Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-08-19
Reform, Retrenchment and Recon,
ciliatiOn.

Il
equallty OF all citizens before just laws OF
| their own enactment in the liberty of in
olVlduaI conduct, unvexed by sumptuary
laws; IN The faithful education of the
rising generation, that they may preserve
ENJOY and transmit these best conditions
OF human happiness and hope, we behold
the noD1est products of q hundred years OF
changed history; but while unfolding the
bond OF our Union and great Charter OF
these rights It behooves free people to
practice also that eternal vigilance which
is the price of Liberty
Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish
In The hearts OF the whole people, the
Union, eleven years ago happily rescued
rom the danger of Secession OF States
put now 70 beSaved from a corrupt Central
1sm which, after infiicting upon ten States
the rapaclLy OF carpet-bag tyrannieS, has
noneycomoed the offices of the Federal
GoVernment itself with incapacity, waste,
and fraud infected States and municipal
ltleS with the cOntagion of miSrule, and
locked fast the prosperity of an industrious
people IN the paralysis of lizard Times y
Reform is necessary to establish sound
currency, restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor.
we denoGnce the failure for all these
eleven years OF peace to make good the
promise OF the legal-tender notes, which
are changing standard of value in the
hands of the people, and the non payment
OF which is disregard of the plighted faith
of the nation.
We denouncethe improvidence which in
eleven years of peace has taken from the
people in Federal taxes thirteen times the
wnoIe amount of the legal-tender notes
and squandered tour times their sum in
useless expense without accommodating any
reserve for their redemption
We denounce the financialimbecility and
immortality of that party which, during
eleven years of peace, has made no adj
vance toward resumption, no preparation
for resumption, but instead has INSTRUCTED
resumption, by wasting our resources and
eXnausting all our surplus income and,
Wnlle annually protesting to intend
speedy return TO specie payments, has an
nually enacted fresh hindrances thereto.
AS such abundance we denounce the Re-
sumption-day clause OF the act of 1875, and
demand its repeal
We demand judicious system of prepa-
ration by public economies, by official re-
trenchmentS, and by wise finance, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world of its perfect ability and its
perfect readiness to meet any of it's pro-
misses at the call of the creditor entitled to
payment.
We believe such system, well devised,
and, above all, intrusted to competent
hands for exec ution, creating at no time
an artificial scarcity of currency and at no
time alarming the public mind into with
drawal OF that vaster machinery of credit
by which 30 per cent. of all business trans
actions are perfoTned-a system open,
PUBLIC, and inspiring general confidence,
would from the day of its adoption bring
healing o its wings to all our haraSSed in
duStrleS, set In motion the wheels of COM
merce, manufactures, and the mechanic
new in all its natural sources the prosper
ity of the people.
Reform is necessary liz the sum and modes
of Federal Taxation, to the end that cap
ital may be set free from distrust, and labor
lightly burdened.
We denounce the present Tariff, levied
upon nearly 1900 articles, as masterpiece
OF injustice, inequality, and false pretence.
1t yields dwindling, not yearly rising
revenue. 1t has impoverished many in
a mr. hi
imports that might purchase the products
of American labor. 1t has degrated Amer
lean commerce from the first to an inferior
rank on the high seas. 1t has cut down
the sales of American manufactures at
home and abroad, and depleted the returns
of American agriculture-an industry fol-
lowed by half our people. 1t costs the peo-
pie five times more than it produces to the
treasury, obStrGets the processes of pro-
duction, and wastes the fruits of labor. 1t
promotes fraud, fosters smuggling, enriches
dishonest officials, and bankruptS honest
We demand that all Custom
House taxation shall be only for Revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scales of Pub
lie EXpenses-Federal State, and NUM-
cipal. Our Federal taxation has swollen
from go millions gold in 1860 to $50 millions
currency IN 1870 ; our aggregate taxation
from l54 millions gold in IS60to 40 millions
currency in 1870; or in one decade. from
less than 50 per head to more than SIS per
head. Since the peace the people have
paid to their tax-gatherers more than
thrice the sum of the national debt, and
more than twice that sum for the Federal |
alone. We demand a rigor-
Gus frugality in every department, and |
from every officer of the Government.
