Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-06
SECOND DAY.

The Convention was opened with prayer
on the morning Of the 2Sth.
Several resolutions were offered and re.
ferred to the Platform Committee, as was
also the memorial of the Workingmen's Cen.
tral Union, expressing their views.
Pending the consideration of motion to
proceed to ballot for candidates by calling
the roll of States, announcement was made
that the Committee on Resolutions were
| ready to report. Mr.. Meredith, Chairman
of the Committee, said they had agreed on
the resolutions, but had referred them to q
Committee of Revision.
A recess was then taken until two O'Clock
p. N.
During the recess speeches were made by
Messrs. DOolittle, Breckenridge, Gratz
Brown and Wallace, of Pennsylvania.
reassembling the report of the Commit
| tee on Resolutions was read as follows:
1. We. the delegates of the Democratic party Of
the United States, in National Convention assem-
bled, dO hereby declare the Administration of the
Federal Government to be in urgent need OF imme
date reform, and we do hereby enjoin upon the
nominees Of this Convention and of the Demo
cratic party in each State. jealous effort and CO.
operation to this end, and do hereby appeal to oul
felloW-cltlZens OF every former political connec
ton to undertake with this first and most press
| ing patriotic duty.
2. For the Democracy of the whole country we
do here reatrm our faith in the permanence of the
Federal Union, devotion to the Constitution
OF the United States, with its amendments, uni
versally accepted final settlement of the con
trOYersles that engendered civil war. and do here
record Steadfast confidence in the perm tuity
ofrepubllcan self governments; in an absolute &C
quiescence in the will of the majority, the vita
principle of the Republic; in the suprem macy of the
civil over the military authorities the total sepa
ration of Church and State for the sake alike OF
civil and religious freedom; in the equality of al
| citizens before just laws of their own enactment
in the liberty of individual conduct unvexed BY
sumptuary laws; in the faithful education of the
rising generation, that they may preserve, enjoy
and transmit these best conditions Of
human happiness and hope-the noblest
pr ducts of a hundred years of changeful his
tory; but while uphoIding the bond of our Union
and the great charter of these our rights. it be
hooves free people to practice. also, that eterna
vigilance which is the price Of liberty
3. Reform is necessary to rebuild and establish
in the hearts of the whole people of the Union
eleven years ago happily rescued from the danger
OF secession of States, but to be saved from
corrupt centrallsm, which, after INJECTING upoI
ten States the rapaclty of carpet-bag tyrannies
has honeycOmbed the offices of the Federal Gov
eminent itself with incapacty waste and fraud
infected States and municipalities with the con
tagion of misrule. and locked fast the prosperity
OF an industrious people in the paralysis of harC
times.
4. Reform is necessary to establsha sound cur
rency, restore the public credit and maintain the
National honor. We denOunce the failure of the
Republican party for all these eleven years to make
good the promise of the legal-tender notes. which
are changing standard Of value i'll the hands OF
the people. and the n0n-payment of which is dis
regard of the plighted faith of the Nation.
5. We denounCe the imprOvidence which in
eleven years of peace has taken from the people il
Federal taxes thirteen times the whole amount al
the Iegal-tender notes and squandcred four times
this sum in useless expense without accommodating
any reserve for their redemption.
t. We denOunce the financial imbeCility and i'm
during eleven
of peace, has made advance toward resump
tion and no preparation for resumption, but, in
stead, has obStruCted reSum ptlOn by wasting our
resources and exhausting all our surplus income,
and, while annually protesting to intend q speedy
return to specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hlndrances thereto. As such hindrance
we denounce the resumption clause of the act OF
1873, and we here demand its repeal.
Z. We demand a judicious system of preparation
by public economies. by official retrenchment and
by finance which shall enable the Nation soon tC
assure the whole world of its perfect ability and
Its perfect readiness to meet any of its promises
at the call of the creditor entitled to payment We
believe such system, weldevised, and above al
Entrusted to competent hands for execution. Great
ing at no time an artificial scarcity of currency
and at no time alarming the public mind into 5
withdrawal of that vaster machinery OF credit by
which nlnety-five per cent. of all business trans
actions are performed--a system open to the pub
nc, and inpiring general contideRcemw9uld
ing on its wings to all our haras ed in
dustries. set i'll motion the wheels of commerce
manufactures. and the mechanic arts. restore en-
ployment to labor and renew in all its natura
sources the prosperity of the people.
5. Reform is necessary in the sum and mode OF
Federal taxation TO the end that capital may be SCI
free from distrust and labor lightly hardened. We
denounce the present tariff leves upon nearly COX
articles as a masterpiece of injustice. inequality
and false practice 1t yields dwindling. not
yearly rising, revenue. 1t has impOveris' ed many
industries to subsidize few 1t prohibit imports
that might purchase the products of American
labor; IL has degraded American commerce from
the nrst TO an inferior rank upon the high
seas 1t has cut down the sales of American
manufactures at home and abroad, and depleted
me returns of American agriculture. an industry
followed by half our people. 1t costs the people
i've times more than 1t produces to the Treasury
obstructs the process Of production, and wastes
the fruits of labor. it promotes fraud, fosters
smuggling. enriches dishonest officials and bank
rupts honest merchants. We demand that all Gus
courthouse taxation shall be only for revenue.
j. Reform is necessary in the scale of public ex-
pense, Federal State and municipal Cur Federal
taxation has swollen iron S60.Q00.O60 in gold in
1860 TO $500 0,000 in CT rrency in 1870; our aogre-
gate taxation from 1854, 000OC0 in gold in
1850 TO $3.50 900 900 in currency in 1870; in one
decade from less than five dollars per head to
more than eighteen dollars per head. Since the
peace. the people have paid to their tax-gatherers
more than thrice the sum of the National debt and
more than twice that sum for the Federal Govern
ment alone We demand a rigorous frugality in
every department and from every officer of the
Government.