Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-09-16
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.

,i the United Statrs IN National Convention
l.senlle,i, do hereby, ,i~clasc ilie administer
Iicn Of the Federal Governm-n, Ia he in
Urgent need of immediate reform do hereby
rny in uIs,n the nnminccs Of tins cony rntion,
mud Of the Democratic party in each State. u
zealous effort and corporation Ia this end, and
10 hereby appeal 10 our irloH citizens nf .
ever TURNER I,litiral cohnet ZION tn undertake |
with ~ ,hi, first aud most patriotic duly.
For the Democracy of tire whole rtnniry |
we ,ln here Fr7iiiirn our faith in the Prru,a
nenc~ "f the Federal Union eur ,i,.NuInu To-
,ke Constitution of the United States " iih liz
amendments universally accepted a- the final
settlement of the controversy that ~n2rnlrrr,i
civil war aud ,lo hereby record our sira'ii;isi
confidence in the Perpc,uiiy ct republican
.eifgov -Tnnrnt
In absolute arqnir-rrnce IN the will rf the
matnIy-'lr vital priWciple If Republics
in the supremacy 81 The civil over the military
Rutl,oIiiy. in the total separation of church
md State. FIR the sake alikc OF civil and re-
lgious freedom; in the equality Of all rirlzcn.
before just laws VI sl,ciF own enactment; in
the liberty Of individual conduct unvexed by
s..mptuary iaw<S in the faithful -dmaiion Of
the rising generation. tina, they may preserve.
enjoy and transmit thcse best c"ndirions Of
human happiness and hope, We brloId the
nobl-.t products Vi a hundred year, Of change
full history, hut while uptol,iing the bond Of
our Uuin,,, and great Charter Of these our
Rights, il hchoovrs n free people tn practice.
also, that eternal vigilance which is the price
Of Liberty.
Reform j. necessary to rebuild and establish
IN the heart. Of the whole people, the Union,
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
danger of a secession Of States, hut now To he
saved from n corrupt Cenrralism. which, after
inaiciiny upon ten States the rapariy OF car
p-,. lag tyrann.es ha. honey -coned the offices
CC the Federal Government ii>,.li with inca
pnci,y, waste and fraud infected States and
and municipalities with the contagion Of mis-,
rule; and locEcd fast the prosperity of AN in
siustrions people il the paralysis Of Hard
Times"
Reform is necessary tn establish n sound
currency, ves,ore the public credit and main
snin the National honor.
We ,ienounce the failure of NIL these eleven
years Of peace TO make g'ss the promise OF
the legal tender notes, " f,ich are n changing
value in the hands Of the people, and the
non-paymcnt of which is disresarded the
pIiyh,ed faith Of the Nation.
We denounce the improvi,lcnce which, in
eleven years of peace, irns taken from the
rcoplc in Federal Taxes thirteen times the
nmoun, 81 tho legal tender no,es, and squan.
.iered four times tina, cum in useless expense
without ACCOMPLISHING any reserve for their
redemption.
We tlenouncc the financial imbeciliiy and
immortality of tl,a, party which. during eleven
years Of peace, has made nv aslssnec to~ ard
hos nPen mar In m
ton, by wasting our resources and cyhausting
all our surplus income, AID while annually
protesting to intend a speedy return to specie
payments, has annually enacted frcsl, him
,lrancrs thereto. As such a hindrance, we
.ienounce the resumption clause of the act OF
1875, and demand its repeal.
We demand jndicious system of prepara-
zion by public economies, by official retrench
mcn,, and by wise finance. which shall rna.
Bile the nation .oon To assSre sbe whole world
Of its perfect ability and It's perfect readiness
TO meet any Of its promises at the call of the
creditor entitled to payment.
We believe such a system well devised
and above all, entrusted to competent hands
SIR execution, creating at no time an artificial
scarcity oGcurrency. and no.,ime alarming the
public mind withdrawal Of that vast ma.
cent of all Gus business transactions are per
for,ned-a system, open and public and inspir.
ing general con fSrlence--wunld from the day
Of lie adoption bnnI hesling on its wings 70
at our harrassed industries, sci in motion the
wheels OF commerce, manufactures and me
chanic ans, restore employment to labor, and
yenew, in all its sources, the prosperity Of the
people.
e. .,,s he S>s.l <le.
Of Fe,ie,si taxaiion, to the emil that capita
may lie set free from distrist, and latrr light
ly hurdened.
We dcnounce ,I,e present Tarig, Ievic,
upon nearly four thousand, articles, rs falls,
pre,ense. 1t yields dwindling, not a yearl!
rising revenue. II has impoverished nan!
industries to snblisize few. 1t prohibits
imports that nigh, purchase the products o
American labor. II has degraded American
commerce from the first to m inferior rank OF
the high seas. has cut down the sale q
American manufactures at home and abroad
and has depleted the returns Of American
agriculture, nm industry followed by half on
people, II costs the people five times NOR
than !, produces to the Treasury. obsiructs ih'
process Of pudsc,ion and wa>ses the fruits q
labor. Il promotes fraud. fosters smuggling
est mer .han,s. We demand that all Custom
house taxation shall only be for Revenue.
Reform, is necessary in the scale Of rubi
expense, Federal, State and municipal. On
Federal taxation has swollen from sixt!
millions IN gold in 1860 to four hundred nm
fiiy million. currency in 1870. Our aggIe
guie taxation from one bpndrcd and fifty fou
miIlious gold in 1865 TO seven hundred unt
tiiry millions in currency in 1870 or in on
decade from less than five dollars per heat
10 more than eighteen dollars per head. Sine
the peace the people have paid to their tax
gailserers more than thrice the sum Of Nation
al debt, and more than twice the sum for tia
Federal Government a.one. We demand
rigorous frugalisy in every department ant
from every officer of the Government.
Reform is necessary to put a stop to th
proaigate waste Of public lands snd thci
diversion frons sesual settlers BY the parry il
power, which mas squandered two hun,lre,
millions OF acres upon railroads alone. an
out of more than thrice that aggregate hn
disposed Of less than q sixth directly 10 tn
si..ers { the sod
Reform 10 necessary TO correct the omission
az . Republicas Congress and the erross q
our treaties and our diplomacy which hav
striped our fellow citizens of foreign bril-
and Kindred race. re- crossing the Atlantic, a
the shield Of American citizenship, md la
sxposed our brethren Of the Pacific to th
incursions Of q race not sprung from the sam
wpsas parent stock, and in fact now by Law
denied citizenship through naturalization a
bejng neither accustomed 10 the traditions O
. prog reseive civilization, nor exercised il
liberty under equal laws. We denounce tb
poiiry which thus discsnis the libery.lovini
German and solesssss The revival Of the CooIi
Msde, in Monaghan women imported for i'm
moral purposes, aud Moagolian men held
perform servils labor consracta