The Lake County star., 1876-07-06

the Committee on Platform. Motions to
proceed to balloting were under discussion,
when the Chair recognized Mr.. Meredith,
Chairman Of the Committee on Platform,
who said they had agreed on the resolutions,
but had referred them to committee for
revision, and that they would meet again at
one o'clock. Mr.. Herman moved recess
until two p. m. Carried.
The Convention met at 2:15, and the Com
mittee on Resolutions read the following
platform:
ave, the delegates of the Democratic
party Of the United States, In National Con-
ventien assembled, do hereby declare the
administration OF the Federal Government
TO be in urgent need of immediate reform
do hereby enjoin upon the nominee OF this
Convention, and of the Democratic party
In each State, a jealous effort and c0-0pera-
tion TO this end, and do hereby appeal to our
fellow-citizens OF every former political con.
nection to undertake with us this first and
most pressing patriotic duty. For the
Democracy of the whole country we do here
reaffirm our faith in the permanency OF the
Federal Union, our devotion to the COnsti.
tuition of the United States, with its amend
ments universally accepted as q final settle.
ment of the controversies that engendered
civil war, and do here record our steadfast
confidence in the perpetuity of republican
self-government; in absolute acquiescence
IN the Will oi tne malority, Ihe Ntai pfih.
| ciples of Republics; in the supremacy Of
the civil over the military authority in
the total separation Of Church and
| State, for the sake alike of civil
and religious freedom; in the equality of
all citizens before just laws of their own en-
actment; in the liberty of individual con.
duct, unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful education of the rising generation,
that they may preserve, enjoy and transmit
hos has If h..a ka.N All.
| and hope. We behold the noblest products
Of hundred years of changeful history,
but while upholding the bond of Uuion, and
the great charter of these, our rights,
| it behooves free people to practice, also,
that eternal vigilance which is the price Of
| liberty.
"Reform is necessary to rebuild and es.
! tablish in the hearts of the whole people Of
the Union, eleven years ago happily rescued
| from the danger OF secession OF States, but
now to be saved from corrupt centralism,
which, after inflicting upon ten States the
rapacity Of carpetbag tyranny, has honey
combed the offices of the Federal Govern
ment itself with incapacity, waste and fraud |;
infected States and municipalities with the
c0ntagion Of misrule, and locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrious people in the
| paralysis Of hard times.
"Reform is necessary to establish sound
|
tain the National honor.
| owe denounce the Republican party for
its failure, for all these eleven years, 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.pay-
ment of which is a disregard of the plighted
faith of the nation.
"We denounce the improvidence which
| in eleven years OF peace has taken from the
people in Federal taxes thirteen times the
whole amount of the legal.tender netes, and
squandered four times this sum in useless
expense, without accommodating any reserve
for their redemption.
"We denounce the financial imbecility
and immortality Of that party which, during
eleven years of peace, has made no advance
toward resumption, no preparation for re-
sumption, but, instead, has obstructed re-
sumption by wasting our resources and ex-
hausting all our surplus income, and while
annually processing to intend speedy re.
turn to specie payment, has annually en-.
acted fresh hindrances thereto. As such q
hindrance, we denounce the resumption
clause of the act of 1875, and we here de.
mand its repeal.
"We demand judcious system of prep
aration 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 its prom.
ises ut the call of the creditor entitled TO
payment. =,
and, above all, entrusted to competent hands
Tor execution, creating at no time an artif
cial scarcity of currency, and at no time
alarming the public mind into a withdrawal
Of that vaster machinery of credit, by which
ninety.hve per cent. of all business transac
tions are performed, a system open, public
and inspiring general confidence, would
from the day of its adoption, bring healing
on its wings to all our harassed industry
and set in motion the wheels of commerce
manufactures, and the mechanical arts, re
store employment to labor, and renewing in
all its National sources the prosperity oi
the people.
mode of Federal taxation, to the end thai
capital may be set free from distrust and
labor lightly burdened.
"We denOunce the present tariff, levied
upon nearly four thousand articles, as mas
ter-piece of injustice, inequality and false
pretense. 1t yields dwindling, not yearly
rising, revenue. 1t has impoverished many
industries to subsidize a few. 1t prohibit,
imports that might purchase the products Of
commerce from the first to an inferior rank
upon the high seas. 1t has cut down the
sales of American manufactures at home
and abroad, and depleted the returns o.
American agriculture, an industry followed
by half our people. 1t costs the people five
times more than it produces to the Treasury
obstructs the processes of production, anC
wastes the fruits of labor. Itpromotes fraud
fosters smuggling, enriches dishonest Off
cials, and bankrupts honest merchants. We
demand that all Custom.house taxation shal
be only for revenue,
"Reform is necessary, in the scale o
public expense, Federal, State and munich
pal. Our Federal taxation has swollen from
5000, 100000 gold, in 1860, to $500,OO0, ,OO(
currency in 1870. Our aggregate taxation
from SIS, ,0OO 900 gold, in 1860, to $3.50 OOO, ,OOt
currency in 1870, or in one decade from les,
than IS per head to more than $l8 per head
Since the peace, the people have paid to
their tax gatherers more than twice the sum
of the national debt and more than twice
that sum for the Federal government alone
We demand vigorous frugality in every
department, and from every officer of the
government.
"Reform is necessary TO put stop to the
profigate waste of public lands, and their
diversion from actual settlers by the party in
power, which has squandered 1000, ,00O
acres upon railroads alone, and out OF more
than thrice that aggregate has disposed oi
less than sixth directly to tillers of the
soil.
Reform is necessary to correct the omis.
siOns Of Republican Congress, and the er.
rors of our treaties and our diplomacy,
which have stripped our fellow-citizens OF
foreign birth and kindred race recrossing 2
the Atlantic OF the shield of American citi.
zenship, and have exposed our brethren OF
the Pacific coast to the incursions of a race
sprung from the same great parent stock,
and, in fact, now by law denied citizenship
through naturalization, as being neither &C.
customed TO the traditions of progressive
civilization, nor exercised in liberty under
equal laws"
Thomas Ewing presented minority report
on the financial question, as follows, which
was rejected:
"The following members of the Com
mittee recommend that the following clause
in the resolutions reported by the Committee
be stricken out as hindrance, I'VE de.
nounce the resumption clause Of the act Of
1875, and we here demand its repeal ,
[cheers], and they recommend that there
| be substituted for that clause the following I: