The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-19
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.


We, the delegates of the democratic
party of the United states, in national con-
yention assembled, do hereby declare the
of the federal government
to be in urgent need OF imme date reform;
do hereby enioin upon the nominees OF this
convention, and OF the democratic party in
e aCh state, a Jealous effort aud co opera
ton TO this end, and do hereby appeal to
our fellow citizens OF every former political
connection TO undertake with n. hi, first
an most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION, REPuBLl-
CAN SELF-GONERNMENT
For tue democracy of the whole country,
We do hereby reaftirm our faith ia the per-
manence OF the federal union; our devotion
to the constitution OF the United States,
with It's anne dments universally accepted
"a the final settlement Of the controversies
that engendered civil war, and do here re-
cord our steadiast confidence in the peTpe.
tuity OF republican selt-goyernment.
THE FIRST CENTURY.
10 absolute acquiescence in the will of
the mslority-the vital principle OF repub-
lies: in the supremacy Of the civil over the
military authority, In tie total separation OF
church aud state, for the sake alike OF civil
and religious freedoms; in the equality OF
all citizens before Just laws OF their own ell
actment; in the liberty of individual con-
duct, 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 nObest products OF
a hundred years OF changeful history: but
while uphOlding the bond OF on. union and
great charter OF these great rights, /. be-
hOOye- a free people to practi. e also that
eternal vigilance which Is the price Of
liberty.
oRM-CORRuPTION-cR
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 centralisiD, viii IN,
after inf'icting upon ten states the rapaciiy
Of carpet-bag tyrannies, has hone \. cOmbe q
the offices OF the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud; infecte Il
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.
H,tOr1, is necessary TO establish sound
currency, Restore the public credit and
maintain the nationalh honor. We denotlnce
the failure for all these eleven years to
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 IL Il di-rs gard Of the
plighted faith OF the nation.
We denounce the imDrO,i dence which in
| eleven years Of peace has taken from the
people, In federal taxes, thirteen times the
whole amount of the legal tender notes,
aud squandered ioui times this sum 10 use
| les expense, without accommodating any re-
| serve tor their redemption. We aenOunct
| the financial imbecility and immortality O
| that party which, during eleven Years O.
peace. has made no advance toward re
| demption; no preparation for resumption
| but, instead, has Obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and eXhaustiDg all
our surplus income, and while annually
PROCESSING to intend speedy return IL
| specie pay ment, has annually enacted fires
hindrances theretO-as such hindrance
We denOunce the II sumption clause OF the
| act OF ls,5, and we demand its repeal.
We demand judiciOus system OF pre-
paratlon. by public economies, by official
| retrenchment, and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
| whole world Of its perfect ability and it,
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom.
i>es AT the call of the creditor entitled to
payment.
We believe such system, We'll devised,
and, above all, entrusted to competent
hands for its execution, creating ut no time
an artificial scarcity of currency, and at no
time alarming the public mind into with.
drawal OF that vast machinery Of credit by
which ~ per cent. OF all our business trans
actions are periormed; a system open to
the public and inspiring general confidence,
would, from The day OF its adoption, bring
healing on its wings 10 all our harrassed in
dilstries, set in motion the wheels of COM
merce, manufactures and the me chanIeai
arts, restore employment TO labor, and re-
new In all Its national sources the prosper
ity OF the people.
REFORM OF THE TARIFF-FREE TRADE.
Refo,n is necessary in the sum and mode
OF federal taxation, To the end that capital
may be sci free from distru.t and labor
lightly burdened. We denOunce the pres
ent tariff levied upon nearly four thousand
articles a. master piece of injustice, in-
equality aud false pretense. Ii Yields a
dwindiing, not yearly rising revenue. Ii
has impoverished many industries to sub.
sidize afew; II prohibits imports that might
purchase he products OF American labor ;;
II has degraded American commerce RON
HE hr-t 10 an inferior..rank upon the high
seas; 1t has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home an 4 abroad, and de
pieled the returns OF American agriculture,
an industry followed by halt our people. IL
costs the people live times more than il pro.
| duces To Tie treasury; Obstructs the process
| OF production, aud wastes the fruits OF Ia.
Dor; II promotes fraud, fosters Smuggling.
| ehiiches dishonest officials and bankrtIpt
| honest merchants. We demand that All
| custom house taxation shall be only for
| revenue.
| EEfobM-kCoNOMY IN PUBLIC EXPENSE
| Reform Is necessary in the scale Of public
| eNpense-federal, state and municipal
| Our federal taxation has swollen from sixt,
millions gold, IN lstD, TO tour hundred and
my millions currency, in 1870. Our aggre.
gate taxation, IRON one hundred and fiity-
| Tour mlllions gold in lstO, to seven hundred
and thirty millions currency ia 1870: or. in
| one decade, IRON less than i've dollar, uar
| head 10 more than eighteen dollars he r head
Since the peace the people have paid to
their taX-gatherers more than thrice Tia,
sum OF the national debt, and more thar
| twice that sum Tor the federal government
alone. We demand vigorous frugalty IL
every department, and from every OFFICER
OF the government
RRfokM-puBLic LANDS TO ACTUAL SET
| TLkRs.
| H.fUm Il necessary TO put "A stop TO III,
profigate waste of the public lands AM
their diversion from actual settlers by ths
party In power, which has sQuanderec
1000 900 acres upon railroads alone. AM
An amount OF more than thrice that aggre
gate, has disposed Of less than sixth di
reetly 10 the tillers Of the soil.
hEfoRM-ADoPTKD CITIZENS, REJECTrU
| AOSGoLs
HJorm Is necessary to correct the ommi.
sion OF republican congress and the error.
OF our treaties and our diplomacy, which
have stripped our ieliOw-eitizens OF foreign
| birth Ahu kindred race, recrOssing the Al.
lantie, OF the shield Of American cis'zsn
ship, and have exposed our brethern of tha
racine coast 10 the ineursiOns Of a race no,
sprung ifom The same great parent stock