Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-08-12
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
We. the delegates of the Democratic party of the
Ini.,,. States in national convention assembled do
hereby declare the administration OF the Fede,a Gov
crnnlcnt he in great need of immediate REFORM do
hereby cnjo:n upon the nominees OF the convention
ana of the Democratic party in each State and a. 81.
Louis make Efforts and To cooperate to this end AID
do hereby appeal fellow citizens of every t.rmei
pDiticil connection to undertake with Us this first aud
most pressing and patriotic duty for the benefit OF The
whole country.
Federal Union: devotion to the constitution of the
United states with its amendments universally accepted
s fna! settlement of the controversies that cn.,el
,ercd the civil and do here record steadfist conf
encc in the pcrpeuty of Republican self government
in an absolute acquisition in the will of the majority
the prieple OF republics in the supremacy of the c'v
Church and State, for the sake alike Of civil and reii
Gus rceom in the equality fall citizens before the just
laws of their enactment; in the liberty OF ntirid
ual con i,ct unvcxed by sumptuary laws; i'll the faith
fu education of the rising generation that they ma,
pres rve enjoy and transmit these BEST conditions u
human happiness and hope.
We uphold the noblest prol,ic- o. ;:.,ired years
of chan setu history, but white uphodg the hond q
our union and the great charter of these our rSnfs
behooyes free people practice also that eternal Wig
lance which is the price s liberty. Reform is neces
>ry IL, r. build and stabsh the hearts OF the whole
people Of the Union. eleven years ago happily. rescued
from danger of corrupt ccntrasm which after inctina
np"n ten States the apa,y OF t9e e ranmy
ment itself with incaacy worse than fraud inflicted
States and municipalities with con'asion OF misru
and locked fast the property of an industrious peopl.
in the paralysis Of hard times.
Reform is necessary to establish sound currency
restore the public credit and maintain the national hon
or We enounce the failure for all these ten years tt
make good the promise OF the legal notes which art
cngn. the standard value IN the hands OF the people
and the non payment of which is disregard of the
plighted faith Of the nation We denounce the mprov
ience which in eleven years of peace has taken from
the people in frauds ten times the whole amount OF the
cra tender notes and squandcred four times the sum
in useless expense without accumuatins any reserve
for their redemption We denounce the financial poll
nd tp,rnp tv nj
years of peace has made no advance towards resump
ion no preparation for resumption, but instead ha
ol,structed resumption by wasting our resources ant
exhausting all our surplus ncome; and while equally
protesting intend speedy return to specie payment
has annually added fresh hndrances thereto. AZ sucl
hindrance, we denounce the assumption clause o
the act Of 1875. and demand its repeal We demand
judcioas system Of preparation by public economics s,
shall enable the nation to assure the whole world OF III
perfect ability and perfect readiness to meet any OF IT.
promises at the call OF Its creditors entitled to
i've believe that such system well devised and lntrst
ed to competent hands of execution creates ut no time
an artificial scarcity Of currency and at no time alarm
ins the public mind in withdrawal of that vaster va
chlnery credit by which 95 per cent of all business
transactions are performcd-a system open public ant
insoirin. general confidence would from the day Of III
adoption bring healing its wings to oil our harrasset
industries; in motion the wheels of commerce. man
TO labor and prosperity the people. Reform is neces
sary in the sum and mOCe of Federal taxation TO tn
end that capital be set free from distrust and abo
We denounce the present tariff levied upon near.
