Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-06-29

OF luht facltf maCuiuOhJ ~ SACuAe
by which ninety-6ve per cent OF all bust.
ness transactions is performed-a system
open to the public, and inspiring general
confidence, would, from the day of its
adoption, bring healing on its wings to
all u harrassed industries, set in no.
ton the wheels of commerce, manufac-
lures and the mechanical arts, restore
employment to labor. and renew in all
its national sources the prosperity of the
the people. :.
Reform is necessary in the sum and
mode of Federal taxation, to the end
that capital may be set free from dis
trust and labor lightly burdened. We
de~nouncethe present tariff levied upon
nearly four thousand articles as a mas,
terpiece Of injustice, inequality and
false p~retense. 1t yields a ~dwindling,
not a yearly rising revenues it has i'm
poverished many industries to substitute
a few; it prohibits imports that might
purchase the products of American
labor; it has degraded American COM
meree from the first to an inferior rank
upon the high seas; it has cut down the
sales Of American manufactures at
home and abroad, and depleted the re-
turns OF American agriculture, an IN
dustry followed by half our people, II
costs The people i've times more than II
produces to the treasury, obstructs pro-
cesses OF production, and wastes the
fruits of labor; it promotes fraud, tos-
ters smuggling, enriches dishonest
officials. and b~ankrupts honest mer-
chants. We demand that all custom
house taxation shall be only for revenue
Reform is necessary in the scale OF
public expense, Federal, State and mu'
%nicipal. Our Federal taxation has
swollen from sixty million dollars in
gold in 1860 to four hundred and nifty
million dollars in currency in 1870; eul
aggregate taxation from one hundred
and 6fty.four million dollars in gold IL
1860 to seven hundred and thirty mil
lion dollars in currency in 1870, or il
ore decade from less than FIVE dollars
per head to more than eighteen dollar
DER head. Since the peace the people
have paid their tax gatherers more thai
thrice the sum Of the national debt, ant
more than twice that sum for the Fed
ersl government alone. We demand
vigorous frogality in every department
7 and from every officer of the govern
ment.
Reform is necessary to put a stop t
the prohigate waste Of public lands an
their diversion from actual settlers o
the party in power, who have s~quandere
l two hundred million acres Of land upo
= railroads alone, and out Of more tina
/. thrice that aggregate has disposed OF les
! than a sixth directly to tillers OF the sol
5 Reform is necessary to correct Ii
omissions CT a Republican Congress an
, errors Of our treaties and OF our dipli
/, macy, which have stripped our fello'
citizens Of foreign birth and kindre
: race, when recrossing the Atlantic,
: the shield of American citizenship, ar
- have exposed our brethren Of the Pacit
coast to the ineursions Of a race n
r sprung from the same great parent stoc
and, in fact, nov by law denied citize
ship through naturalization, because
is neither accustomed to the tradition
Of a progressive civilization, nor exc
cised in liberty under equal laws. '
denounce the policy which thus discsr
the Hberty-leying German, and tolerat
the renewal Of the Coolie trade in Nc
golian women imported for immoral pr
Id poses, aud Monaghan men, held to p
g. form servile labor contracts. We, the
. fore, demand such notifications Of
u treaty with the Chinese empire, and 50
%. legislation by Congress, within consti
tional limitation, as shall prevent the {
Ut ther importation or immigration OF
Monaghan race.
10 Reform is necessary, and q never
effected but BY making 1t the controlli
issue Of the elections and lifting IT abb
the two false issues with which the off
~ holding class and party in power seek
smother it. The false issue with WI
% they would enkindle sectsrisn strife
|. respect to the public schools, Of vh
the establishment and support belong
clusively to the several States, and VII
the Democratic party has cherished Fl
their foundation, and is resolved to nj
tain without partislity or creed,
without contributing from the treas
to any false issue by which they see
onr light anew the dying embers of sectit
,be hate between kindred people once
naturally estranged bat now reunite
: ~ one indiyisible republic and a com
.ivil destiny.
Reformi il necessary in the civil ser
I'M. aud experience proves that and efhC
= and economical conduct Of the gol
t,be mental business is not possible j
sn. civil service be subject to change at e
~ election; if it be a prize fought for a
* ballotrbox, or if it be a reward Of !
"a IF instead OF posts Of honor assigned
nal. proved competency and held for fd
= 81 in the public employ; that the dis
~ ~ ing Of patronage should neither be
Mn upon the time OF all our public men
of the instrument Of their ambition.
49, again, professions falsi6ed in the
bs:t torrance attest that the party in
,ons can work out no practical orsaluta
nm, form, which is necessary even mt
the higher grades Of the public So
{ our President, judges, senator, ]
q our ~entatives and cabinet officers. Z
mao. and ell others in authority
III ia the peoples servants. Their Office
,ecss, not a private ~perquisite, they are q
CO... lie trust. When the annals Of the ?
Ieven the disgrace and censure Of a Vice
don. ident; a late Speaker Of the HoI
s,ter Representatives marketing his T
If as a presiding officer; three Sc
,mbod prohting secretly by their votes q
nment makers; FIVE chsirmen of the Il
frand. committees Of the late House Of
. con. sentatives exposed in robbery;
-, me Secretary of the Treasury forcin
Mo in ance in the public accounts; q la
torney General Incorporating
l;sb a funds; a Secretary Of the Navy en-
cred;t or enriching friends by percentaQ
W. led off the profits Of contractors '
eIsven department; an Ambassador to E
of he censured in a dishonorable specu
angina the Presidents private secretary
20 ~egeapipg conviction upon trial iol