Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-29

ahmed and discussed before coming 70 I'D
agreement. He then requested MIR. DoEsbelm-
er, oil New York, to reai the platform TO the
Convention, as follows:
We, the delegates of the democratic party
Of the United States in national convention as
sembled, do here declare the administration OF
the Federal Government to be IN urgent Deed
of reform; do hereby eujoln uIon he nominees
OF this Convention aud the democratic party 10
each State Jealous etfolt aod co operation to
this end, aud do hereby appeal to our fellow
citizans of every former political connection 10
undertake with us this first and most pressing
patriotic duty of the whole country. We az,
here reaffirm our faith in the pefmaneucy OF
thr Federal Union and our devotion to the
Constitution of the United States with its
amendments universally accepted as hnal set,
clement of the controversies that engcndercd
civil war, ADD do here record our sesdtast con-
fdence in the perpetuity OF republican govern
ment; 10 absolute acquiescence 10 the will OF
the majority, the vital principle OF republics;
in the supremacy in the civil over the military
authority, in the total separation Of cbulch aud
State for the sake alike of civil aud religious
freedom; in the equality of all citizens before
lust laws Of their own enactment; 10 the liberty
of individual conduct; uDvexed by sumpsuary
laws: 10 the faithful education OF the rlslug geue'
ra,iuD, that they NAV preserve, euloy ana
transmit these best conditions OF human hap
piness and hope, we behold the nobl@st pro
ducts of hundred years of chaugetul history.
But while upholding the bond of our Union
and grea, charter OF these, our rights, 1t pc
hooves free people to practice ais, that eter-
nal vipiapce which is the price OF liberty. he
form Is necessary 10 rebuild and .stalllsh 10
the hearts Of the whole people the Uulio e!ev.
en- wears ago happily rescued FROM the danger
of secess sion, tul now to be saved from
a corrupt ceutralism, which, attes iuhlctlrg
upoo ten States the rapacity Of carpet. bag ty-
rauoies has honcycowbed the Cthces O. the
Federal Government itself with iucapaclty,
waste and iiau,; in!est d States and mu"icl-
paities with the coLtagloO OF nlsru!e, aud
locked fast the prosperity of an industrious
people in the paralysis OF ha!d times. R"ioru
is necessary to establish sound currency, re-
stcr. the public credit and maintain the uallon-
al honor. We denounce the failure TOR al these
eleven vars to take good he promise OF the
legal tender notes, which. are a changing staud-
ard of value 10 the hands OF the people, and
the non. payment oil which IL Disregard OF the
pighted faith OF the n.tlon.
We deuounce the appropriateness which ID
eleven years Of peace has taken from the PEG
ole in Federal taxes thlrtceu times The Waole
amount of the legal teodcr notes, aud Squau-
dered four times this sun 10 US less EXERCISE,
without aCcumu!atlng any reserve Tor their re-
demptiou. We d"nounce the huaDcla lmbe
cility ard immoca lty OF that larty which du-
ring>eleveu years of peace has made 90 advance
toward assumptions; that, lnsteai, has ooS'ruci,
ed resumption by wasting our resources and
exhaustug all our surplus income, aud while
Annually PROCESSING to intend speedy return
to specie payments, has annually enacted frcsh
hiudrances thereto. As such a hludrancc, We
deurunce the resumption clause OF the act OF
1875. aad We here demand lis repeal We de-
mand iudiciouS system vi preparation by quo
lie economies, by ctica retr ,uchmcuts and oy
wise finance wi ich shall enable the natlou to
assure the whole world OF its pertec, ab'll and
its pcrfec, readiness 10 meet any OF It's promises
at the cali of the creditor entitled to payment
We bell We such System we'll devised, and
above all entrust. d to competent hands Tor eX-
ecution, creating at 20 tune al artificial scar
city Of currency, and at no time alarming the
public miud into withdrawal OF that vas'er
machinery Of credit by which ulociy i've per
cyut of all business TRANSACTIONS ar, performed.
A system open, public aud Inspiring general
confidence would from the day OF its adoption
industry. aud set in motuo the wheels OF com
MERGE, manufactures and the mechanical arts;
restore employment to labor, and renew 10 all
its natural force the prosperity of the people
Reform is necessary in the form and mode OF
Federal taxation to the end that capital may be
set free from distrust and labor lightly tuftca-
90. We datouuce the present tariff ievcd
upon nearl, tour thousand articles as master
ice of iuustic,, inequality aud false prctensr
IL Yields dwiudting, not yearly rising rev
enue. 1t has impoverished macy industries 10
sutsidize a few. 1t prohibits imports that
might purchase the products of American
labor 1t has degraded 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 abrGai aud depicted the
returns of American agriculture or industry,
followed by half of our people. 1t costs the ople
five times more than it produces to the treas
ury, obstructs the processes of production and
wastes the fruits OF labor 1t promotes fraud
and fosters smuggling, enriches dishonest off
Gals aud bankrupts honest merchants. We de-
maud that all custom house tax,tlon shall be
opy for revenu:. Reform is necessary 10 the
sca!e of public expense-State, Federal AMI
municipal Our Federal taxation has swoll
from $50 600, 900 (gold) 10 1860 to $3.50, 0OO,-
900 (currency) 10 1870 Our aggregate taxa
ton from 1854 600 900 (gold) 10 1860 to $3.50
600, 900 (currcucy) in 1870, or 10 one decade
from less than SIS per head to more than SIS
per head. Siuce the peace the people have
paid 10 their tax gathererS more than thrice
the sum Of the national debt, aud more than
twice mat sum TOR the Federal Government
alone. We demand vigorous trusality 10
every department and from every officer Of the
Government. Reform is necessary to put
stop to the proagate waste of public lands and
their diversion from actual settlers by thu party
10 power. which has squandered twJ hundred
millions of acres upon railroads alone, and out
of more than thrice that aggregate has dispos
ed OF less than sixth dire ely TO tiIlers OF the
soil. Reform is necessary 10 correct the omis-
sious OF the republican Congress, AID the er-
rors of our treaties and our diplomacy,
which have stripped our fellow ciiizeus Of for
eign birth and kindred race recrosslng the At
lautic of the shield Of American citizenship,
and have exposed our brethren of The Pacific
coast to the 1cursons of race not sprung from