The Russellville Democrat., 1876-09-28
DEMOCRATIC
 PLATFORM.

ir National Convention asseih bled. do hereby declare the ad- ministration of the Federal Gov crnment to be in great need of immediate reform. Do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, zeal ous effort and cooperation to this end, and do here appeal to our fellow citizens of every form of political connection to undertake with us this first and most press ing patriotic duty for the Demoe- racy of the whole country, we do here reatlirm our faith in ttf0 manence of the Federal -
 our devotion to the Constitution of the United States with it's amendments universally accept ed as final settlement of the controversy that engendered the civil war-and do here record our stcadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican self-govern- ment; in absolute acquiescence Tn the will of the majority, the vital principle of republics; in the SUI premacy of the eivil over the mil- itary; in the two fold separation of the Church and State, for the sake alike of civil and religious freedom; in the equality of all citizens before just laws of their own enactment; in the liberty of individual conduct unveNed by sumptuary laws; in the faithful education of the rising generation, that they may preserve, enjoy and transmit these best conditions of human happiness and hope, we behold the noblest products of a hundred years of fchangeful hlsto- ". But while upholding the bond of our Union and great charter of these, our rights, 1t behooves free people to practice, also, that eternal vigilance which is the price of liberty.
 Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish in the hearts of the whole people the Union eleven years ago happily rescued from the danger ofa secession of States, but now to be saved from cor rupt centralism, which, after in- ficting upon ten States the rapac- ity of carpet.bag attorneys, has honey combed the offices of the Federal Government itself with incapacity, waste and fraud: in- fected States and municipalities with the contagion of misrule, and locked last the prosperity of industrious people in the paraly- sis of hard times. Reform is nee essary to establish a sound cur rency, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We denounce the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes whie are a changing stan
 dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non-payment oi which is the disregard of the pliohted faith of the Nation.
 We denounce the Improvidence which, in eleven years of peace, has taken from the people Tn Federal taxes thirteen times the whole amount of the legal tender notes and squandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve for their redemption. We de- nounce the financial imbecllity and immortality of that party which, during eleven years ol peace, has made no advance to- ward resumption, no preparation ] for resumption, but instead has obstructed resumption by vast ing our resources and eXhausting all our surplus income, and while annually protesting to intend a speedy return to specie payments, has annually enacted fresh hin dranees thereto. As such hin dranccs, we denounce the resump- tion clause of the act of 1875, and we here demand its repeal. We demand a judicious system oi preparation by public economies, by official retrenchments, and by a wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of its ability and its perfect readiness to meet any ol | its promises at the call of cred itor entitled to payment. We be, licve such a system well-advlsed and. above all, entrusted to com petent hands for execution, creat- inc at no time an artificial scarci'
 ty of currency, and at no time
 alarming the public mind into
 a withdrawal of that vast machih-
 cry of credit by which ninety five
 per cent. of our business transac-
 tions are performed-a system
 open and public, and inspiring
 general contidence-would, from
 the day of it's adoption, bring
 healing on it's wings to all our l harasscd industries, set Tn mo
 ton the wheels of commerce,
 manufactures and the mechanical
 arts, restore employment to labor,
 and renew in all it's sources the
 prosperity of the people. Reform