Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-09-08
NO. SO
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Adopted at st. Louis, June 2S. 1875.

Ly Ol the u 0lIeU states, III nablOnal con-
vention assembled, do hereby declare the
administration of the Federal Government
to be in urgent need Of immediate reform
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees Of
this Convention. and of the Democratic
party in each State, a Jealous effort and
cooperation to this end, and do hereby
appeal to our fellow-citizens of every fol
mer political connection to undertake with
us this first and most pressing patriotic
duty for the Democracy of the whole
country.
We do here reaffirm our faith in the per.
manency of the Federal Union, our devo-
ton to the Constitution of the United
States, with its amendments, universally
accepted as final settlement of the con-
troversies that engendered the civil war,
and do here record Oar steadfast confidence
in the perpetuity of republican self-govern-
ment Sin an absolute acquiescence in
the will of the majority, the vital princi-
pie of the Republic; in the supremacy OF
the civil over the military authority; in
the total separation of Church and State,
for the sake alike of civil and religious
freedom in the equality of all citizens be-
fore just laws of their own enactment; in
I the liberty of individual conduct unvexed
by sumptuary laws in the faithful edu-
cation of the rising generation tat 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
lille upholding the bond OF our Union
| and great charter ofthese our rights, it be-
hOoves free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which is the price of lib
erty.
THE NEED OF THE HOUR
Reform is necessary to rebuild and
oh licI, 80 1aoE l,oIo IL
the Union, eleven years ago happily res
cued from the danger of a corrupt central
ism, which, after inficting upon ten States
the rapacity of carpetbag tyrannies, has
hOneycombed the offices of the Federal
government itself with incapacity, waste
and fraud, infected States and munich
palities with the contagion of misrule, and
locked fast the property of All industrious
people in the paralysis of hard times
Reform is necessary to establish a sound
currency, restore the public credit, and
maintain the national honor.
RADICAL FINANCE DENOUNCED.
We denounce the failure for all these
eleven years to make good the promise of
the legal tender notes, which are chang
ing standard of value in the hands of the
people, and the nOn-payment of which is
disregard of the plghted faith of the nation.
We denounce the improvidence 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 four times this sum
in useless expense, without accumulating
any reserve for their redemption.
We denounce the financial imbecility of
that party which, during eleven ye rs of
peace, has made no advance toward re-
sumption; that instead, has obstructed re-
sumption by wasting our resources and
exhausting all our surplus income, and
while annually protesting TO intend
speedy resumption to specie payment, has
annually enacted fresh hindrances thereto.
AS such hindrance We denounce the re-
sumption clause of the act of 1875, and we
here demand its repeal.
DEMOCRATIC FINANCE DEMANDED.
We demand a judicious system of pre-
paration by public economies, by official
retrenchments and by wise finance, which
shall enable the nation to assure the whole
world of its perfect ability and perfect
readiness to meet any of its promises at
the call of the creditor entitled to payment.
We believe such system well devised, and
above all, entrusted to competent hands
for execution, creating al no time an arti-
fetal scarcity of currency, and at no time
alarming the public mind into the with
Grawal of that vast machinery of credit by
which 95 per cent. of all business transac-
tons are performed-a system open, public
and inspiring general confidence, would,
from the day of adoption, bring healing on
its wings to all our harasSed industry, and
set in motion tho wheels of commerce,
manufactures and the mechanical arts !;
restore employment to labor, and renew:
in all its national source, the prosperity of
the people.
REFORM IN TAXATION.
Reform is necessary in the sum and
mode of Federal taxation so that capital
may be set free from diStrust and la
Dor lightly burdened. We denounce
the present tariff levied upon nearly
five thousand articles as a master
piece of injustice, inequality and false
pretence. 1t yields a dwindling, not
yearly rising revenue. 1t has impover-
ished many industries to subsidiZe few;
it prohibits imports that might purchase
the products of American labor; it has de-
graded American commerce from the first
to an inferior rank upon the high seas. 1t
has cut down the sales OF American manu-
features at home and abroad. and depleted
the return of American agriculture or in
dustry, followed by halt our people. 1t
costs the people five times more than it
produces to the treasury, obstructs the
processes Of production, and wastes the
fruits Of labor. 1t promotes fraud and
fosters smuggling, enriches dishonest Off
cials and bankrupts honest merchants. We
demand that all customhouse taxation shall
be only for revenue.
RET ENCHMENT IN EXPENSES.
Ref rm is necessary in the scale of pub
lie expense, Federal, State and municipal
out of Federal taxation has swollen from |
$50, ,OOO, 900 gold, in 1860, to $3.50, 100000, |
currency. in 1870. Our aggregate taxa |
ton was from S1S4 100000, gold, in 1860 |
to S73O,OO0, 900, currency, in 1870, or in |
one decade less than $S per head to more |
than SIS 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 sum for
the Federal Government alone. We de-
mand vigorous frugality in every depart
ment and from every officer of the gov
ernment.
wAsTE OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Reform is necessary 10 put stop to tie
protligate wastes of the public | nds aid
their diversion from settlers by the party |
in power which has sguandered two hum
dred millions of acres upon railroads alone,
and out of more than thrice that aggregate
has disposed of less than sixth directly |
to tillers of the soil.
CHRISTIAN CITIZENS AND HEATH EN-
CHINESE.
Reform is necessary to correct the mis- |
takes of the Republican Congress and the |
errors of our treaties, and our diplomatic |
relations which have stripped our adopted |
citizens of foreign birth and kindred race
recressing the Atlantic, of the shield of
American citizenship, and have exposed our
brethren of the Pacific coast TO the incur
sions of ra ,e not sprung from the same
great parent stock, and in fact now by law
denied citiz nship through naturalization,
as being neii her accustomed to the habits
of progressive civilization, nor exercised
il liberty under equal laws. We denounce |
the policy which thus discards the liberty !
loving German and tOlerates the revival of
the COolie trade in Mongolian women, inn
ported far immoral purposes, and Mongo-