The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-08-11
WHOLE NUMBER 232.

has fostered him as he has fostered IL, IL suf.
Tered 10 remain. The president alone
must not make the scape-goat for the enor-
mites Of the system which infects the pub
lie service and threatens the destruction Of
institutions. In some respects | hold that
the present executive has been the victim
rather than the author of that vicious sys.
TEN. Congressional and party leaders have
been stronger than the president. No one
man could have created IL, and the reno
val Of no one man can amend il. Ii IL thor
oughly corrupt,and must be swept remorse-
lessly away by the selections Of a govern
ment composed Of elements entirely new
and pledged to radical reform.
THE STANDARD OF THE CONSTITUTION.
The first work Of reform must evidently
be the restoration Of the normal operation
Of the Constitution Of the United States,
with all its amendments. The necessities
Of war can not he pleaded in time Of peace.
The right Of local self-government,a ,as guar
anteed by the Constitution, must be every
where restored, and the centralized, almost
personal, imperialism which has been prac-
ticed must be done away. or the first prnci-
Piles Of the republic will be lost.
FINANCIAL QUESTION.
Our financial system Of expedients must
be reformed. Gold and silver are the real
standards Of value, and our national cur
rency will not be a perfect medium Of ex-
change until it shall be convertible at the
pleasure Of the holder As | have hereto
fore said, no one desires 10 return 10 specie
payments more than do, but do not believe
that ii will or can be reached in harmony
with the interests Of the people by artificial
measures for the contraction Of the curren.
cy, any more than | believe that wealth or
permanent prosperity can be created BY an
imitation Of currency. The laws Of finance
can not be disregarded with iInpunity.
Tile financial policy Of the Government, il
indeed ii deserves the name Of policy at all,
has been in disregard Of those laws, and
therefore has disturbed commercial and
business confidence, as we'll as hindered a
return to specie payments. One feature of
that policy was the resumption clause Of
the act of 1875, which embarrassel the
country by the anticipation Of a compulso-
ry resumption for which no preparation
has been made, and without any assurance
that il would he practicable. The repeal
Of that clause Is necessary, that the natural
operation Of financial laws may be restored,
that the business Of the country may be re-
lieved from its disturbing and depressing
influence, and that a return TO specie pay
ments may be facilitated BY the substitution
Of wiser and more prudent legislation and
which shall mainly rely on Il judicious sys-
tenn OF public economy and official retrench-
ment, and above all in the promotion Of
prosperity in all the industries of the peo-
pie.
do not understand the repeal Of the re-
sumption clause of the act Of 1875 10 be a
backward step in our return to specie pay
ments, but the recovery of u false step, and
although the repeal may for time be pre-
vented, yet the determination Of the Demo-
cratic party on this subject has now been
declared. There should be no hibdrances
put in the way Of a return to specie pay
ments. As such n hindance." says the
platform of the st. Louis convention, 1--WE
denounce the resumption clause Of the act
of 1875, and demand its repeal" thor
oughly believe that by public economy, by
official retrenchments, and by wise finance,
us To accumulate the precious
metals, resumption at an early period is
possible, without producing an artificial
scarcity Of currency or disturbing public or
credit, and that these reforms,
together with the restoration Of pure gov
will restore general confidence, en-
cou age the useful investment Of capital,
furnish employment Of labor, and relieve
the country from the paralysis Of hard
times. With the industries Of the people
there have been frequent interferences.
Our platform truly says that many indus
tries have been Impoverished to subsidize a
few. Our commerce has been degraded to
an inferior position on the high seas, man
ufactures have been diminished, agricul-
ture has been embarrassed, and the distress
Of the industrial classes demand that these
things shall be reformed. The burdens Of
the people must also be lightened by a
great change in our system Of public ex-
penses. The proaigate expenditures which
increased taxation from five dollars per
capita in 1860 to eighteen dollars in 1870
tells its own story Of our need Of fiscal re-
form.
THE CooLIE SYSTEM.
Our treaties with foreign powers should
also be revised and amended, in so far as
they leave citizens Of foreign birth in any
particular less secure in any country on
earth than they would be il they had been
born upon our soil. The iniquitous coolie
system, which through the agency ofwealthy
companies imports Chinese bondmen and
establishes a species Of slavery and inter-
feres with the just rewards Of labor on our
Pacific coagt should be utterly abOlished