, 1876-09-30
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

pEM0CRAIiG FLAisuhM'
sdop.ed by the Democratic National Con-
xeutiOn in Session at II. Louis, June
2sih, 1876.
We the delegates of the democratic party OF the
United STATES, II national convention asseho'S, DO
hereby declare ths administration Of the federal gov
,Tner,t ~ l. IN great need OF immediate reform do
hereby euioin upon the nom lnees oi tins oOnfentoh
aud of the democratic party IN ech STATE ana AT St
T,uis q, make efforts, and cooperate 10 TINS END
ana do hereby appeal 20 our fellow et<ens OF every
t1r,,4r Totil connection 10 undertake with Us ths
first and most pressing patriotic cUty ior the oen'h
Of tie whole country -,
fasrrsl Union our devotion 70 the constitutlDn u
the United States with It's amendments university
,c,sT,,.l a. a fnaI settlement OF the contToversies
tb,t .uer!red the civil WAY, and 10 here record our
s,aftsf eo.a lenee IN tn Ierpetuity Of republican
salEg.ys-Umeut in absolute aC1luert7tuCr IN the
will of .he majority the PriseP!e 81 repatli's IN
the stIprsmacy OF the c,vll over the military au-
,Iritv IN NJ tafal separation OF church and STATE,
80 - - -IiLs nj civil and religious freedom; ~
iity of All citizens before the Just laws OF ther
own enactment; the liberty OF indiNsuaI eeEuueI
uuy,xti by sumptUary laws; IL the fiihiul eluci-
tjnu OF the r!sIn. generation, that they may preserve,
enjoy and transmit these best oolGlOH9 u -"'''-
happiness and hope
Ne uphold The nOblest products or one hundred
y,.r, of ehaagetul history, hat while uFLoldns the
iond Of our union and the great character OF these
our nights II behoOves free people 10 prct- also
that eternal vIsiEsnce which Is the ploe OF liberty
Reform Is necessary 10 rebuild and establish IN III
hearts of the whole people he Enon, eleven years
AGO happily rescue! nom danger OF corrupt central
ism which after Siclny upon ten States The Ip.c-
itv OF cagpet-btg tyranny, has Louey-yunOel the
o!fses # the federal government Itself wIth iueI ny
worse than II. u inflicted States ana municipalities
with the o1utasIou OF mlsrule and lockri last the
property oi an Industrious p=OPIe III the paral, SIS u
hard times Reform necessary 10 establish a sound
currency; thr public credit AMI maintain The
national honor
We deDounce the failure of ali these ten years TO
make good the promises Of he legal lender notes
which are changing the STANDARD OF value N the
hands OF the puupie, and the uOH-payMeht ot which
Is a DIS. gar! the pl GIFTED tLth OF The patton. We
deuouIc he InlpiUvIGeIee which IL eleven y, of
peace has taken nom tie peUe III frauds ten tunes
the amount OF tie legal tender notes and squaudered
foir times the sum IL useless expense without
eumu!aii;s.; aIy reserve iOr tlivir IeiyiHDtion.
We deuouuce tie fntncial policy and immoralty
OF that party which, during eeygn years OF peace,
has made ro Advancement toward rrsumPIioI, DO
prvplratson Tor resumption, but lasteId, has OBJ
structei resumption 10y wIstInS our resources
and eNLaustIIS all -OuT surplus IncoiIci AMI while
annually protesting 10 Inteu! speedy return to
nprCe D4yInrnI lIS annually liied TTeS.l hIHiIancs
thereto As such hin france, We teuOuuce the Tt
sumption claus. Oi tie ae Oi las5, ami demand ITS
repeal " e demand q juiIC.uus system OF pIvpIId-
tlOa by public ecouomIvs; by official refreshments
and by iElBce wilch shall rab.e the nation To
assure the wLoie wur O rs perfect ability AM us
perfect readiness 10 meet any Of It's p.Onisss the
call UI It's cIeiI,oT entitled Ia paymeuI-
We believe such a system we'll devise and intrust-
ei 10 competent hands TOR execution creating at
time all artificial scarcity OF ncy, and tine
alarming the public mind mo = withdrawal o. that
Vaster machinery Of credit BY winch % per cent OF
all business TRANSACTIONS are pertcrme'l-a system
open, public aud Inspiring general conf ieHcr TUuli
from the day uf lis adopuCn buu= he.!lIs un us
wins 20 all our Lar..Ssed IElusIlrS set nOtiun
tie wheels OF commerce, manufactures and the
mechanic restore employ nalt u -4bJr ani pros
P-rIty 10 The people
Reform necessary n tie and :4Olc Of federal
taxation, the end that capital be set free from d,-
trust and labor lightly bur!eu-I. Sc deDouace the
present tariff levIei Upon nearly 4gG2 articles Il
masterpiece of injustice. and false pfeteEse- It
yields dwluGGng, not yearly RISING revenue II
has mIOyerIshri many industries 70 subsl.z- q few.
1t prohibits imports THAI might purchase the pro
duets tie country II has reduced American com
mcTce tIOm the INST 10 an inferior rank upOa tn
high seas. IL has lowered the sale OF American
manuLlcturgs Al Eoine and abroad, AMI dapet-s the
return OF American agriculture and industry H.
lowe! by halt oi our people 1t Gusts the people i've
tim,s Io:e tln Il produces TO The treasury 1t Oh
s;rucs lie processes OF pro ION, AMI Wastes the
fruits OF Etor- II p-uaotrs iTuUi, fosters SNUG
Cling, enlioheS dS.onrs, officials and bAuGIup;s hon
est merchants. We deIntEd That cGsoi-!I, lIst t.N-
ton shall b. only f,r revenue.
