Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-07-06
Democratic Platform Adopted at
st. Louis.

We, the delegates of the Democratic party
of the United States, in National Convention
assembled, do hereby declare:
The administration of the Federal Govern
ment to be in urgent need of immediate re-
form do hereby enjoip upon the nominees of
this Convention and of the Democratic party
in each State, a Jealous effort and corporation
to this enc, land do hereby appeal to our fellow
citizens of every former political connection
to undertake with us this first and most press
ing patriotic duty.
For the Democracy of the whole country.
we do here re-affirm 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 set
tlement of the controversies that engendered
the civil war; and we do here record our stead
fast confidence in the perpetuity Of Republican
self-government; in the absolute acaucscence
in the will of the majority; the vital principle
of Republics: in the supremacy of the civil
over the military authority; in the total sepa-
ration 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 the liberty of individual conduct by
sumptuary laws; in the faithful education of
the rising generation, that they may preserve,
enjoy and transmit these to the people in the
paralysis of hard times.
Reform is necessary to establish sound cur
rency, restore the public credit and maintain
the national honor. We dehounce the failure
for all these eleven years to make good the |
promises of the legal tender notes, which are
changing standard of value in the hands of the |
people, and the non-payment of which is dis |
regard of the plighted faith of the nation.
We denOunce the imprOvidence which, in |
eleven years of peace, has taken from the peo-
pie In Federal taxes thirteen times the whole
amount of the legal tender notes, squandered
four times this sum in useless expenses, with
out accumulating any reserve for their redemp-
ton.
We denounce the financial imbecility and
of that party which, during eleven
years of peace, has made no advance toward
but instead has obstructed resump-
ton, by wasting our resources and exhausting
all our surplus income, and while annually pro-
Tossing to intend speedy return to specie pay
ments has annually enacted fresh hindrances
thereto. As such hindrance, we denounce
,he resumption clause of the act OF 1875, and
we here demand its repeal. We demand
udicious system of preparation by public
by official retrenchments and by ,
wise finance which shall enable the nation soon ,
o assure the world of its perfect ability and
IS perfect readiness to meet any of its prom
ses at the call OF the credit entitled to pay !
nent.
We believe such system well devised, and
bove all entrusted to competent hands for ex- /
cution, creating at no time an artificial scar '
ity of currency, and at no time alarming the
'ublic mind into withdrawal of that vaster q
of credit by which ninety-five per .
ent of all business transactions are performed; !
system open, public, and inspiring general
enfidence, would, from the day of its adoption,
ring healing on its wings to all our harassed !;
Industry and set in motion the wheels of CON- =
nerce, manufacture and the mechanical arts; Z
estore employment to labor and renewing all !,
IS natural source-the prosperity of the peo- \
lie. a
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode of /
ederal taxation, to the end that capital may Il
c set free from distrust and labor lightly bur- I,
ened ID
We denounce the present tariff levied upon B
early 1000 articles, as masterpiece of in g,
lstice inequality and false pretencc. II yields Ie
dwindling, not yearly rising revenue. 1t
rs impoverished manv industries to subsidize n.
few. 1t prohibits imports that might pur- - -
hase the products Of American labor. Ithas u
pgraded American commerce from the first to y
a inferior rank upon the high seas; it has cut az
own the rates of American manufactures at 81
Dme and abroad, and depleted the returns of Il
merican agriculture and industry, followed L