The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-11-04
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted a, 1T. oui,. June -, 1870


vention assembled. do hereby declare the
administration OF the federal government
to be in urgenf need of immediate reform;
do hereby enjoin upon the nominees oil TINS
con. entiOL. and OF the democratic party III
Q tch state a jealous effort and co opera
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal 10
cur fellow. citizens of every former political
connection u undertake with us this first
an most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION, REPUBLI-
CAS- SELF.GOvERNMENT
For the democracy of the whole country,
we do hereby reaihrm our latin In the per-
manence of the federal union; our devotion
! u the constitution of the United states,
J with its amel dments universally accepted
as the final sett ement OF the controversies
that engendercd civil war, ana do here re-
cor | our stcad,ast confidence in the perpe
tuitY OF republican seli-goyernment.
1iIE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiesconce in the will of
the maiority--the vital principle OF repub-
lea: in the supremacy # the civil over the
military authority, in tle total separation OF
church anu state, for the sake allke OF clFll
and religious free dOm: in the equality OF
all citizens before Just laws OF their own en-
actmcnt: in the liberty OF individual con-
du t, uuvcNci by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful education of the rising generation,
that t1ey may preserve, enjoy and transmit
these best conditions Of human happiness,
and hope we behold the nOblest products OF
| a hundred years of changeiul history; but
| while uohoiding toe bond Of our union and
| great charter OF these great rights, /: be-
| hooves free people to practice also that
| eternal vigilance which /, the price OF
| liberty.
REFORM-CORRrPTIO N-CENTRALISM.
Reform, i nece .sary to build aud establish
! in the hearts o, the whole people the union,
| eleven years ago happily rescued from he
danger of a ecession OF states but now to
! be saved from corrupt centrallsm. VIII N,
! after inflicting upon ten states the rapaciiy
! Of carpet. bag tyrannies, has honey. combed
! the offices OF the federal government Itself
! with incapacity, waste ard trald; in'ecte Il
| States and municipalities with the Contl-
glon OF mi srue, and locked fast the pros
! perity OF IN industrious people in the pa
! ralysis OF hard times.
REFORM OF THE CUERENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
! LetoJ.a is necessary to establish soInd
| currency, restore the public credit and
1 maintain the natlonalho We denounce
! the failure for all these eleven year. 10
make good the promise of the legal tender
! notes, which are cOanging standard OF
value in the hands of the people, and the
non payment of which is a disrs gard OF the
p'ighted faith Of the nation.
We denounce the iInnroN idence which in
! eleven years of peace has taken from The
people, ia federal taxes, thirteen times the
/ whole amount OF the legal tender notes.
aud sQuandored toui times this sum in use
/ less expense. without accommodating any re-
serve Tor their redemption. We denouncc
: the financial imhecility and immortality OF
4 that party which, during eleven years OF
peace. has made no advance toward re-
dcmpiiOD; 10 preparation Tor resumption,
. but, Instead, has Distracted resumption by
Z wasting our resources and CNhsusting all
z or surplu. income, and while annually
protesting 10 Intend speedy return TO
-pccI payment, has annually enacted fresh
LiGdronces therctO-as sucn a hintrance
. we denOuuce the II sumption clause OF the
/ act OF $50. and we demand its repeal.
We demand q juuiciOUs system OF pre-
paration, by public economies, by official
retrcnchment. and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation so0a To assure the
whole world OF it, perfect ability and IL
perfect readiness 10 meet any OF its prom.
ises at the call Of the creditor entitled &c
payment.
We believe such system, well devised
and, above all, entrusted 70 competent
hands for it, execution. creating ST no time
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at nC
time alarming the public mind INTO with
! drawal OF that vast machinery Of credit by
which % per cent. OF all our business trans
actions are performed; system open Il
the public and inspiring general confidence
would, from the day OF IL adoption, brin;
healing on its wing. to all our harrassed in
dustries, set in motion the wheels of com
merce, manufactures and the me chanIca
arts, restore employment TO labor, and re
new in All its national sources the prosper
ity OF the people.
! REFORM OF THE TARIFF--FREE TRADE
4 Refoym Is necessary III The sum ana mod
4 of federl taxation, 10 the end that capt.;
may be set tree from dstrust and lab1
lightly burdened. We deuounce the pre-
| ent tariff levied upon nearly four thousan
articles az mat r piece OF injustice, in
10 equality and false pretense. Ii yields
y dwindl,ng, not yearly rising revenue.
has Impoverished many industries TO sui
-idiZs q few; IL prohibits imports that migi
!. purchase me products OF American labor
" il has degraded American commerce lrol
the first To an inferior rank upon the hig
seas; ii has cut down the sales of America
manufactures Al home an abroad, and d
>, pleted the returns OF American agricultur
an industry followed by halt our people.
costs The people five times more than il pr
duces TO The Treasury: Obstructs the proCe
ID OF production, and wastes the fruits Of /
Dor: II promotes fraud, fosters smugglin
enrichos dishonest officials and bankrup
honest merchants. We demand that
custom house taxation shall be only f
I, revenue.
" REFORM -ECONOMN IL PUBLIC EXPENs
Reform Is neces AIRY In the scale of publ
cXpense-tederal, State and muncpa
our federal taxation has swollen from six
millions gold, III $50, To tour hundred al
nifty millions currency, in 1870. our aggr
gate taxation. from ore hundred and MT
four millions gold in 1860, to seven hundr
and thirty millions currency in 1870; or,
one decade, from less than five dollars y
head 10 more than eighteen dollars per hes
, Since the peace the people have paid
Sc their taX-gathereis more than thrice [
sum Of the national debt, and more til
twice that sum for the federal governme
alone. We demand a vigorous nugality
~ every department, and from every otic
or OF the government.
REFonM-PunLiC LANDS To ACTUAL 81
TIERS.
Rtfoym Is necessary to put a stop 70
prof gate waste OF the public lands q
their diversion from actual settlers by I
psTty in power, which has squander
~. 10000, 900 acres upon railroads alone, "a
:, IN amount OF more than thrice that sgg
- gate, has disposed Of less than 4 sixth
rectly 10 the tillers Of the soil.
- REFORN-ADoPIED CiIIzENs, HFJFCT
MoNGOLs
H.f0B, /, necessary 10 correct the omn
ain SION or republican congress and the err
IN of our treaties and our diplomacy, WIN
have stripped our lei ow- citzens OF torei
birth aud kindred race. recross!ng the .
lanlie, OF the shield OF American citjz,
sK ship, and have exposed our hr ethen OF /
Pacific coast 10 tho incursions of race \
an sprung from the same great parent sto,