The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-24
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted n, ~. Louis. June -. 1873.


Xention assembled. 90 hereby declare the ]
al the federal government /
10 be In urgent need Of immediate reform; /
10 hereby orjoin upon the nominees OF ihis
convention. and 81 the democratic party in /,
,sch slate. Jealous effort ana 60 opera I
lcn 70 this end. and 90 hereby appeal 10 4
,ur fellow.citi2enS OF every former political !
10 undertake with us thi- inst /
an / most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION. THE CONSTITUTION, RErUBL,- |
CAS- SELF-GoNERNMENr.
For the democracy of the whole country. /
Ne do hereby reaiiirm our faith IL the per-
nanence OF the federal union: our devotion I
% the constitution of the United states.
With its amel dments universally accepted
g. the final settlement ut the controversies
that engendercd civil war. ana dc here re-
cord our steadiast confidence in the pcipe.
tuitv of republican scli-govtrnment
TIE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescencc in thc will of
the msiority--the vital principle OF repub-
lies: in the supremacy OF the civil over the
military authority, in tle 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-
duct. unveXed by sumptuary laws; III 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
hundred years of changeiul history; but
while upholding the bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, |; be-
hooyes Il free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which is the price OF
liberty.
REFORM-CORRUPrI ON-CENrRALlsM.
Reform is necessary to build aud establish
in the hearts o. the whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily rescued tr0m 'he
danger of IA secession Of States bat now 10
be saved from a corrupt ccntraiSD. viii III.
after iniiictng upon ten states the rapaciIy
of carpet.baS tyranuies. has hone y.combed
the offices OF tue federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud; Injected
States and municipalities with the conta-
Cion Of misruie, and locked fast the pros
perity of an industrious people in the pa
ralyss of hard times.
REFORM OF THE CuRRNNCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
reform is necessary to establish Il sound
currency. restore the public credit and
maintain the nationalhonor. We denounce
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 pay Oh WHICH IL u uISfp III Vi Inc
pllghted faith of the nation.
We denounce the ilnproyiicnce which IN
eleven years of peace has taken from The
people, in federal taxes. thirteen times tlte
whole amount OF the legal tender notes,
and squandered ioui times this sum III use
less expense, without accommodating any re-
serve Tor their redemption. We Genoilnce
the financial imbecility and immortality OF
that party which, during eleven years OF
peace. has made no advance toward rt-
demption; no preparation for resumption,
but, instead, has oh>tiucted resumption by
wasting our resources and eNhaustng ali
our surplus income. and while annually
processing TO intend speedy return 10
specie payment. has annually enacted fresh
hindrances thereto-aS such "A hndrance
we denOunce the re sumption clause OF the
act of 1879, ana we demand its repeal.
We demand ludiclous system OF pre-
paratlon, by public economies. by official
retrenchment. and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon 10 assure the
whole world of its perfect ability aud its
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom
ises at the call of the creditor entitled 10
payment.
We believe such system, well devised,
and, above all, entrusted to competent
hands for its execution, creating at no time
al ARTIFICIAL scarcity of currency, and at no
! time alarming the public mind into a with
| drawal OF that vast machinery Of credit by
which % per cent. OF all our business trans
actions are performed: system open 10
| the public and inspiring general confidence
| would, from the day of its adoption. bring
| healing on lis wings TO all our hsrras sed in
| dustries, set in motion the wheels of com
| mercc, manufactures and the mechanical
arts, restore employment To labor, and re-
| new ia all its national sources the prosper-
ity OF the people.
| REFORM or THE IARIFF-FREE TRADE,
| ReHpD. is necessary IN the sum and mode
/ OF federal taxation, 10 the end tLat capital
may he set Tree from disirust and labor
| lightly burdened. We denounce the pres
eIt tarin levied upon nearly four thousand
| articles r. master piece of injustice, in
! equality and false preteuse. 1t Yields a
| dwlndling, not yearly rising revenue. II
has impoverished many industries TO sub.
sidize afew; IL prohibits imports Alat might
purchase .he products of American l,b0rs,
II has degraded American commerce from
tae llrst 70 an Interior rank upon the high
seas; II has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home AMI abroad and de.
/ p.eted the returns of American agriculture
an industry followed hy halt our people. II
! costs the people fiye times more than il pro.
| duces 10 The treasury; obstructS the process.
| Of production. and wastes the fruits OF la
| enriche> dishonest officials and bankrupt,
| honest merchants. We demand thst al
custom house t1Aai.OH shall be only fOl
| revenue.
| hkfoEH-ESoN0Nf IN PUBLIC EAPENsE
Reform Is necessary in the scale OF publ,
| eNpense-iederal, state and m1nieipal
| our federal taxation has swollen from sixt'
| millions gold, IN lSso, 10 four hundred anc
nifty millions currency, IN $50. Our aggre
gate taxation, from one hundred and tifty
Tour millions gold IN lsG0, TO seven hundre,
anu thirty millions currency in 1870; or, il
one decade, from less than five dollars pc
mead TO more than eighteen dollars per he ad
since the peace the people have paid 1
thelt tax-gatherers more than thrice th
sum OF the national debt, and more thal
Twice that sum for the federal government
alone. We demand vigorous frugality il
every department, aud from every office
OF the GOV eminent
REFoBM-PUBLIC LANDS 10 ACTUAL sTI
TIERS.
Reform is necessary TO put stop 10 IA
lrohigate waste of the public lands an
lhelr diversion from actual settlers by tb
party IN power, which has squandere
,, -oo,op,oo acres upon railroads alone, an
Th amount or more than thrice that aggr,
: SAFE, mas disposed of less than a sixth q
fecu! 10 the uners Of tue soil.
kEFoRM-ApopTRD CITIZENS. RrIrcrr
hoSGoLs.
HgOfmis necessary To correct the o,nmi
}, sion OF republican congress and The rrro,
OF our treaties and our diplomacy. wbla
have stripped our feliow-citizens OF torei,,
birth and kindred race. reerossng the A
lantic, OF The shield OF American citIzs,
,. ship, and have exposed our hrethern OF M
faeiic coast TO the incursions OF a race no
, sWuns rom Tue same great parent stocl
and, In fact, now by law denied citizensbi
through NATURALIZATION, a. being neither a,
cusipincd 10 the traditions of a prorrss.ir