Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-15
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
official Text, as Reported by the
committee.

~ELf-Go KIs2MRST.
For the Democracy of the whole country we
d" here rcanilm our ialti, in The pcrnanence of
the fcGrrai 'nlpn, our devotion 10 the Consti-
tuition Of til" United states with its amendments,
universally accepted ts final settlement of the
that engcndered civil war. and do
here record our stcaditst confidence i'll the per-
pctuIty ei republican self government;
THE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescence in the will of the
Vital principle OF a republic: in
the supremacy OF the civil over the military au-
thorlty; in the total separation of Church and
STATE, iur 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 rs unvexed by
sunptiary laws; in the faithful education Of
thr rising generation that they may preserve,
enjoy AM! transmit these best conditions ot hu-
man happiness and hope, We behold the
nobicst produCts of a hundred years of
history. Iut white uphoding the
bond oi our Union and great Charter Of these,
our Rights, it bchoovcs a free people to practice,
also that eternal vigilance which IS the price OF
Liberty
EEFoRi-CoRRUrr CESTRALIsM.
ErTOTnL is necessary 10 rebuild and eS
tablish in the hearts OF the whole people of
the Union eleven years ago happily res
cued from the danger OF "A Secession OF states,
but now 10 he saved from corrupt Centralism,
which, after inicing upon ten states the rlpac-
ity of carpet bag tyrannieS, has honcy-combel
the Offices Of the federal government itself with
incapacity. waste and frauds, infected states
and municipalities with the contagion OF mis-
rlle, and locked fast the prosperity Of an Undue,
trious people III the paralysis oil Hard Times
REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-srEcIE PAYMENT
Reform. is necessary TO establish, 4 sound cur
rcncy, restore the public credit anu maintain
the national honor.
vcar Of n.ce 10 % make s nos Gf fhs AZ brdis 5hess eleven
lcgal-tcnder notes; which are changing st an
dard OF value IN the hands of the people, and
the non payment Of which is disregard of the
pli.htcd fam 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 lc.a-fendcr notes, and sqtIandercd lOur times
this sum in useless expense without accumulat-
ing uny reserve for their redemption. We
dcnouncc the financial imbecility and i'm
morality OF that party which during eleven years
of peace has made no advance toward rcsump-
tiOn-no preparation for resumptIOn-but IN
stead has obstructed resumption by wasting our
resources and eXhausting all our surplus income,
| and while annually protesting to intend speedy
return to specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hinui nnces thereto. As such hinurance,
We dcnounce the resumption clause Of the act
| of 1873, and We demand its repeal.
| We demand Il judicIous system of preparation
| by public economy, by official retrenchment, and
| soon to assure the whole world of Its perfect
ability and its perfect readiness to meet any Of
its promises ut the call of the creditor entitled
| to payment.
| We believe such Il system, well devised,
| and, above all, entrusted 10 competent hands
| Tor execution, creating at no time an ar
| tIciai scarcity of currency, and ut no time
| alarming the public mind into a Withdrawal OF
| that vastcr machinery OF credit by which 95 per
| cent. Of all our business transactions per-
Formed "a system open and public. and in
spring general confidence, would from the day
of lis adoption bring healing on its wings to all
| our hIr:sscd industries, set i'll motion the wheels
OF commerce, manufactures, and the mechanic
| arls; restore employment to labor and renew in
all lis natural sources, the prosperity TO the peo-
pie.
| REFORM or TIE TAGIFF-FHEE TRADE.
| RcJ0I1n Is necessary in the sum and modes OF
Federal taxation, to the end that capital may be
| set free from distrust and labor lightly burden
ed
| We Genounce the present tariff levied upon
l -iN ,rlI, fnr
ticc, inequality and false prctense. 1t yields i
dwindling, not yearly rising revenue. 1t has
| Impoverished many Industries to subsidiZc
few. II prohibits imports that might purchase
the products of American labors. II has de
graded American commerce from the first to III
| interior rank upon the high seas. 1t has
| cut :lOwn the sales of American MANUFACTURER
| Al home and abroad, and depleted the returns o
American agriculture and industry followed By
half our people. 1t costs the people live tlme
| more than it produces to the treasury. obstructs
the processes OF production and wastes the fruit,
OF labor It. promotes fraud, fosters smuggling,
| cnriche5 dishonest officials and bankrlipts honest
merchants. We demand that all custom house
taxation shall he only for revenue.
!, | HIFORM ECONOMY IN PuBLIC EXPENSE.
R"form is necessary in the scale of public eX-
pcnscs-Feiera, state, and municipal. Oul
Federal taxation has swollen from 500, 900 90
aggregate taxation from Sl5l 00O, 900 gold in lS6
TO $3.50 0oo,0oo currency in 1870. Or, in one de
cadc, from less than 50 per head to more tha
; Sis per head. Since The peace the people h;iv
, ! paid to their taA-gathcrerS more than thrice th
| sum of Tie national dcbt, ana more tilan tWlc
} that for the Federal government alone. w
demand vigorous fruSallty IN every dc
partment and from every officer o! the govern
mcni.