Reform Is necessary IL the scale os public expense,
national, state and MUNICIPAL. Dan federal taxation
has swollen from S5h,ouU,oyo -oil, IN 1850 10 $780,
90 ,UtJ currency IS7O decade from .,.,s
tiaE - Ier head 10 Ji.dn lS Ier head Since
the pace the p-1pe h psIIi TIE tax gathers
no than three times tne amount OF the national
debt and than twice t of federal out hays
Above al, aerlanl Igugalty IL every department
OF tie government.
Et:clIn necessary TO put . stap 10 prOf--lte
waste Ui pubic lands and t:lrII diversion from actual
sett!es ty the party III power, sl.e las sg1..s-rrel
two iJ:iIsri mIilCIs of acIts UIOu railroads ai3ne
AID cut Of more than ihrIe- tat aggregate las d.
IoS- oI ie- tuIu sixth ju sir tIi-s- 81 the zyi
Reform = I.sCrSSary 10 correct the CW-ssULS OF
republican Congress and he egcO Ct our trc-Iits
and our diplomacy, which have Ie1 cur fellow
citizens OF foreign birth and kindred races crossing
the AtlauJc Of lie shield OF AU rl..lu citizens aGd
have exposed brethren ,t the Pl-d. ca>t u rle
ILcuTsiui> ot a spe..k;l! language isCm tie
great parent STOCK and III IICi, by I.W DC
n1ed citizenship through naturalization Cs being
neither aJgU>f oa.d 10 tie traditions ui progressive.
civ.llZ.;I exercised IN li.gty under tgUs! laws
We GeEuunce the pHn.g which thus GlS,.sI3s tie
EDIty-.ONmg German and Jl.eI--t-~ he revival OF
The ouuile tTalr IL MOnS,l-Ll women imported ior
immoral FuTI us=s AMI M0:-uiiaH held 10 per-
form s-rvHe labor contracts sIi demand Sucn q
mo ;-t Il tie treaty wIt tie CAII.e~r Empire
such 2Islat'Ca Uy CuurySs within crl>tiiI.J sll.l
Eu'ItIt!o:s snail prevent the Iur her importation
On .I..rTI-TatIJu u lie Nougols.L race
Reform Is necessary, and never Je IL ctel but
1y making Il tie clEtrolHy issue Of tie .iecr,Crs
AID Hf,iu. II above he twO .4!Se issues with winch
the otii iaeA0ling class oHl me party IL power seek
ing to smother It.
!. fle ilis- issue with which tLsy w..uh eukiui!e
sectiuIhn STRIFE III respect 10 the public schools Of
which the eStiJllShiEeI,f AID support ucCug eNCI-
siyvly to the States winch tie Geiuoarti, many D.,
cherished from their fUuuiaJ!0n aIl Is resolved 10
MAINTAIN without any !E.' tGsIty .Dr class set or
creed and without contributions from tie treasury
= iAe false issue 10y whiE they sttk 10 hight
anew the dying e;.lters Of sectional iatr between
kindred people once uuIatuI:.!y gs;Ian-ed but uoyg
united IN one lusiTlsible Tei.Cl.io and = common
destiny.
Reform Is necessary in c:vIl segvice Experience
proves iIat tie eL, ut eC.uoIiicl conduct OF tile
government hot possible II It's gIyI ,aryir,. l "a
PTIze fought for the ballot box br bl-t reward
UI party zeal Hste ID Of POSTS oi LoIr assigned To-.
proved competency, al. held luy { c.ity IL public
employ That the tIspen> n Of Patronage should
neither be- the tiIue OF our p1L!i. I!l-I .0r
the Instrument OF their ambition Here again pIa-
LESSONS ts>itec II the prrfoi attest that the
party Ii power no" eln work Du5 NO practical Or
satisfactory reform
Reform Il nrce>saTy even more In higher gla3rs ut
public SerNIce-tIe>ileut, Wee President Judges
senators, TeTreseIt4tVe. cabinet otiicrs these AID
AL IN authority are th- peoples servants Their
Offices are not private peTsu uIsIt-s they are pubic
trust hon tine annals OF tl.Is republic sI.ug the
disgrace and ceI>ure Of Vice President of "A hate
Speaker o; the House Of Z prSeutariv-s m4rketiUg,
his rulings 4 presiding officer Uf tIree senators
pIDhtIns secretly by their votes ~ law makers; OF
rye cLairmeH Ot the leaiIng committee, af Tie. late
IioHse oi representatives exposed ia robbery, o. 4
Late secretary OF the treasury forcing !ange- the
pahic account; o: late a;t0rn y-g,nerul u.islumu-
pri.tlng public iunts Of secretary Of the treasury
eriehei, or eEricEIns Trends, BY pr cenIage levied
OF the points II contractors with his GeprtW.It gf
an eintassior 70 England eeusured for a dlshonors-
bic specnletlon' OF Presidents private secretary
barely escaping convection upon trial iOr guilty COM
IhIly III frauds upon the Teyeuu. OF a secretary Of
var inipe4eivd Tor hign crimes and confessed uisie-
. mednOTs.
lLe demonstration IS complete that the first seu in
reform must be the upe'e cuice tT honest sle "A
another party, lest fhz disease OF one o stIl :,
Ziton should inject tie body IOl!tIc and lest by
Hii~iiS no change Of men Ur party We ct no cl nge
o1 measures nj nO reform ii al these abuses wrongs
ana cIlhltS. That the iurttt.S Of SIXTEEN y.ars