The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-30
PLATFORM
OF THE
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY,

WE, the Delegates of the Democratic
Party, in National Convention assembled
do here declare the administration of the
Federal Government to be in urgent need
of Immediate reform, do hereby enjoin up
on the nominees of this Convention, and
of the Democratic party in each State, a
Jealous effort and cooperation to this end
aud do hereby appeal to our teliow-ctizetIs
of every former political connection to ln
dertake with us this fist and most press
ing patriotic Guty. For the Democracy o.
the whole country we do here reatiirm oul
faith iu the peruanency of the Federal
Union; our devotion t. the Constitution
of tue United States with its anne dments
universally accepted as final settlement
of the controversies THAI engendered civil
war, and we do here record our stradtasl
confidence in the perpetuity of republican
self-govornluont; in absolute acqniescenct
in the will of the majority, tile vital prin
cple of republics; in the supremacy of The
civil over. the military authority; in tht
total separation of Church and State fol
the.sake alike of civil and rel gious free
dom; in the equality Ct all citizens l'ctor'
lust laws of their own enactment; in til,
liberty of individual conduct uuvexed by
Isrmptuary laws; i'll the faithful education
of the rising generation that thy may
preserve, enjoy and transmit these best
conditions of human happiness, and hope
we behold the noblest products Of hun
bred years of changeful history hut while
unfolding the bond of our union ant
great charter of those our rights, it be
hooves free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which is the price o
liberty.
REFORM IS NECESSARY
to rebuild and establish in the hearts o
the whole people of the Union, clever
years ago happily rescued from the dan
ger of a corrupt centra,ism which, aiteI
inllicting upon ten States the lapaclty o
carpet-bag tyrannies, has honeycombet
the officers of the Federal Government it
self with incapacity, waste and fraud, in
fected States and municipalities with tn
contagiOn of misrule, and locked fast tn
prosperity of an industrious people in th'
paralysis of Hard times. Reform is neces
sary to establish sound currency, restore
The public credit, and maintain the ia
tional honor. We denouuce the failur
for these eleven years to make good tn
promise of the legal tender notes, whicl
are a changing standard of value in tn
hands OF the people, and the non payn,en
of which is u disregard of the plighte'
faith Of the nation. We denounce tn
improvidence which in eleven years Q
peace have taken from the people in Fede
raj taxes, thirteen times the Who'll
amount of the legal tender notes, AM
Isquaudered four times this sum in useles
expense without accommodating any re
serve for their resumption. We denounc
the financial imbecility and immoralit
of that party, which, during eleven year
of peace, has made no advance towar
resumption; that instead has obstructe
resumption by wasting our resources an
exhausting all our surplus income, an
while annually protesting to intend
speedy return to specie payments. ba
annually enacted fresh hinderance there
to. As such q hinderance we denounc
the resumption clause of the act of 1877;
and we here
DEMAND ITS REPEAL.
We demand a iudicous system of prepare
ton by public economies, by official re
trenchments and by wise finance whic
shall enable the nation to insnre tn
whole world of its perfect ability and it
perfect readiness to meet any of its prom
ises at the call of the creditor entitled t
payment. We believe such a system we
devised, and, above all, entrusted to con
petent hands for execution, creating at n
time al artificial scarcity of currency an
at no tine alarming the public mind int
a withdrawal OF that vaster machinery {
credit by which 95 per cent. of all bushes
transactions are performed-a syste,
open, public and inspiring general cont
deDce would from the day of its adoptio
bring healing on its wings to all our hal
assed industry and set in motion til
wheels of commerce, manufactures an
the mechanical arts, restore employment
to labor, and renew in all its nations
source the prosperity of the people. r.
form is necessary in the sum and mode {
Federal taxation, to the end that capit'
may be set free from distress and labt
lightly bardenea.
WE DENoUNCE THE PRESENT TARIFF
levied upon nearly four thousand article
as masterpiece of injustice, inequalit
and false pretence. 1t yields dwindlin!
not yearly rising revenue; it has impo
erished many industries to sdbsidize
few; it prohibits imports that might pu
chase the products of American labo
it has degraded American commerce fro
the first to an inferior upon the high sea
it has cut down the sales of America
manufactures at home and abroad, an
depleted the returns of American agrieu
ture, an interest followed by half OF
people; it costs the people FIVE times mo-
than it produces to the treasury, obstruc
the processes of production and vast