Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-22
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Official Text. as Reported by the
Committee.

the Tinted States. in National Convention as
sembled, do hereby declare the administration
of the Federal government 70 De ~ urSenI @ meeu
of imme,iI.te reform, and do hefeDyenyOln upon
the nominees of this convention anuoi the Dem.
ocratic party in each state Jealous ehort and
Cooperation to this end, and DO nsreDy appeal
to our felow-citizens of every trmer p0iit-
i.al conn nection to undertake with ls this first
and most pressing patriotic duty.
The UNION, THE CONSTITUTIONS, REPUBLICAN
SELF-GOvERNNENT.
For the Democracy of the whole country we
do here reailirn our faith Ia the pe'manence of
the Federal Union, our devotion to the Consti-
tuition of the United States with its amendments,
universally accepted rs q final settlement of the
controversies that engendered civilwar; and do
here record our steadlast confidence IN the per-
petuty ef republican self government;
TuE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiescenGe i'll tlr will of the
majority-the vital principle OF republic; In
the supremacy of the civil over the military au-
thOrity; in the total separation of Church and
State, Tor the sake alike of civil md religious
freed, ,m; in the equality of all ItiZens before
Just laws of their own enactment; in the
liberty OF individual conduct IS unyexed by
sumptuary laws; in the faithful education of
the rising generation that they nay preserve,
enjoy and transmit these best coalitions OF hu
man happiness and hope, w behold the
changelul history Blu. while tu,hoidins the
our Rights, it behooves a free people to practice,
also that eternal vigilance which is the price oi
RKeoRM-CoRRUIT CENrRALIsM.
RefOrnt is necessary 10 rebuild anu Is
| tablish in The hearts of the whole people If
| cued from the danger ola Secession of States,
but now TO Ike saved from 1 corrupt Centralism,
which. after intlicting upon ten states the rapac,
| ity Of carpet bag tyrannIes, has hOney-combed
the Offices of the federal government itself with
| incapacity. waste and frauds, infected states
and municipalities with the cOntagion OF mis-
trious people M the paralysis OF 'sHard Times. -
REFORM OF TIE CUHRENCY-spECFf PAYMENT.
Reform, is necessary to establish a sound cur
| rency. restore he public credit and maintain
the national honor.
We denOunce the failure for all these eleven
years Of peace 70 make good the promise Of the
legal-tender not,s; which are changing STAN
| ,lard Of value IN the hands Of the people, and
| the nor. n.pnymentO of which is disregard OF the
plighted faith Of the nation.
We denounce the improvidence which in
| eleven years Of pe,ce has taken from the people
| in Federal lakes thirteen times the whole amount
Of leSal-tender notes, and squandered four times
/ this sum in uselessexpense without accumulat-
/ ing any reserve or their redemption. We
denounce the financial imbe :ility, and i'm
morality of that parry which during eleven years
| oil peace has made 10 advance toward resump-
| tion-no preparation for resumption-but in
s nj Dy
| anu while annually protesting to intend speedy
return TO specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hinur ances thereto. As such hndrance,
We denOlInce the resumption clause OF the ACT
| of 1875, and we demand its repeal.
| We demand 4 judclous system of preparation
| ny cCOuOmy )Hlcl;lt reLrcnCIlLcul,;t anu
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 oil
its promises ut the call Of the creditor entitled
| to payment.
We believe such q system, we'll devised,
and, above all, entrusted to competent hands
tiicial scarcity of currency, and at no time
| alarming the public mind into a withdrawal o.
| that vaster machinery of credit by which 95 pei
! cent. of all our business transactions are per
| formed IA system open and public, and in.
spring general confidence, would from the day
OF its adoption bring healing on its wings to al
our harassed industries, set in motion the wheels
of commerce, manufactures, and the mechanic
| arts; restore employment to labor and renew ir
all its natural sources, the prosperity to the peO
pie.
| REFORM OF THE TARIFF-FREE TRADE.
| Reform IS necessary in the sum and modes o
Federal taxation, to the end that capital may bt
set free from distrust and labor lightly burden
Ell.
We denounce the present tariff levied upon
tlcc inequality and false pretense. 1t yields Il
dwndling, not yearly rising revenue. 1t has
impoverished many industries to subsidize Z
few. II prohibits imports that might purchas.
the products of American labors. 1t has de-
graded American commerce from the first to n
inferior rank upon the high seas. 1t has
cut lown the sales of American manufactures
at home and abroad, and depleted the returns )f
American agriculture and industry followed by
half our people. 1t costs the people five times
more than it produces to the treasury, obstrllets
| the processes OF production and wastes the fruits
OF labor. 1t promotes fraud, fosters smuggling,
merchants. We demand that all custom house
taxation shall be only for revenue.
nsFonM-EcoNoMY IN PUBLIC EXPENSE.
| RrJOrnt is necessary i'll the scale of public eX-
pcnscs-Fcdcr:l, state, and municipal. Our
Federal taxation has swollen from $6O 900 900
gold in 1850 to $3.50, 600 600 currency in 1870 Ou
aggregate taxatiolr:rom sl5i 00O, 100 gold in lSit
to S73O 900, 900 currency in 1870. Or, in one de-
cade, from less than SIS per head to more thar
SIS per head Since the peace ile people have
I'm ~
sum OF the national debt, and Fore than twic
that sum for the Federal government alone. W.
demand vigorous frugality i'll every de
partment and from every Office of the govern
ment.
