Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-07-04
Democratic Platform .

We the dclegates Of the Democratic party OF
/ the nit,d States ia national convention assemb-
! led 40 hereby declare the admin .trHtlpn OF the
/ federal government 90 be- In urgent need II imme
l 4 ate reform. We dp hereby CuIDiu upon the nom
/ mess OF this convention AMI 81 the Democratic
/ marty IN each slate a Jealous effort aud coopera
/ ton 90 this end aud do hereby appeal 90 our fr
/ low citizens of every former political connection
! 20 undertake with ne THIS urst auI most pressing
! patriotic duty OF the Democracy OF the whole
country We do hereby rrafirm our faith iu the
permaucncy Of the federal union, our devotion 10
! the Constitution OF the United state, with IT,
/ amendments universally accented as luJl set
dement, Of the controversies thai were engendcrrd
by the civil war, and do here rccur our -,cadia,t
/ confidence in the prrpetu.tY Of Republican self
/ government; in absolute acquicscnCc ID The Will
! of the majority, the vital principle Of republics
| ia the supremacy OF the civil over the military
| authority. IN The total separation Of church and
state for the sake alike OF civil and rel gious free
| dom; in the equality Of all citizens before lust
laws Of their own enactment, in the liberty OF In.
diyidual conduct unyeNed by sumptuary laws. In
the faithful education of the risng generation tat
/ they may preserve, enjoy and transmit those best
conditions Of honor, happiness and hope We
behold the nOhleSt products of hundred years of
| chan gefu history, but while uphodng the bond
OF our Union and the great charter Of these our
rights, IL bchoOyes free people To practice also
that eternal vigilance which Is the price OF liberty
Reform is necessary 10 rebuild and establish In
the hearts of the whole people the Union, eleven
years ago happily rescued from the danger of 4
secession OF states but none 10 be saved from "A
corrupt centralism which after INJECTING upon
ten states the rapacty OF caTpet.bag tyrannies
has hOneycombed the Offices OF the federal govern
ment itself with incapacity, waste and fraud, in
federal states and municipalities with the cOnta-
giOn Of misrule, and locked fat the prosperity of
an industrious people IN the paraysi. OF hard
times.
Reform IS necessary in the sum AID mode of
federal taxation, to the eud that capital may bs
set free from distrust and labor lightly burdened
We denOuucC the present iatl levied upon near.
ly 400 articles as masterpiece OF inju slice inc.
md via Il.
not yearly rising revenue: IL has impoverished
money industries 10 su6si!i<c few; il prohibits
imports that ought to purchase the products OF
American labor, II has degraded American com.
merce from the first TO an Inferior rank on the
high seas; il has cut down the sale of American
manufactures at home and abroad, ana depleted
the returns of American agricuture-an industry
followed by half our people; 1t costs the people
live times more than Il produces To the treasury.
ii obstructs the process Of production and wastes
the fruits OF labor: il promotes frauds and fosters
SNUG CLING; enriChes dishonest officials aud hank.
rupts honest merchants. We demand that All Gus.
tom house taxation shall DC only for revenue.
Reform Is necessary In establish a sound cur
lency, restore public credit and maintain the ma
tiOnal honor We denounce the failure for ali
these eleven years to make good the promise of
the legal tender notes which are a changing stand
ard eli value in the hands OF the people and the
nonpayment of which l. a disregard of the blight
Ell faith OF the patton. We deDounee the improyi-
dence which in eleven years OF peace has taken
from the people In federal taxes thifteen times the
whole amount OF the legal tender notes and suuan
dered four times this sum IN useless expense with
out any reserve for their redemption We de.
nounce the financial imbecility and immortality of
the party which for eleven years of peace has
made no advance toward resumption, that instead
has obstructed resumption by wasting our re.
sources and eNhausting ali our surplus income
and while annually protesting TO intend a speedy
return 10 specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hindrances thereto. A such hindrance we
denOunce the resumption clause Of the act of ls-5
and We here demand its repeal. We demand u
iuulclOuS system of Dreparatlln by nnhlic
mics, by Official retrenchments and by wise H.
nance which shall enable the nation soon To assur.
the whole world OF its perfect readiness To meet
any OF its promises at the call OF the creditor en-
titled to payment We believe such a system we'll
devised and above all entrusted to competent
hands Tor execution, creating at no time an arti0
clal scarcity OF money and nj no lime alarming
the public mind into Withdrawal OF that yasi
machinery OF credit by which ~ per cent of All
business transactions are performed, a system
open, public and inspiring general confidence !
would ffom the day OF IL adoption bring healing
on It's wings 10 all our haTrassed industry and -.i
in motion the wheels of commerce, mannfietures
and the mechanical art-, restore employment AMI
labor and renew 10 all it, national force the pros
perity Of the people.
Reform Is necessary in the scale of publl, .x
penses. federal, state and municipal. Our federal /
taxation has swollen from SGOIO0 900 In gold In /
1850 TO si9OWOOCO in currency in $50, or In de-
cade from less than - per head 10 more than sIs
per head Since the peace the people have maid
To their taX'gatheTers more than thrice the sum az
the national debt, and more than thrice that sum
for the federal government alone. We demand g I
vigorous frugAlty in every department and rom
every officer OF the government.