The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-09-15
,.tional Democratic Platform

ment TO ne III "igent need of immediate
reform. aud 40 hereby enioin ~, ~
nominees of this convention all -, L.
! Democratic party in each Stare ,eaions
! effort and co operation TO this end IA H.
| hereby appeal to our fellow -eitizaps ~
every former political counection 10 nm
dertake WIN "s this first and most pres
/ sing pa,tloiie u"ly For the Democracy
OF the whoit country We do here renfIim
our falth In the permanence of the Fed
eral Union, and our devotion Ia ,hs car.
stitution OF the United Sta,es Win H.
amendments, universally .ccentaJ a.
final settlement of the cnntrovers;as Tho,
eugendered eiNli war, and do here record
our steadfast confidence in the perpe,uitv
of Republican self government In a
resolute aequleSeence in the will of the
majority. the Fi'al principle of republics
in the supremacy of the civil over the
military authority, in the total separatiop
Of church and Stale, for the sake alika AT
civil and religious freedom. in the eouaIi.
ty of all citizens before just laws of their
own enactment IN the liberty of individ
ual conduct unVexed by sumptuary laws.
IN the faIthfui education of the rising
generation. That they may preserve en-.
joy. an transmit these best conditions of
human happiness aud hope, we behold the
nODltst plNAuS'" VI AunurFu wears OF
changeful history. But while unfolding
the bond of our u MON and the great char
ter of these our rights, it behooves free
people to practice also that eternal vigil
lance which is the price OF liberty. Re
form is necessary to rebuild aud establish
ia the hearts OF the whole people the
CHicn eleven years ago happily rescued
from the danger OF n corrupt centrRiism
which. after intiieting upon ten States
the capacity of carpet bag tyrannies, has
honey com 1s'l tsse-otises Of the Federal
Government ltseKwith lnchpaelty, waste,
and fraud. infected States and municipal
tiles with the conagion of misrule, ami
locked last the prs perity of an indnstri-
Gus people in the paralysis of hard times
Reform il necessary TO establish
sound currency and restore the public
credit and meintalR the national honor
We denounce The failure for all these
eleven years 10 make good he promise oI
the legal tender notes, which are chhng-
ing standard of value in the hands OF the
people, and the non payment of which -
a disregard of the piighted faith OF the
nation. We denounee the improvIdence
which, in eleven years of peace, has taken
from the people in Federal taxes thirteen
times the whole amount OF the legAl-teh-
der notes. aud sqaaudered four times inns
latiug any revenue for their redemption
We denouuce the financial imheciilty anu
immortality of that party which, during
eleven wears of peace, has made no al
vance toward resumption, and no prepAr-
/ alton for resumption, but instead has OBJ
structed resumptOn by wasting Our rev =
cnues and exhausling all our surplus IN
come. and while annually protesting TO
intend IA speedy retuFn to specie PAYNE Is
has annually enacted fresh hlndrances
thereto As such hindrance we de-
! uounce the resumption clause of the act
+ OF 1915. and we herehy demand ITS repeal.
! We demand a iudcious system OF prePAr-
/ alton by public economies by omciAI re-
trenchments aud Oy wise hnHnciaI man
aoement which shall enable the nation
soon 10 assure the whole world Of its per-
feet ability and its perfect readiness TO
meet any Of its promises at the call Of the
creditor entitledto payment. We believe
that such "A system. well devised, and
+ above ali. entrusted TO competent hands
I for executiou Grating al no time an ar
I tificial scarcity of currency, aud Al no
time alarming the public mind into II
! withdrawal Of that yaster machinery OF
credit By which 8; per cent. of all bust
ness transactions are performed sys-
ten open, public and Inspiring general
confidence. would, from the day OF it's
adoption, bring healing on its wings TO all
our harassed Industries, set in motion the
wheels of commerce, manufactures and
the mechanical arts, restore employment
10 la Dor aud renew in all ils natiOual
sources the prosperity of the people.
Reform il necessary in the sum and
mole Of Federal taxation. 10 the end that
eapitaI may be Yet free from dIstrust and
labor tightly b. idened. We denOunce the
! present tarsa 4 F5viel upon nearly four
( titous u d 'trgFs =, 'Is n masterpiece OF in
justice inequaLfy and false pretense. Ii
( yields - dwinling, not yearly risin z
revenue. Il h@ Impoverished many in
dustries TO snbsidize n few. IT prohibits
imports that might purchase the products
/ of American labor. IL has degraded
American commerce from the first TO an
inferior rank on the high seas. 1t has
cut down be sales of American manufac-
lures at home and abroad, aud depleted
the returns of American agriculture, an
/ industry followed by half our people IL
costs the people five times more than IL
produces TO the treasury, oostructs the
processes of production and wastes the
fruits of labor. 1t promotes fraud fosters
I smuggling, enriches dishonest ohcials
aud bankrupts honest merchants. We
demand that all custom-house taxation
shall he only for revenue.
Refcrm is necessary in the scale of pub
lie expense, Federal, State aud municipal.
our Federal taxation has swollen froin
500, 0OO.O0J gold in 1850 to S43OOO 900
currency in 1870. aud our aggregate tax
alton from Sl500OO. 900 gold in 1860 to
$3.50 600 O00 currency in 1870, or Ia one
decade from less than FIVE dollars per he I'd
TO more than eighteen dollars Per head
Since the peace the people nave paid II
taxes more than thrice the sum OF the
national debt aud more than twice that
sum for the Federal Government alone.
We demand q rigorous trugsllty IN every
department, and from every ofhcer OF the
| Government.
Reform is necessary TO put stop to the
prptligete waste of the public lands ana
their diversion from actual settlers by
the party in power. which has squandered
Two hundred millions of acres upon rail-
roads alone. aud out of more than thrice
that aggregates has disposed of less than
a sixth directly TO tillers OF the SOIL
Reform is necessary to correct the
omission of Republican Congress and
the errors of oor treaties and our diplo-
macy which have stripped our fellow
citizens of foreign birth and kindred
race recrossiue the Atlantic, of the
shield Of American citizenship, and have
exposed our brethren OF the Paoihc coast
to the ineursions of a race not sprung
from the same great parent stock and in
fact now by law denied Citizenship,
though naturalization is being neither
Accommodated TO the traditions of pro-
gressive civilization nor exercised in
liberty under equal laws. We denounce
policy which thus discards the liberty
loving German and tolerates the renewal
OF the Coolie tsade in Monaghan women
imported for iisnorai purposes, and Mon
goiian men held to perform servile labor
contracts And we demand such modi.
fication of tine treaty with the Chinese
empire or such legislation by Congress
within stitntional limitation shall
prevent the further importation immig ra-
ton of the Monaghan race.
Reform is necessary and can never bt
effected but by making it the controIline
issue of the elections and lifting it abo We
the two false issues with which the office
holding class aad party in power seek I,
smother IT, the false issne with which
they would enkindle sectarian strife in
respect 10 the public schools. of which th,
establishment and support belong excIu
siveiy to the several States and which
,hr Democratic party has cherished from
their foundation, and is resolved to main.
tain without partiRlity or creed ant
without contributing from the treasur,
TO any and the false issue by which
,hav seak 10 lift anew Tho Ju;,. =