Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-07-08
VIRGINIA FREE PRESS.
Saturday, July 9, 1875.
National Democratic Platform.

NatlOQGl DGnOC1dIlC IldlIOAlos
We. the delegates of the Democratic party
of the United States in National Convention
! assembled. DO here declare the administration
of the Federal Government to be in urgent need
of immediate reform; DO hereby eujoin upon
the nominees OF this Convention. and of the
Democratic party in each State, Jealous Ell
fort and cooperation TO this end, and do here
by appeal to our fellow citizens of every form
er political connection to undertake with Us
this first and most pressing patriotic duty for
the Democracy of the whole country.
We do here reafirm our faith in the perma-
nency of the Federal Union our devotion to
the Constitution of the United States, with its
amendments universally accepted as final
settlement of the controversies that engendered
civil war; and do here record our steadiast con-
fdence in the perpctuity of republican self
government; in absolute acqulescence IN the
will of the majority, the vital principles OF re-
publcs in the supremacy Of the civil over
the military authority in the total separation
Of Church and State, for the sake alike of civil
and religious freedom in the equality OF all
citizens before just laws of their own enact
ment: in tie liberty Of individual conduct, un-
vexed By sumptuary laws; in the faithful ed
ucation Of the rising generation, that they may
preserve, enjoy and transmit these first condi.
tions of human happiness and hope, we behold
the noblest products Of hundred years OF
changcful history. But while upholding the
bond of on union and the great charter OF
these our rights, it behonves free people TO
practice also that eternal vigilance which is ths
price Of liberty.
Reform is necessary to rebuild an1 establish
in tie hearts Of the whole people the Union
eleven years ago happily res cled from the dan
yer of a corrupt ccntmlism which after in!ct-
ING upon ten States the rapacity Of carpet-bag
,yrannics. has houey-combed the offices of the
Federal Government itself with iucapacty,
waste and fraud; Infected States and munich
panes with the contagion Uf miSru e, and
locked fast the prosperity Of an Industrious
people in the paralysis of hard times. Reform
is necessary to establish sound currency, re-
store the public credit, aud maintain the na-
tional honor.
We denounce the failure, for al these eleven
years, to make good the promise of the legal
tender notes which are a changing standard OF
value in the hands of the people, and the nom
payment of which is disregard of the implied
faith of the nation. We, then, denounce the
]
has taken from the people in Federal taxes
thirteen times the whole amount Of the legal
tender notes and suuandered four times this
sum 10 useless expense, without accumulating
ans reserve for their redemption. We de-
nounce the financial imbecility and immoFali-
~ Of that party which during eleven years oi
peace has made no advance towards resnmp-
ton; that instead has obstructed resumption
by wasting our resources and exhaustlng all
our surplus income and while annually pro-
fessiug to intend a speedy return to specie pay
ments. has annually enacted fresh hindrances
thereto. As such a hindrancc, we denouuce
the resumption clause of the act OF 1873, and
we here demand its repeal.
We demand judcious system OF prepara-
tion by public economies, by official retrcnch-
mcnts and By wise finance, which shall enable
the nation to assure the whole world of It's per-
feet ability, and its perfect readiness, to meet
apy promises at the call Of the creditor enti-
tied TO payment We believe such system,
well devised. and above all iutrusted to COM
pctent hands for execution, creating at no time
an artificial scarcity of currency, aud at no
time alarming the public mind into with
drawal of that vaster machinery of credit by
which % pcr cent Of all business transactions
are performed-a system open, pubic, and IN
spiripr general confdence-would, from the
dav of its adoption, bring healing on its wings
10 all our harassed industries, aud set in mo-
ton the wheels Of commerce, and the mechan-
ical arts. restore employment TO labor, and re-
new in all its national sources the prosperity
of the people.
Reform rs necessary in the sum and mode OF
Federal Taxation, to the end that capital may
he set free from distrust aud labor lightly bur
deucd. We denouuce the present tariff, levied
nnon nearly four thousand articles, as mas
Ter niece of injustice, inequality, and false
nretience. It includes dwiDdiug, nota year-
iv rising of the revenue; it has impoverished
many industries to subsdiZe a few; it pro-
bibits imports that might purchase the pro-
ducts of American labor; it has degraded
American commerce from the first to an Inferi-
or rank upon the high seas it has cut down
tho sales of American manufactures at home
and abroad, and depleted the returns
Of American agriculture, or industry )
il costs the people five times more than 1t pro-
dpces 70 the Treasury; it obstructs the process
of production and wastes the fruits OF labor
il promotes fraud aud fosters smuggling, en-
ricbes dishonest officials and baukrupts honest
merchants We demand that all custom house
taxation shall only be for revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scale Of public
eypense-Federal, State and municipal. Our
Federal taxation las swollen from 100000,
600 cold. in 1860 to S450O 600 currency,
in 1870: or. in one decade from less than So
per head to more than SIS per head Since
the peace, the people have paid 70 their tax
oatberers more than thrice the sum Of the ma
tional debt. aud more than twice that sum for
the Federal Government alone. We demand
vigorous frugality 10 every department and
from every officer Of tie Government. Re-
form is necessary to put stop to the profit
cate waste of public lauds and their diver
siops from actual settlers by the party in
mower which has squaDdered two hundred
millions Of acres upon railroads alone, and out
If more than thrice that aggregate has DIS
nospd Of less than sixth directly TO tillers OF
the soil Reform is necessary to correct the
omissions of the Republican Congress and the
errors Of our treaties and our diplomacy, which
have stripped our felow-ciilzens OF foreign
bi,th and Kindred race, recTossins the ATTAIN
tic Of the shield Of American citizenship, and
have exposed our brethren Of the Paclhc
coast to the incursious of a race not sprung
from the SANE great parent stock, and IN fact
now by law denied citizenship through natu-
ralization. rs being neither accustomed to the
traditions of progressive civilization or exer-
cisod in liberty under equal laws. We de-
noupce the policy which thus discards the
i;bertv Of the liberty-loving German, and
.a1o..,os Tho revival Of the COolie trade in