Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-06

10 Reform is necessary to put stop to the
proflgate waste of the public lands ana thelr oil
version from actual settlers by the party IN power,
which has squandered 2O0,OO010 OF acres upon
railroads alone. and out of more than thrice that
aggregate mas disposed of less than sixth direct
ly to tillers of the soil.
IL Reform is necessary 70 correct the Omis
sions of Republican Congress and the errors of
our treaties and our diplomacy, winch nave strip
ped our fellow citizens OF foreign blrtn and kin
dred race recrossfng the Atlantic, OF the shield of
American citizenship, and have exposed our
brethren of the Pacific Coast TO the incur
sions of Il race not sprung from the same
great parent stock, and, in fact now lately denied
citizenship through naturalization as being neither
accustomed TO the traditions of progressive civil
zation exercisl "a in liberty under equal laws.
We denounce the policy which thus diScards the
libertylOvng German. and tolerates the revival of
the COOlle trade in MOngoian women, imported
for immoral purposes and Monaghan men, held to
perform servie labor contracts, and demand such
modification of the treaty with the Chinese En-
pire or such legislation by Congress, within Con-
sttutional limitations, shall prevent the further
importation or immigration OF the Mongolian race.
p Reform is necessary, and can be effected
only by making ii the controlling issue of the cleo
lions and lifting it above the two false issues
with which the ofice-hOlding class and the party
in power seek smother 1t: the false issues with
whicA they would enkindle sectarian strife III re-
speCt to the public schools of which the estab-
lishment and support belong exclusively to the
several States, and which the Democratic party has
cherished from their foundation, and is resolved
to maintain without partiality preference for
any class sect, or creed, and without contributions
from the treasury to any; and the false issue by
which they seek to light anew the dying emberS
of sectional hate between kindred peoples. once
unnaturally estranged, but now reunited in one
indivisible Republic and common destiny.
3D. Reform is necessary in the Civil Service
Experience proves that an efficient and eConOmi-
cal conduct of the Governmental business is not
possible if its Civil Service be subject TO change
at every election if it be prize fought for at the
ballot box; if it be brief reward Of party zeal
instead of post of honor assigned tor proved
competency and held for fidelity in the public
employ: that the dispensing Of patronage should
neither be tax upon the time Of all our public
men nor the inStrum ent of their ambition. Here,
again. professions, falsiied in the performance,
attest that the party in power can work out no
practical or salutaTy reform.
ID. Reform is necessary even more in the higher
grades of the public service The President.
Vice-President. Judges. Senators, Representa-
tives and Cabinet Oficers-these and all others in
authority are the peoples servants: their offices
are not private perquisite; they public
trust When the annals of this Republic show the
disgrace and Censure of a Vice-President. late
Speaker Of the House of Representatives market
ing his rulings as presiding officer; three Sen2
tors prOtiting secretly by their votes as law max
ers; i've Chairmen of the leading committees of
the late House of Representatives exposed in Job
berry; late Secretary of the Treasury forcing
balances in the public accounts; late Attorney
General Incorporating the public funds: a Sec
rotary of the Navy enriched enriChiUg his
friends by percentages levied Off the profits of
contractors with his department; an Ambassad to
England censured in dishOnOrabe speculation:
the Presidents Private Secretary barely escaping
conviction upon his trial for guilty completely in
frauds upon the revenue; a Secretary Of War i'm
peached for high crimes and confessed misda
meanOrs; the demonstration is complete that the
first step in reform must be the peoples choice of
honest men from another party. lest the disease of
political organization infect the body polite.
and lest, by making no change of men or party.
can get no change of measures and no reform.
All these abuses. wrongs. and crimes. the
product of sixteen years ascendency OF the Re
publican party. create necessity for reform con-
fessed by the Republicans themselves: bpt their
reformers are voted down in convention. and dis
placed from the Cabinet. The party's mass Of hon
est voters is pOWeress to resist the $4,000 officers
its leaders and guides. Reform can only be had
by a peaceful civic revolution. We demand a
change of system, change of administration
change of parties, that we may have change of
measures and Of men.
Your committee have also had referred to
them and recommend the adoption of the
following resolution:
ReSOEre1 That this Convention, representing
the Democratic party of the United States, do cor
daily indOrse the action of the present House of
Representatives in reducing and Curtailng the eX
penses of the Federal Government in cutting
down salaries and extravaganza appropriations and
in abOlishing useless offices and places not re-
Quired by the public necessity. and we shall trust
TO the irmness of the Democratic members of the
House that no Committee of Conference and no
misinterpretatiOn of rules Will be allowed to de-
feat these wholesome measures of economy de.
manded by the country.
ResOZUed That the soldiers and sailors of the
republic. and the widows and orphans of those
who have fallen in battle have just claim upon
the protection and gratitude of their fellow
citizens.
Gen. Ewing, of Ohio, then made minority
report signed by himself Voorhees,, of In
diana; Brown, of Tennessee; Hoy, of Penn
sylvania; Trumble of Iowa; Davis. of West
Virginia; Davis, of Kansas, and Hardcc, OF
Missouri, which report was as follows:
Nha
recommend that the following clause in the reso-
lutions reported by the committee be stricken out:
such hlndrance we denounce the resumption
clause OF the act or 10 B. and we here demand its
repeal And they recommend that there be sub
sttuted for that clause the following: THE law
for the resumption of specie payments on the LIST
OF January, 1879, having been enacted " the Re
publican party without delIberatiOn in Congress
or discussion before the people, and being both
Intellectual to secure its object and highly injuri-
Gus to the business Of the country ought to be
forthwith repealed.
lengthy discussion ensued on this re-
port, amid much confusion, when a motion
to strike out the clause in the report of the
committee reading: AS such hindrance we
den0unce the Resumption clause OF the act
OF 1879, and we here demand its repeal"
was put and lost-yeas, 2l9; nays, $50.
The roll was then called on the question
of the adoption of the majority report of
the Committee on Resolutions, and the re-
suit was announced as follows: Yeas 651
nays So, and the platform was declared
adopted.
Candidates for the nomination for the
Presidency were then named in the follow
ing order:
Mr.. Whitley, of Delaware, nominated SEN
ator Thomas F. Bayard.
Mr.. Williams, of Indiana, nominated Gov
Thomas A. Hendricks.
Mr.. Abbott, of New Jersey, nominated
Joel Parker.
Senator Herman, of New York, nominated
Gov Samuel J. Tilden. Mr.. Tilden's nomi-
nation was seconded by Virginia, Texas and
Wisconsin.
Gen. Ewing, of Ohio, nominated ex-Gov.
William Allen.
Mr.. Clymer, of Pennsylvania, nominated
Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, and was followed
by Gen Brent, of Louisiana, in the same
behalf
The vote Of the States was then called for
the first ballot, which resulted as follows:
Tilden-Alabama, Is; Arkansas, II; Cali
fornia, u; Connecticut, II; Florida, s;
Georgia, 5; Illinois, 19; Iowa, II; Kentucky,
"a; Louisiana, g. Maine, IA; Maryland, +;
Massachusetts, 20; Michigan, a; Minneso-
ia, 10; Mississippi, 10; Missouri, ?; Nebras-
ka, 6; Nevada, 3; New Hampshire, 10; New
York, 20; North Carolina, 9; Oregon, 8;
Rhode Island, S; South Carolina, IA; Texas,
1917: Vermont 10: Virginia, II: Wisconsin,