The Russellville Democrat., 1876-08-17
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
 PLATFORM,

We, the delegates of the Dem ucratic party of the United States, in National Convention assens blcd, do hereby declare the ad ministtaJion of the Federal Gnv- rrnment to be in grcat need of immediate reform. Do hereby cnioin upon the nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, zeal ous effort and cooperation to tkis en,l, and do here appeal to our I4llew citizens of every form Of political connection to undertake with us this first and most press
 ing patriotic duty for the Democ- racy of the whole country, we do here reaHirm our faith in tie per manence of the Federal Union, our devotion to the Constitution of the United States with its amendments universally accept ed as a final settlement Of the controNcrsy that engcndercd the civil war-and do here record our steadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican se'f-govern ,ncnt; in absolute acquiescence Tn the will of the majority. the vital principle of republics; in the su- pfcmacy of the civil over the mil- itary; in the two-fold separation of the Church and State, fer the sake alike of civil and religious freedom; in the equality of all citizens before just laws of their own enactment; in the liberty of individual conduct unvexed by eumptuary 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 histo- ". But while upholding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, our rights, 1t bchcoves free people to practice, also, that eternal vigilance winch is the price of liberty.
 Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish in the hearts of the whole people the Union eleven years ago happily rescued from the danger ofa secession of States, bat now to be saved from a cor rupt centralism, which, after in nicting upon ten States the rapac- i,y of carpet bag attorneys, has honey-combed the offices Of the Federal Government itself with incapacity, waste and fraud: in fected States and municipalities with the contsgion of misrule, and locked fast the prosperity of industrious people in the paraiy- sis of hard times. Reform is nee essary to establish sound cur rcncy, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We denouncc the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes which are changing stan dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non payment oi which is the disregard of the uliphted faith of the Nation.
 We denounce the lmprovidence which, in eleven years of peace has taken from the people m Federal taxes thirteen times the whole amount of the legal tender notes and squandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve for their redemption. We de nounce the financial imbecihty and immortality of that party which, during eleven years ol peace, has made no advance to- ward resumption, no preparation for resumption, but instead has obstructed resumption by vast ing our resources and eXhaustins ali our surplus income, and whlit annually protesting to intend speedy return to specie payments has annually enacted fresh nm dsances thereto. As such hin dr,pccs. we denounce the resump tion clause of the act of 1873, ano we here demand it's repeal. we demand judicious system O preparation by public economies by official retrcnchments, and by n wise finance which shall enablt the Nation soon to assure th' whole world of its ability and lt' perfect readiness to meet any O its promises at the call of cred itor entitled to payment. we be licvc such system weli-advise' and, above all, entrusted to com petent hands for execution, creat ing at no time an artificial scarci ty of currency, and at no tlm' alarming the public mind int T withdrawal of that vast machin cry of credit by which ninety-iiy' per cent. of our business transac lions are performed-a system open and public, and inspiring general coniidence-wouid, Iron the day of its adoption, bring healing on it's wings to all on
 harassed industries, set Tn mo ton the wheels of commerce manufactures and the mechanica arts, restore employment to labo' ond ronow in ali it's sources tn