The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-29
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text a.. Reported by the
Committee.
Adopte., a, ~. Louis. Jan@ IS. 1874.

Adopted At ~. Louis. June -. 1874.
We, the delegates of the democratic
party of the United states, in national con.
ventlon assembled, do hereby declare the
administration OF the federal government
TO be in urgent need OF immediate reform:
do hereby ehjoin upon the nominees OF this
convention, and of the democratic party In
each State, = Jealous effort and 60 opera
ton to this end, and do hereby appeal TO
our feilow.citizens of every former political
connecf elton to undertake with Us this first
ali most pressing patriotic duty.
rHE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION. EEruBL..
CAN sKLF-0ovERNMENT.
For the democracy Of the whole country,
we do hereby reafiirm our faith 10 the per.
manence Of the federal union; our devotion
tn the constitution Of the United States,
with its amel dments universally accepted
a the final settlement OF the controversies
that cngendercd civil war, and DO here re.
cord our steadtas, confidence in the perpe.
tuitv Of republican self-goyernment.
1HE FIRST CENTURY.
In absolute acquiesccnce in the will of
the msjority--tho vital principle OF repub-
lies; in the supremacy Of the civil over the
military authority, in tue total sc psraiion Of
church and state, TOR the sake alike OF civil
ell citizens before just laws Of their own On.
| actmcnt; in the liberty of individual con.
| duet 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 noblcst products Of
q hundred years of changeful history; but
while upboldiDg the hond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights, |. be.
hooyes free people 10 practice also that
eternal vigilance which IL the price OF
liberty.
REfoEM-COERUPTI ON-cENlRALIsM,
Reform, Is necessary to build and establis Sd
in the hearts OF the whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
| danger of v secession Ut states but now to
be saved irsa, Il corrupt ceutralisD, viii Oh,
after iDhlciipg upon ten states the rapacf'.'
of carpetbay tyranIies, has honey.combed
the offices OF the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud; in'aoted
States auI municipalities with the conta-
| gion of misrulc. and locked fast the pros
periry Of an industrious people in the pa.
rally sis OF hard times.
REFORM OF THE CUNRENCY--sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
| RctoyHs is necessary to establish . sound
| currency, restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor. We denouuce
the failure for all these eleven years "a
make good the promise OF the legal tender
notes, which are . changing standard 0!
value In the hands OF the people, and the
plighted faith OF the nation.
We denounce the improvtdence Which IN
eleven years Of peace hae taken from tbs
people, in federal taxes, thirteen times tht
whole amount Of the legal tender notes
and sQuandered foui times this sum In use
/ xrff by,r, Hat n,p
serve Tor their redemption. We denOuncs
the financial imbecility and immortality o.
that party which, UuriSg eleven years o.
peace. has made no advance toward re
demption; no preparation for resumption
but, instead, has obstIucted resumption By
wasting our resources and eXhausting al
our surplus income, and while annually
protesting to intend . speedy return 4
speci payment. has annually enacted fresl
Lindranc-s thereto-aR such O hindfanc<
we denounee the resumption clause Of tn,
act Of 1875. and we demand Its repeal.
We demand juuicious system of pre-
paration, by public economies. by oficia
retrenchment, and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world of its perfect ability aud IT.
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom
Uses at the call of the creditor entitled Il
payment.
We believe such ~ stem, well devised
and, above all, entrusted to competen
hands for its execution, creating at no timt
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and at nj
time alarming the public mind into with
drawal OF that vast machinery of credit b,
which % per cent. Of all our business trans
actions are performed: system open [,
the public aud inspiring general confidence
would, from The day OF its adoption, brin,
healing on its wings TO all our hsrrassed in
dustries, set in motion the wheels OF com
( IN NIL a.
arts, restore employment 10 labor. and re
new in all its national sources the prosper
ity OF the people.
REFORM OF TIE rARiry-rRHE TRADE.
Retir1a is necessary III The sum and mod,
OF federal taxation, to the end that capita
may be set free from distru-t and labo
lightly burdened. We deuounce the pres
E ent tariff levied upon nearly four thousanc
articles ss mast,r piece Of injustice, in.
equality aud false pretense. II Yields
dwindling, not yearly rising revenue. 1
has impoverished many Industries TO sub
sidlze few; II prohibits imports that nigh
purchase me products OF American labors
II has degraded American commerce IRON
the first 10 an inferior rank upon the higt
, seas; II has cut down the sales Of American
manufactures at homo sni abroad, and dc
pleted the returns Of American agriculture
an industry followed by half our people. I
COSTS the people I'VE times more than II bro
duces TO the treasury; obstructs the proce a
Of production, and wastes the fruits of In
Dor; IL promotes fraud, fosters smucgitng
enriches dishonest officials and bank r,lpf
honest merchants. We demand that al
custom house taxation shall be only To-
revenue.
BEfoEM-EcoNOMy ~ PUBLIC ExrES 81
RGorm is necessary in the scale Of publi,
eXpcnse-federal, State and m,inicipal
Our federal taxation has swollen from siT1,
millions gold, In 1860, to four hundred an;
flfty millions currency, In 1870. Our aqere
gate taxation, from one hundred and INV
four millions gold in 1860, 10 seven huudre,
and thirty millions currency 10 1870; or. Il
one decade, from less than 1--WE dollars he
> head TO more than eighteen dollars Der lie adj
since the peace the people have paid I,
their tax-gatberers More than thrice IN,
sum OF the national debt, aud more tina,
twice that sum Tor The federal governmsn
|, alone. We demand vigorous frugality II
: every department. and from every Office
OF the government,
RtFoRA-fUBilC LAMBS 10 ACTUAL SET
TLBRs.
Reform II necessary TO put a stop 10 III
pronigate waste OF the public lands an,
T. their diversion from actual settlers by m
?. party In power, which has squsnders,
a. Soo,VO0 900 acres upon railroads alone. An,
IN amount OF more than thrice that aryrs
gate, has disposed Of less than n sjxfh a,
recuy 70 the ulleIs Of the soil.