The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-12
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.


We. the delegates of the democratic
psrtv OF the United states. i'm national con-
yention Assem-, bed. 90 hereby declare the
ADMINISTRATION of the federal government
| to be in urgent reed of immediate REFORM;
| do hereby eTjoin upon the nominees OF this
convention, and OF the democratic party IN
| esch State. n jealous effort and 40 opera
| ton to this end, and do hereby appeal TO
| our feilow-citizsns OF every former political
| connection to undertake with Us This inst |
\ sn most pressing patriotic duty.
| THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION. RvPUBLf-
| CAN SELF-GoVERNMsNT
For the democracy of the whole country,
we do here by Teaffirm ouc faith in the per-
maperce OF the federal union; our devotion
~ the constitution of The United States,
| with las au CT uaerts universally accepted
as Ins Iinai sett emert OF the controversies
thst engerdered civi, war. ana Go here re-
cord eur stead!sst co1fience in the pefpe.
tuity OF republican sei;-goyefnment'
The FIRST CENTURY.
Ia absolute acquiescence in TIE will Of
the msiority-the vital principle of repub-
lies: ia the SUI remacy Of the civil over the
| military authority, III tae total separation OF
| church and state, fer tire sake alike OF civil
| and religious fresdorc; in the equality OF
| al, citizens before just laws OF their own en-
actrent; il the liberty Of Individual cor
| duct, ur-e xed by sumptuary laws; in the
faithful education q ihs ris.ng generation,
that t-ey NAY preserve. enjoy and transmit
these best conditions Of human happiness.
| and nope re behold the MODEST products Of
| a hundred years OF c5angeful history; but
While unfolding TIE bond OF our union and
| great charter OF tnese great rights, I. be-
laoovps p free pSop,e to p-Gcti ce also that
eternal visilsncs which is the price Of
liberty.
REFoR,i-CoBRUrTrON
Reform Is necessary TO build and establish
in the hearts of the Whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
danger cf sssceEsion OF stetes but now to
| be saved from = co.Tupt ccatialisIc, VIII III,
| after INJECTING upoa zen States the rapaciy
| Of csTp1t-5ay tlrsnlIas, has honey combed
| tie Ctices OF the federal government iisc,i
| N-bA ircapaClty, waste and fraud Injected
| states and In ME pSlitiss with the conta-
: glon Vi rlls.Gle. and locked fast the pros
IperiJy OF IN industrious people IN the ps-
| f2lyss Of hard times.
HzroRI CT TEE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
IAI1tA&T5.
4, Reftr1. = ne essay 10 establish sound
y currency, res.oIe tie public credit and
msia,a;n tie National honor. We deLounce
| the IaLllre fo- al these eleven years to
maze gcCd he promise Of the legal tender
q notes, which are ctauzin, standard Of
vgue ia the Hands ct the peop.e, aid the
nol.p ayinent OF which - disregard OF the
u Pig tsI fai,a OF the Ea.ion.
d. We GeE5unce tas iinpr0yidence which in
=. Gle en- gea-s o. peace LAS taken from the
/. people, il federal taxes, thirteen times the
Whole lm2ant OF tie legal tender notes,
and s1Gsnatrrd -oul times t-is sum 10 use
NJ le,s expense, wisaout accuILlatlng any re.
serve TO- tle.r recenpGon. We denouncs
tne hEglcia. iii.5ec..ity AID iAILorahty O
taa. party which, Our.rg eleySn years d
n peace. has made Lo advance toward re
Iernp.ion; no preparation for resumption
, but, Instead, Las obstCueted resumption b!
waslng our resources and eXlsu.t.ng a!
n. or surplus income. aud while annually
n. protesting to intend u speedy return Il
specis payment, has ANNUALLY enacted fresf
LiLdrances tueEe.o-as sucn a hiniranct
= we denounce the re sumption clause OF tht
n act OF 1875, ana we demand its repeal.