4OO articles a masterpiece OF injustice ana lale
Dreenses 1t Yields dwndling not yearly rising rev
enuc 1t has impoverished many industries to sqbsi
die few. 1t prohibits imports that might purchas
the products of the country 1t has reduced American
commerce from the first to an inferior upon the hig
seas Ii has lowered the sale OF American manuiac
lures at home and ABROAD ana ne hy hn
our people. 1t costs the ,Ople five times more thai
produces to the Treasury 1t o9stracts ne prGtesse
motes frauds, fosters smuggling, enriches dishones
oficials and bankrupts honest merchants. We deman
Reform is necessary the scale of public expense ma
tional State and municipal Our Federal taxation ma
swollen from S6oO0o,0oo gold. in 1850 TO Saoo'oDOo
from xltO 900 600 gold in 1860 to $3.50 900 currency
or in one decade from less than 50 per head to NOR
than SlS per head. Since the peace the people hav
mid 10 their tax ,atherers than three times tn
amount of the national debt and more than twice
that sum for Federal Outays. Above all, we deman
fru"ay in all the departments and every office of tn
Reform is necessary to put stop to the prof ;at
waste of public lands and their diversion from actus
settlers by the party in power, which has squanocre
two hundred millions of upon railroad. alone an
ont of more than twice that aggregate mas disposed
less than sixth to the tillers Of the soil.
Reform is necessary to correct the omissions OF
publican C9ngess anu strnn,I our fellow citizens
foreign birth and kindred race crossing the Atianc
shield of American citizens ana exposed our Dretl
ern of the Pacific coast the inCursiuns OF race nc
speaking language from the same great parent stocl
and in fact now by denied citizenship through mai
uralization being neither accustomed TO the trad
tons of progressive civilization exercised in lit
ery under eouaI laws We denounce the policy whic
thus diseords the liberty loving German aad tolerate @ M
moral purposes and MOngOan men held to perform SCI
vile labor contracts, and we demand such m0dincatl0
of the treaty with the Chinese EMPIRE or such glsls
ton by Congress within Constitutional limitations
shall prevent the further importation, or immGrati0
Reform is necessary, and can never be effected bu
bymaking it the controlling issue OF the elections an
lifting it above the two false issues with which the
ceoding class and the party in power seek TO smotf
crit l. The raise Issue with which they would er
kinde sectariansrife in respect to the public schools
syeIv to the states. which the Democratic party Ina
cherished from their foundation, and IL resolved
st or creed and Without Contribution from the Trea
ury , The false issue by which they seek 10 nSl
the dying embcrs OF secilona na'e DetWeem M
in on. indivsible republic and common destiny
reform is necessary in civil service ExPeriene l
ernment business is not possible if its civil service
prize fought for at the ballot box, be brle reward
eany eampesency and held for fidelity in public enplq
That the dispensing Of patrSnsse shoud me- hehes ies,r
ment OF their ambition Here again profession falss
fled in the performance attest that tho party in pow
now work out no practical salts factory reform
seryice-President Vice Presidents, Judges keprese
,atiycs Cabinet ofcers-these and al In authority q
the peoples servants Their offices are not private pc
ousiIes' they are public trust. When the annals
this Republic show the usg1ace and Sensure o. WI
President Of late eainss .. ss se Dresidns once
Of three senators pro,ing secretly BY their voting
law makers; OF five chairmen Of the leading conn comm
tees of the late House OF Representatives exposed
robbery of late Secretary Of the Treasury, forTil
the public a:counts Of 'ae % scq.ty G
the Navy enriched or enriching frienos by percenta
levied the profits Of %n ns or
honorable sneculatIon; OF the Presidcnts private ee
rtay barely escaping eonvc.on upon trial fss g1ii
completely in frauds upon the revenues OF SeSre.I s
of War impeacncd for high crimes and confessed mi
demcsnors. The demonstration is complete that y
first step in reform must be the peoples choice ior no
men from another party. esethe disease OF one
lcal orgaizaton infect the body polite, and lest
making no change Of men party We GET no cnange
MEASURES and no reform Of all these abuses, wfongs
Crimes That the production Of sixteen years on !
eendancy Of the Republican party crate
but their reI0rmers are voted down in convention q
honest voters is powerless to resist tne DU s O%I
had BY q peaceful, civic revolution. We denand
change or parties that We may havs change Oh @e'