The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1876-07-19
SECOND BAY.

SECOND BAY.
The convention was not called to or
der until Il little past II o'clock, the com
mittee on, resolutions not being prepared
to report.
Mr.. Meredith, from the committee OF
resolutions, stated that he was instructed
by the committee to inform the con
vehtion that they had agreed upon {
platform and resolutions, and had re
ferred the resolutions to a committee fol
final revision. He asked leave of the
convention for the committee TO ST
longer for that purpose.
On motion of Mr.. Herman, of New
York, the convention took recess unit
two o'clock.
DURING THE RECESS,
The vast audience remained in tht
hall, and there were loud cries for Pryor
Doolittle, Ewing and others. Meantime
the band played several p6pulAr Airs
"Dixie," Yankee Doodle" etc, atnic
loud cheers, the following gentlemen
were called upon, and addressed the
audience briefly: James R. Doolittle
Mr.. Breckenridge, of Kentucky; B
GratZ Brown and Mr.. Wallace, of Pa.
RfAssEMBtEb.
The convention reassembled at a quar-
ter past two. -
The committee on resolutions having
finally agreed upon their report, 1t
Gov. Dofsheimer, Of New York, pre-
sented the majority report on platform.
which was adopted after a somewhat
vigorutis disctssioh, Gen. Tom Ewing
OF Ohio, Ex.Gov. John g. Blown, o.
Tennessee, and other members of the
committee proposing a substitute for a
portion of the resolution on finance,
which, though demanding the repeal Of
the resumption net, they did not deem
sufficiently explicit.
THE PLATFORM.
We, the delegates Of Inc democratic party OF the
United States in national convention assembled dc
hereby declare the administration Of the federal
government to be In urgent heed OF Immediate re-
form, and do hereby en- join upon the nominees OF
the convention and Of the democratic party III each
state aealsus effort and ce-oPerati to this end
and do hereby appealto our feow-citizens OF every
fOrmer political connection to undertake with us
this first ahd most pressing private duty.
For the democracy of the whole country we do
here rearm our faith in the permanenee of the fed
eral Union our devotion to the constitution OF the
United States with its amendments universally ac-
cepted final settlement Of the controversies that
engender civil war; and do here record steadfast
confidence in the prosperity OF republican seit-gov-
ernment; ineabsoute acquescence in the Will Of the
majority, the vital principle of republics; in the
supremacy of the civil over military authority; In
the total separation of church and state, for the
sake alike of civil and religious freedom; in the
equality of all citizens before just laws Of their
of iTdft
unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the faithful educa-
ton of the rising generation, that they may pre-
serve enjoy and transmit these hest conditions OF
human happiness and hope; we behold the nOblest
products OF a hundred years Of changeful history.
But while upholding the bond of our union and
the great charter of these our rights it behooyes
free people to practice also that eternal vigilance
which is the price of liberty. Reform is neces-
sary to rebuild and establish In the hearts Of the
whole people the union, eleven years ago happily
rescued from the danger OF corrupt centralsm,
which, after inhcting upon ten states the rapacty
ef caTPet-bag tyrannies, has honeycombed to ofces
of the federal government itself with incapacity,
waste aad fraud; states and municipalities with
the contsgion of misrule and locked fast the pros
perity of an industrious people in the paralysis OF
hard times.
Reform is necessary to establish sound currency.
restore the public credit and maintain the national
honor We denounce the failure for all these eleven
years to make good the promise OF the legal tender
notes, which changing standard OF value IN the
hands of the people, and the non payment o which
is disregard Of the plighted faith of the nation.
We denounce the improvidenee which in eleven
years Of peace has taken from the people, in federal
taxes thirteen times the whole amount OF the legal
tender notes. and squandered four times this sum in
useless expense without aceumulating any reserve
for their redemption. We deDounce the financial
imDecility and immortality Of that party, which
during eleven years OF peace has made no advance
toward resumption and noprepEration for resump-
tion; but instead has obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and exhansting all our sur
plus income ana while annually processing te m
tend speedy return to specie payments, has annu-
ally enacted fresh ndranees thereto. As such q
hindrance we denounce the resumption clause OF
the act of 1875, and we here demand its repeal.
We demand judicous system Of preparation, by
public economies, by official retrenchment, 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 AZ the
call of the creditor entitled to payment. We be-
lieve such system, well devised and above all, in
trusted to competent hands for execution creating
ut no time an artificial scarcity of currency and at
no time alarming the public mind into withdraw
al Of that vaster machinery of credit by which
nnety-ve per cent. of all business transactions is
performed a system open to the public, and in
spring general confidence, would, from the day oi
its adoption, bring healing on its wings TO all our
harrassed industries, set in motion the wheels Of
commerce, manufactures and the mechanical arts
restore employment to labor, and renew In al It's
national sources, the prosperity of the people.
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode OF led
eraI taxation, to the end that capital may be se
free from distrust and labor lightly burdened. We
denounce the present tariff levied upon nearly f0I
thousand articles, masterpiece OF injustice, IN
equality and false pTetense. 1t yields dW1ndlins
not yearly rising revenue; ii has impoverished
many industries to subsdize few 1t prohibits I'M
ports that might purchase the products OF American
labor it has degraded American commerce from the
first to an inferior rank upon the high seas 1t hat
cut down the sales Of American manufactures al
home and abroad, and depleted the returns o.
American agriculture 1t osts the people hye time'
more than it produces GO the treasury obstructs pro
cesses of production 5nd wastes the fruits oi labor
it promotes fraud fosters smuggling, enriehes dis
honest officials and balkrupts honest merchants
We demand that all customhouse taxation shall b'
only for revenue.
Reform is necessary IN the scale OF public
expense, federal, state and municipal. Oul
federal taxation has swollen from sixty mil
lion dollars in gold in 1860 to four hundred
and iftysmillion dollars in currency in 1870
our aggregate taxation from one hundred
and fifty-four million dollars in gold in 1850
TO seven hundred and thirty million dollars
in currency in 1870, or in one decade from
less than FIVE dollars per head to more than
eighteen dollars per head. Since the peace
the people have paid their tax-gatherers
more than thrice the sum of the national
debt, and more than twice that sum for the
federal government alone. We demand 9
vigorous frugality in every department ano
from every officer OF the government.
Reform is necessary to put stop to tnt
profigate waste of public lands and their d
versions from actual settlers by the party il
mower, who have squandered two hundred
million acres of land upon railroads alone
and out of more than thrice that aggregate
has disposed of less than a sixty directly Z
tillers Of the soil.
Reform is necessary to orrect the omlf
81 ms of republican cong ess and errors Q
our treaties and Of our diplomacy, whlol
have stripped eur fellow-citizens OF ferelgl
birth and kindred race, when reerossing tn
Atlantic, of the shield of American citizen
ship, and have exposed eur brethren OF IN
Pacific coast to the ineursions Of race no
sprung from the same great parent stock
and. in fart, now by law denied citizenship
through naturalization, because It is neithe
accustomed 10 the traditions of aprogreSsiv
civilization, nor exercised in liberty unae
equal laws We denounce the policy whiel
thus discardls the liberty loving German
and toIerates the renewal of the COolie trad
in Mongolia women imported for irnmora
purposes, and Mongolian men, held TO pei
form servile labor contracts. We, therefore
demand sreh notifications Of the treaty Q
the Chinese empire, and such legislation b
congress, within constitutional lmItat1ol
as shall prevent the further importation o
immigration Of the MongOlian race.