REFoEM-PUBLIC LANDS TO ACUAL SETTLERS
Reform. is necessary to put sop to the protli
gate waste of public lands and their diversion
| from actual settlers by the partyin power, Whic
has suuandcred 200. 900, 900 Of ;cres upon rail
aggi cgate has disposed of iessthan sixth di
rectly to the tillers of the soil.
REFORM: ADOPTED CITIZENS, REJECTED MON
GOLs.
Reform is necessary TO correct the omission
OF Republican Congress, and the errors q
our treaties, and Our diplomacy, while
have stripped our fellow-citiztns of foreign blrt
and kindred race re.crOssing he Atlantic OF til
shield OF American citizenship, and ex
posed our brethren of the Pacific coast to tn
incursons OF race not sprung from the sam
law are denied citizenship trough naturaliz.
ton as being neither accustomed to the trad
tions of progressive civilization, not el
nounce the policy which thus discarls the ibc
ty loving Germans, and teleE,tes the revival {
the Coo!le trade IN Mongolia, women lmporle
! tOr. AN .immoral purpose, and MOnSolan me
held to perform servile labercentracts.
THE FALSE sECTARIAN IssIE; THE FALSE Sc,
TIONAL IsstE.
Reform, Is necessary and never be effect,
but by making II the controlling issue of q
election and lifting it above the two false issu
with which the Ollice-hOldiIg class and the par
inpnwer seek to smother it:
EirSf-Ihe false issue with which they Won
enkiudle sectarian strife mrespect to the publ
schools of which the establishment and su
port belong exclusively to ric several states al
which the Democratic parry has cherished iro
their foundation, and is resolved to malnt tai
without partlallty or preference tor any clas
sect or creed, and without contributing fro
the Treasury to any.
Sec0nd-Ihe false issue by which they Sc
to light anew the dying enb"rs of sectional ha
between kindred peoples once unnaturally
T. tranSe', but now reIItedin one indIvIsibcd
! public and u common destiny.
"a HEFORM-TnI CIVIL SERVICE.
w RrJDrm is necessary in the civil service. +
IL perience proves that efficient economical CO
e. duct of the government business is not y,
a | sibe if It's civil service he subject to change
u every election; he p'ze Tough, Tor at the bal
he box; be:t brief reward OF party zeal instead
ne posts of honor, assigned lor proved competrn
=" and held tor fidelity in the public employ. n
te the dispensing OF patronage should neither b.
re tax upon the time of oil our public men, nor
H. fess:Ons, iasitied in the performance attest Il
20 The party in power CHI work out no practical
tb | salutary reform.
. RkFoRM-CORRGrTIoN OF HIGH PUBLIC OFFICEl
ReTornt Is necessary even more in The higl
IN grades OF The public service. President VII
a President; Judge, Senator'S, Representatlv
Cabinet Oiliccrs-these and All others in auth
IS ity are the peoples servants. Their Offices
at not private perqulsite. They are Il pull
,o trust.
ie When the annals OF this republic sl
II. the disgrace and censure of Il Vicc-Prrsi,Irnt
" late Speaker of the House of Repre5entativ
marketing his rulings ass presiding officer; til
Senators profitins secretly by their votes rs
makers; five chairmen OF the leniing commit
oil the late House of Representatives exposed
JObbcry; Il late Secretary of the treasury ia
ing balances i'll the public accounts; lat.
IsI tOrnryGenrral nsapprOpriating public fun
on Il Secretary of the Navy enriched or enri
nd ing his friends by percentages levied on
iu profits of contractors with his department:
s. ambassador 10 England censured in q dishon
r~ able specula lion; the Presidents private st,
~ tary barely escaping conviction, upon trial
eli guilty completely in frauds upon the revenue
cir Secretary of War impeached for high cril
80 and nis,lemeinOrs. The decentralization
iS complete that the first step III reform must
nT the peoples choice OF honest men from auui
re party. lest the disease OF one political organ
- ton infect the body polite, and lest, by max
oll no change OF msn or parties, We get no chang
TX measures aud no reform
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
All these abuses wrongs and crimes
NJ | product of sixteen years a.cendancy OF the
- publican party, create Il necessity for ref
OF. confessed by Republicans themselves But t
y" and displaced from the Cabinet The par
az mass OF honest voter. is pOweress to resist
to 50, 900 Office holders, its leaders and guides
lch iii eIorn eah W. o ,i.mepa % n c,.p ~ peaSeiui
sc change OF administration, u Change Of M
pa | that we may have II change OF measures nm