South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-07-07

sumption clause OF the act Of 1875, and
we hero demand its repeal. We demand
a judicious system Of preparation by
public economies, by official retrcnch-
ments, and by wise finance which shall
enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world Of its perfect ability and its
perfect readiness to meet any Of its
promises at the call Of the creditor enti.
tied to payment. We believe such q
system, well devised. and above all en-.
trusted to competent hands for execu-
ton, creating at no time an artificial
scarcity Of currency, and Mt no time a.
farming the public mind into with.
drawal of that vaster machinery ofcredit
by which nincty-tivc per cent. of all bu.
siness transactions ars performed. A
system open, public and inspiring gene.
raj confidence would from the day OF its
adoption bring healing on its wings to
all our harassed industry. and set in
motion the wheels OF commerce, manu-.
features and the mechanical arts. restore
employment to labor and renew in all
its natural force the prosperity Of the
people.
Reform is necessary in the form and
mode Of federal taxation. to the end that
capital may be set free from distrust and
labor lightly burdencd. We denounce
the present tariff levied upon nearly four
thousand articles as masterpiece Of
injustice, inequality and false pretense.
1t yields dwindling not yearly rising
revenue. 1t has impoverished many in.
dustries to substitute few. 1t prohibits
t,r,t
ducts OF American labor. 1t has degraded
American commerce from the first to an
inferior rank upon the high seas. 1t has
cut down the sales Of American manu-.
features at home and abroad, and deple.
ted the returns OF American agriculture
and industry, followed by half Of our
people. 1t costs the people five times
more than il produces to the treasury.
obstructs the processes Of production
and wastes the fruits OF labor. 1t pro.
notes fraud and fosters smuggling. ell
riches dishonest officials and bankrupts
honest merchants. We demand that all
custom house taxation shall be only for
revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scale Of
public expense-federal, State and mu.
nicipal. Our federal taxation has swol.
len from S60,000,o00 gold in 1860 TO
$3.50, 100000 currency in 1870. Our az.
gregate taxation from $l54, 100000 gold
in 1860 to S73O,000,000 currency i'm
1870; or i'll one decade from less than
five dollars per head to more than eigh.
teen dollars per head. Since the peace
the people have paid TO their tax gath.
erers more than thrice the sum OF the
national debt, and moro than twice that
sum for the federal government alone.
We demand vigorous frugalityin every
department and from every officer of the
government.
Reform is necessary to put stop TO
the proaigate waste Of public lands and
their diversion from actual settlers by
the party in power, which has squander-
ed two hundred millions of acres upon
railroads alone. and out Of more than
thrice that aggregate has disposed of
less than sixth directly to tillers OF the
soil. Reform is necessary 20 correct
the omissions of the republican Congress
and the errors OF our treaties and our
diplomacy which have striped our Eel.
low-citizcns of foreign birth and kindred
race recrossing the Atlantic of the shield
OF American citizenship, and have ex.
posed our brethren Of the Pacific coast
to the incursions Of q race not sprung
from the same great parent stock, and
in fact now by law denied citizenship
through naturalization, as being neither
accustomed TO the traditions Of pro.
gressive civilization nor exercised in
liberty under equal laws.
We denounce the policy which thus
discards the liberty loving German and
tolerates the revival of the coolie trade
in Mongolian women imported for i'm.
moral purposes and Mongolian men hir.
ed TO perform seTvile labor contracts.
and we demand such modification of the
treaty with the Chinese empire, or such
legislation by congress, within consti.
tutional limitation, as shall prevent the
furtherimportation or immigration of the
Mongolian race.
Reform is necessary. and can never
be effected but by making it the control.
ling issue of the elections and lifting it
above the two false issues with which
the ofilce.holding class and the party in
power seek TO smother it.
We denounce the false issue with
which they would enkindle sectarian
strife in respect 10 the public schools,
Of which the establishment and support
belongs exclusively to- the several States,
and which the democratic party has
cherished from their foundation. and re-
solved to maintain without partiality or
preference for any class. sect or creed,
and with contributing from the treasury
to any false issue by which they seek 10
light anew the dying embcrs OF section.
al hate between kindred people once un.
naturally estranged, but now reunited
in one indiyisible republic and com.
mon destiny.
Reform is necessary in the civil scr.
vice. Experience proves that efficient.
economical conduct OF the governmental
business is not possible il its civil scr.
vice be subject TO change at every cleo.
ton 4; be a prize fought for by ballots