The Russellville Democrat., 1876-08-03
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
 PLATFORM.

Ned. do hereby declare the ad- 1a;nistration Of the Federal Gov ernment to be in great need of immediate reform Do hereby enjoin upon thc nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, zeal uaa effort and co operation to this end, and do hecc appeal to our fei}aw citizens of every form Of political connection to undertake w.th us this first and most press lHE patriotic duty fer the Dcmoc- rscY of the whole country, VIC do here reaihrm our faith in the per r!aaencc of the Federal Union, our devotion to the Constitution If tho United States with it's amendments universally accept ed as final settlement of the controversy that engendercd the civil war-and do here record our ateadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican self-goyern- ment. in absolute acquicsccnce in the will of the majority, the vital principle of republics; in the su- promacy of the civil over the mil itary; in the two-fold separation of the Church and State, for the sake alike Of civil and religious freedom, in the equality of all citizens before just laws of their own enactment; in the liberty of iadiyidua! conduct unyexed by sumptuary laws; iii 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 noblest products of q hundred years of changeful histo- ". But while uphoiding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, cur rights, it behooves 2 free people to practice, also, that eternal vigilance which k tue price of liberty.
 Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish in the hearts of the whole people the Union eleven years ago happily rescued from the danger of secession of States, hut nov to be saved from . cor
 rupt centra.ism, which, after in
 tl;cting upon ten States the rapac. ity of carpet. bag attorneys, has honey -combed the offices of the Federal Governments itself with incapacity, waste and fraud in fected States and municipalities with the contagion of misrule, and locked fast the prosperity Of industrious people h the paraiy- ais of hard times. Reform is nee essary to establish Q sound cur rency, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We dcnounoe the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes which are Q changing stan
 dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non-payment ct which is the disregard of the plightcd faith of the Nation.
 We denonnee the improvidence which, in eleven years of peace, has taken from the people in Federal taxes thirteen times the wlole amount oi the legal tender notes and squandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve tor their redemption. We die nouuce the financial imbecility and Immortality of that party which, during eleven years oi peace, has made no advance to- ward resumption, no preparation for resumption, but instead has obstructed resumption by vast ing onr resources and eXhausting ali our surplus income, and while annually protesting to intend a speedy return to specie payments, has annually enacted fresh hin drances thereto. As such hin dranccs, we denOunce the resump- ton clause Of the act of 1873, and we here demand it's repeal. We demand . malicious system ol preparation by public economies by official ietrenchments, and by a wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of it's ability and its perfect readiness to meet any ol it's promises at the call of c cred itor entitled to payment. We be
 iicyc such q system well -adyised and, above all, entrusted to com
 potent hands for execution, crcat
 inc at no time an artificial scalci
 ty of currency, and at no time alarming the public mind lhtC withdrawal Of that vast machln. cry of credit by winch ninety five per cent. of our business trarsac- tions are pe,lormed--a system open and public, and inspiring general conGdence--wouid, from
 the Jay of it's adoption, bring Ae..iug on it's wings to all oo
 lraascd industries, set n mo
 ton the wheels of commerce manufactures and the meehanlea
 uts, restore employment to labor and rcnew in all its sources th' prosperity of the people. Reform
 is necessary i'll tire sum and mol'
 o. Federal taxation. to the enc that capital may be set free iron