We demand judieious System OF pre-
paration, by pubic economies, by Oflcia
retrenchLaent, and by The hnances, which
s.al enaSie the pb.ion soOn to assure thu
whole world OF its perfect ability aud it!
perfect readiness ID meet any OF its prom
iscs at tie cal. Of the creditor eatjlad Il
| paym=rt.
n We believe such system, well devised
u AID, above al, entrusted to competent
u haads for its execution, creating a. no time
an 81. ideal scarcity OF currency, and at nc
time al.ruing tie public mind into a with
drawal o; thas vast machinery Of credit b!
Which 80 per ce.t. of til our business trans
actions are performed; a system open I,
L p
| would, from the day oil its adoption, bnn,
\ healing on its wings TO all our harrassed in
dustries, set in motion the wheels Of com
msrce, manufactures and the mechanics
at arts, restore employ ment to labor. and re
ne new in ali its national sources the prosper
IN ity OF the people.
VI REFORM OF THE TARIFP--FRgE TRADE.
Reform is necessary in the sum and mod
Of feders taxation, TO the END that capita
4 may be set free from distrust and iabO
Lightly burdened. We denOunce the pres
ne ent tariff .esied upon nearly four thousan'
. articles ~ a mast y piece Of injustice, in
equality AID f2ise pretense. 1t yields
=. dw.ndllng, not yearly rising revenue.
u, has impoverished many industries to sui
sidzs few; 1t prohibits imports that mig b
purchase .Ge products Of American labor,
1t has degraded American commerce IToI
l., the first u an inferior.rank upon the hig
seas; ie has cut dcwn the sales of America
IN uuiactures at home an 4 abroad, and d,
Pleted the returns OF American agricultur,
nd | an industry followed by halt our people.
v coets the people five times more tlan II pr
duces to me treasury; obstructs the proce
OF production, and wastes the fruits OF Il
Dor; IL promotes fraud, fosters smugglin,
eIriches dishonest officials and bankrupt
'W honest merchants. We demand that a
'" custom house taxation shall be only 70
revenue. ~.
REFoRM-ECoNoMY IS PUBLIC EXPENSE
Reform Is necessary in the scale of publ
expense-federal. State and municipa
Gus federal taxation has swollen from six,
millions god, in 1850, to four hundred an
hity millions currency, in 1870. Oursggr
gate taxation. from one hundred and nit,
four millions gold in 1850, to seven hundro
ana thirty mi.iions currency in 1870; or,
Al one decade, from less than i've dollars ps
s6s head 10 mora than eighteen collars per hsa,
s.ncs the peace the people have paid
t5eir tax-gaLherers more than three IL
sum Of the rational debt, and more this
GE | twice thst sum for the federal governmel
tsr alone. We demand vigorous frugality
'A'' every department, and from every ciflc,
oil the government.
!. REFoIM-PuBLlC LANDS TO ACTUAL Sc
TLHRs.
Reform l. necessary to put stop to Il
. pioii.gate waste Of the public lands an
's' | their diversion from actual settlers by Il
RIP, party in power, which has squanders
IN | 40 go 900 acres upon railroads alone, al
. IN amount OF more tLan thrice that aggr
gaze, has disposed Of less than q sixth
III reciy - the u.lers OF the soil.
-, kafo-sM-ADoPTED CITIZENS, REJECTg
Il AoNGoLs.
ma Reform Il necessary TO correct the ommi
s.on VI atepubll can congress and the erro
OF our tre.lies and cur diplomacy, viii,
maze stripes our feLow-titzens OF f0reil
mn, rln AM Aincred race, recrossing the A
10 ~ a.uc, o. the shield Of American citlze
80, alp xro nave exposed our brethern Of Il
Ith1 Ia ne coast TO the tncursi0ns OF race n
'"" sprung from the same great pareut stoc
1 M Ia. fua - L.. n