Reform is necessary to put a stop to the
prof1igate waste of public lands and their |
diversion from actual settlers by the party |
in power, which has squandered 200 mil |
lions of acres upon railroads alone, and out |
Of more than thrice that aggregate has dis |
posed of less than sixth directly to tillerS |
of the soil.
Reform is necessary to correct the omis- |
sions of n Republican Congress and the en- |
rors of our treaties and our diplomacy, |
which have stripped our fellow-citizens of |
foreign birth and kindred race recrossing |
the Atlantic of the shield of American |
citizenship, and have exposed our brethren |
Of the Pacific coast to the incurSiOns of q L
race not sprung from the same great parent |
stock, and, in fact, now by law denied citi-
zenship through naturalization, as being
neither accustomed to the traditions of
civilization nor exercised in
liberty under equal laws. We denounce
he policy which thus discardS the liberty
owing German and tolerates the revival of
he coOlie trade in Monaghan women, i'm
ported for immoral purposes. and Mongo-
ian men, hired to perform servile labor
contracts.
Reform is necessary and can never be
Effected but by making it the controlling
Ssue of the elections, and lifting it above
holding class and the party in power seek
o smother it
l. The false issue with which they would
nkindle sectarian strife in respect to the |
public schools, of which the establishment
md support belong exclusively to the sew
raj States, and which the Democratic
'arty has cherished from the foundation,
nd is resolved to maintain without pre-
udice or preference for any class, sect, or
reed, and without largesses from the treas
2. The false issue by which they seek to
ight anew the dying embers of sectional
ate between kindred people once es-
ranged. but now reunited in one ind1viSi-
lie republic and common destiny.
Reform is necessary in the civil service,
Experience proves that efficient, economi-
al conduct OF the government business is
Ot possible if its civil service be subject to
hange at every election, be prize fought
arty zeal, instead of posts OF honor as
gned for proved competency, and held |
)r fidelity in the public employ that the
iSpenSing of patronage should neither |
e tax upon the time of all our public
len, nor the instrument oftheir ambition,
Iere again promises falsified in the per-
attest that the party in power
an work out no practical or salutary re-
)rm.
Reform is necessary even more in the
igher grades of the public service. Pres
lent, Vice-President, Judges, Senators,
representatives, CABINET officers, these and
Ii others in authority are the peoples SER
ants. Their offices are not a private per-
are a.publlc trust.
When the annals of this Republic show
he disgrace and cenSure oil Vice-Presi-
ent a late Speaker of the House of Re-
reSentatives marketing his rulings as a ]
residing officer; three Senators profiting ]
scretly by their votes as law-makersi five
of the leading committees ofth
tie House Of Representatives exposed in
'bhery a late Secretary of the Treasury I
'rcing balances in the public accounts a !
Lte Attorney-Gencral miSappropridting
1blic funds a Secretary of the Navy en- +
ched or enrtching friends, by percentages I
WED off the profits of contractors with
is department; an ambassador to Eng
nd -cenSured in dishOnorable specula-
on; the Presidents Private Secretary
irely escaping conviction upon trial for
lllty completely in frauds upon the reve-
ne; Secretary. of War impeached for
Ugh crimes and misdemeanors,-the dem
lstration is complete, that the first step
Reform must be the peoples choice of
Onest men from another party, lest the
Sease of one political organization infect 4
e body polite, and lest by making no y
lange of men or parties we get no change
measures and no real Reform.
All these abuses, wrongs and crimes, the
oduct of sixteen years ascendancy of =
e Republican party, create a necessity
r Reform, confessed by Republicans :
emselves; but their reformerS are voted
'wn ia conEention and displaced from
e CABINET, The party,s mass of honest
tiers is powerless to resist the so 600 office
'lderS. its leaders and guides.
Reform can only be had by peaceful
vic Revolution. We demand change
system, q change of administration a
ange of measures and of men.