The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-02

Ileyed upon nearly fonr Thousand articles,
as masterpiece of injustice. inequality
and false pretence 1t yields q dwindling,
not q yearly rising revenue; it has impov-
erlshed many industries, to Hubsidlze .
tew;it prohibits imports that might puT-
chase the products of American labor;
it has degraded American commerce from
the first to an inferior upon tho high seas;
it has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home and abroad, and
depleted the returns Of American agricul
turc, an interest followed by half our
people; it costs the people Ave times more
than it pro luces to the treasury, obstructs
the processes Of production and wastes
the fruits Of labor; it promotes fraud and
fosters smuggling .enriclles dishonest
officials ard bankrupts honest merchants.
We demaEd that all custom house taIa-
ti0u shall be only for revenue. Reform is
necessary in the scale Of public expenses,
Federal, State and municipal.
FEDERAL. TAXATION HAS SWOLLEN
from $l6,0000OO gold in 1860 to $450, O00,-
ton from $1s4,OO0,000 gold in 1860 to
$3.50, 900 900 currency in 1870, or in one de-
cade from less than five dollars per head
|
Since the peace the people have paid To
their tax gatherels more than thrice She
sum of the national debt, and more than
twice that sum for the Federal Govern
ment alone. We demand & vigorous frll-
galty in every department and from every
officer of the Government Reform is ne
cessary to put 8 stup to tho proiligate
waste of public lands and their diversion
Il
which has squaniiered two hundred mill
lions Of acres upon railroads alone, and
out of moro than twice that aggregate
has disposed of less than u sixth directly
to tillers of the soil. Reform is necessary
to correct the
| OMISSIONS OF A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS,
and the errors of our treaties and our di
p,omacy which have stripped onr fellow
citizens of foreign birth and kindred race
recrossing the Atlantic of the shield Of
American citizenship and have exposed
our brethren of the Pacific slope TO the in"
Cursions of Il race not sprung from the
same great parent stock---in fact now de-
MED by law citizenship through naturali-
cation, as being neither accustomed to the
tradition of u progressive civilization, or
exercised in liberty under equal laws
We deuOunce the policy which thns dis
cards the liberty loving German, and toll
crates the revival of the coolic trade in
Monaghan women imported for immoral
purposes, and Mongolan nrn hired to
pertorm scrvilc labor contracts, and de-
nand such modification Of the treaty with
the Chinese Empire. VI such legislation
by Congress within % constitutional imi-
tati0n, as shall prevent the further impor-
tation or Immigration cf the aion,g,:ii;,n
race. Reform Is necessary, and can never
he effected but by making il the control
;, ling issue of the elections, and lifting it
above The two false issues with which the
ollice.holdinr class and the party in power
seek to smother it. The false issues with
| which they wrlid enkindie sectarau
strife in respect 10 the public schools, of
which :he establishment and support be-
long exclusively to the several States, and
which the democratic party BIAS cherished
: from their foundation and resolved ia
f maintain without partially or preference
J. for any class, sect or creed, and without
/ contributing from the treasury to any
/ The false issue Ivy which they seek to
$ light anuw the dying embers Of sectional
I hate Between two kindred peoples oncS
! muaturaily estranged, but now reunited
t in one indivisible Republic and common
. destiny.
g REFORM IN CIVIL SERVICE.
: Reform is necessary in the civil service
0 Experience proves that efficient, economi
e cal conduct of tho governmental business
r is not possible if it's civil service be sub
}. iected to change at every election, and bt
g o purse offered at the haIot-box as "a bre
c reward of party zeal, instead of4posts O
Y honor assigned for proved competency ant
n held for fidelity in the public employ
y That the dispensing Of patronage SHOULD
It neither be tax upon TIE time of all on
e public men, nor the instru nent ofthei
i ambition. Here again professions, falsi
e fed in the performance, attest that tht
d party in power can work out 10 practica
J. OF salutary reform.
It - REFORM IN HIGH PLACES.
# Reform is necessary even more in th,
higher grades of public service. Presi
dent, Vice-President, Judges, Senators
g Representatives. Cabinet officers - thes,
u and all others in authority are the PEG
Il ple's servants. Their offices are not,
y private perquisite; they are q public
q trust. When the annals of this Republic
:, proclaim the disgrace and ccusure Of
- Yice-President; a late Speaker of TIL
= House of Representatives marketing hi
%. - ruling as u presiding officer; three Sena
10 10 tors protiting secretly by their votes a
~ lawmakers; five chairmen Of the leadin
'e committees of the late House of Represer
- tatives exposed i'll iohhery; late Secrets
,' ~ of the Treasury forcing balances in tn
a." public accounts; late Acknowledgement
~, disappointing public funds; Secretf
' 10 ry of the Navy enriches or enrichin
- friends by percentages levied off the profit
10 of contractors with his department; a
=, Ambassador to England concerned i
:" dishonorable speculation; the President
-. private Secretary barely escaping .cOnvi,
:" o. ton, upon trial, for guilty completely i
y, frauds upon the revenue; a Secretary {
'd War impeached for high crimes and COZ
:" tessed misdemeanors; the demonstration
90 complete that the first step must be I'll
~ public choice Of honest men from anOth,
-. party lest the disease of one politics
~ organization upset the whole body politi
ID and thereby making no change of men
~ party, we can got no change Of measure
In and no reform.
I'd All these abuses, wrongs and crime
." the product of sixteen years of ascendauo
~ OF the Republican party, creote necessit
.o for reform confessed by the Republican
~ themselves. But their reformers are "
y, " ted down in convention and displact
~ from the Cabinet The party's mass
honest votes is powerless to resist tt
eighty thousand oif,ce-holders, Its leade
"a and guides. Reform can only be had by
re- peaceful civic revolution. We demand
ch change of system, change of administr
he tration, a change of parties, that we NJ;
it's have q change of men.
In
to -QUIrE an excitement was Gre
ell ted in Nashville q few days ago
no the appearance of an uncom mon
nd seedy couple in a dry goods store.
Ito The woman ordered lar6e stock