, manufactures and the mechanical
arts, restore employment to labor, and re.
new in all its national sources the prosner.
ity oil the people.
FORM of THE IARlff-FREE TRADE,
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode
OF federal taxation, to the end that capital
may be set free from distrust and labor
lightly hardened. We denounce the nres.
ent tarih levied upon nearly four thousand
articles as master piece of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t Yields a
dwlndllng, not yearly rising revenue. n
has impoverished many industries TO sinh.
sidize few; 1t prohibits imports that might
purchase The products of American l.bors.
II mas degraded American commerce rom
Tue hrst 10 an interior rank upon the high
seas; II has cut down the sales of American
at home an 4 abroad. and do.
pleted the returns Of American agriculture
an industry followed by halt our people. II
;osts the people five times more than il pro.
iuces 10 inc treasury; obstructs the process
d production, and wastes the fruits of Ia.
,or; IL promotes fraud, fosters smuppIino
'nriches dishonest officials and bankrunfs
honest merchants. We demand that ali
custom house taxation shall be only for
'eyenue.
hff okM-ECoNOMY IL PUBLIC EXPENSE
Reform IL necessary in the scale ot nuhiio
State and municinal
Our federal taxation has swollen from sixty
millions gold, IN 1860, 10 four hundred and
my mlllons currency, in 1870. Our agpre.
sste taxation, IRON Que hundred and tiftv.
louI mllllons gold in lsG0, TO seven hundred
ana thirty millions currency in $50: or. i'm
one decade, from less than five dollars ner
mead 70 more than eighteen dollars per head
, ,has Tue peace the people have paid TO
'nelr taA-gaiherers more than thrice the
,,,i =, the national debt, and more than
49,, 'n az sum ior the federal government
a, we demand vigorous frugality in
y, ~ uepaItlheht, and from every officer
OF the government.
hEfoRM-PuBLiC LANDS TO ACTUAL SIT,
TIERS.
hfo'1" Is necessary TO put a stop IN tho
ptonigate waste of the public lands and
.heir INVERSION from actual settlers by the
party patty IN power, which has squandered
.co,oo,VOo acres upon railroads alone. and
IN amount OF more than thrice that agra
80, mas disposed OF less than a sixth al.
'ec'! 10 the ullers Of the soil.
hEfoRM-ADopTED CITIZENS, REELECTED
hoNGOLs.
hgofm IL necessary To correct the ommis.
sion Oh republican congress and the errors
"A