EEFoHM--runLIC LANDS TO ACTUAL SETTLERS
e IL m fir t3 R"a a.ti tq ss 70 tnE v erS
c rom actual settlers by the party in power, whic
has squandered POO, 900, 900 of acres upon raj
roads alone, and out OF more than thrice the
| aggregate has disposed Of less than q sixth d
[ | rccIly 10 the tillers of the soil.
Y | REFoEM: ADOPTED CITIZENS, REJECTED MON
:, COILS.
Reform is necessary to correct the omission
of Republican, Congress, and the errors G
| Our treaties, and our diplomacy, whic
have stripped our leloH-citizens offoreign brt
| and kindred race re.crossinS the Atlantic of tn
e shield of American citizenship, and eS
= posed our brethren of the Pacific coast to tn
rncursions of Il race not sprung from the sam
: | great parent stock, and in fact, now b
V | law are denied citizenship through naturalizt
n | ton is Deins neither accustomed to the trad
tons of II progressive civilization. not e,
Il | rrciscd In liberty under equal laws. We d,
4 n"nncc the policy which thus discar,ls the libe
!, " loving Germans, and telerates the revival {
II the Cool ic trade IN Mongollan women importe
g for Immoral purpose, and MOngOlian me
- held to perform scrviie labor contracts.
: THE FALSE sEcTaRIAN ISSUE; THE FALSE sR'
| TIoNAL ISSUE.
" | Reform is necessary and can never he effscts
h | but hy making il the controlling issue of Il
J. election and liltina 1t above the two false issu
| with which the oflice-holding class and the par
: i'll power seek to smother it:
!, Eirst-lhe false issue with which they won
II, cnkindle sectarlan strife in respect TO the pub
u | schools of which the establishment and su
II port belong exclusively to the several states al
which the Democratic party has cherished fro
their foundation, and is resolved to mantai
without partiality or preference tor any clas
j. sect or creed, and without contributing fro
| the treasury to any.
Il !Sccond-The false issue by which they sc
" to light anew the dying mbers of sectional ha
~ between kindred peoples once unnaturally
" tranged, but now reunited in one indivisibed l
Il public and a common destiny.
ic REFoRM-TuE CIVIL SERVICE.
~ Reform is necessary in the civil service.
- periencc proves that efficient economical CO
Di duct of the government business is not pc
s. siblc if its civil service be subject to change
,a every election; be prize fought ior ut the ball
~ box; bc II brief reward Of party zeal instead
III posts of honor, assigned Tor proved cOmpeten
IN and held Tor fidelity in the public employ. III
- the dispensing OF patronage should neither b.
ie tax upon the Jlme of all our public men. nor
to instrument of their ambition. Here again pr
ri lcssions falsificd in the performance, attest tt
u the party in power can work out no practical
u. salutary reform.
REFoRM-coRRurTION OF HIGH PUBLIC oFFICET
- Return Is necessary even more in the nigh
grades Of the public service. President, Vic
y President Judge, Senators, Representatlv,
"a | ity are the peoples servants. Their Offices Q
he not private perquisite They are a pub
e, | trust.
,a When the annals OF this republic sh
Nv the disgrace and censure of 4 Vice-President
cs late speaker of the House Of Reprcsentativ
II, | marketing hIS rulings us 4 presiding officer; III
!, senators pr"iitinE secretly by their votes rs Il
u makers: i've chIrmcn OF The leading commit.
II. ni the late House of Representatives exposed
+ i"bbcrY: IL aic Secretary OF the Treasury 70
ing balances in the public accounts; "A late !
. | iurucy-Ggn-rul Incorporating public tun'
he Il Secretary of The Navy enriched or cnrit
a. | ng his friends 10y percentages levied on
'" pfo!i;a Of contractors with his department;
II. cmba,saur I" England censured in dishon'
able speculation; the Presidents private sec
iury barely escaping conviction, upon trial.
re guilty completely III frauds upon tie revenue
d Secretary of War impeached for high erin
and mISdcmc.norS. The demonstration
IL complete that the first step in reform must
IL the peoples choice 9i honest men from anott
:, party, lest the disease 0f one political organic
90 tion infect the body polite, and lest, by maxi
IL no change OF men or parties We get no change
II me ,surcs aud no reform.
81 EEFpiiN-EEFoRNI-REFoE oEN.
va All these abuses, wrongs amt crimes,
n product oI sixteen years. :tSccn'ancy Oi the
p, publican party, create II Necessity Tor rclo
- confessed ny Republicans themselves Bui tn
til rcinrrncr- arc voted down in thcir convent
H. and displaced from the Cabinet The part
. mass oI honest voters is powcress to resist
a. Su, ,u0n Office hulders, its leaders and guides
reform only be had by peaceful ci
~ revolution. We demand i change oil system
change OF administration, II change of par
! that we may have II change of measures and
Q. <"'
W. w. SHAKE OUT YOUR PIN-BAOK. "
II, "pull down your vest" Wipe
$50 your chIn,' shoot that hat" the
,is were three samples of slang wc;hea