The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-07-15
The Democratic Platform

Convention dsstltbiru, 40 hcIeng uSSt"le
I'm, administration IF the Federal Govern
mrut to be in an urgent need Of immediate
reform. aud wc uu hereby cnJuln upon the
nominees VI this cunN enuon, ana OF the
Democratic party iu each state, Jealous
effort and cu-op ration 70 TINS end, and do
hereby appeal tu our felioN-cltIzens OF
every former political connection 10 under
takt .Uith us tlis hrst and most pressing
patriotic duty.
For The Democracy Of the whole country
VIE do here reatirm our faith III the per
inauence II the Federal mon, our devo-
ton Us the Constitution ~ the mted
States. with hts amendments, universally
accented as a final settlement IF the con
trpyerslls that gugeudered civil war, and
du ~ record pur stcad.ast confidence IN
tue ~ petu " publican se.f-govern-
--TTeut VII al absolt acluiesctn e IN the
stu az he Iualorit the vital principle u
the republic, III the supremacy u the civil
over rHe military authorities, the total
,,tarattlu VI church ana state, for the sake
alike uf civil ami religious freedom; lu the
equality ut all citizens before the Just laws
al their own enactment III the liberty Of
individual conduct hy sumptuary laws, IN
WY faithful education vt the rising gem
Grafton. that they may preserve, enjoy and
transmit these best conditions Of human
happiness and hope We behold the no
bItsi product ~ 4 hundred years ~ change
ful history. Butt while upholding the bond
ut our Z mon and the great charter Of these
our rights, IJ behuovrs free people 70
practice. also, that eternal vigilance which
Is The price ID liberty.
Reform "a necessary 10 rebuild and es-
tsbush iu the hearts uf the whole people
lt time Ji1ou. eleven years ago happily
rescued FROM the danger 81 a secession OF
States. int nov "a be saved from a corrupt
csutrl ism. which. after mtiIctng upon
Ten States the rapacity of carpet-ha tyran-
mes. has houev-combed the offices Of the
Federal Government itself With Incapaclty,
waste and fraud infected states and mum
CAPABILITIES with the cOutagIOu Of mlsrule,
and locked fast the prosperity Of an indus
trous people n the paralysis Of hard
faues.
Reform IS necessary To establish sound
currency. restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor We de-
uounce the failure for ali these eleven
years 20 make good the promise Of all the
legal-teudcr notes which are changing
standard W. yalue in the hands If the peo-
pIe. ana thv upu-paynent Of which is a
disregard uf rhl pllghted faith Of the ma
uuu-
We d.uouuce the nnprovidence which
~ eleven years ny peace has taken from
the people lu Federal taxes thirteen times
tho whole amount of the legal-tender
notes. aud sguaudercd four times this sum
90 useless expense. without accommodating
any reserve fur their redemption.
WE deuoguce he financial imbecility
and immortality rf that uarty which during
eleven years ot peace has made no advance
tp~a ard resumption, and 40 preparation for
resumption, bur. instead, has Obstructed
resumption by wasting our resources and
yAlAustin- all our surplus income, and,
slle annually protesting 20 intend
speeay return t1 specie payments, has an
uuaily enacted fresh hIudrauces thereto.
AZ such 3 hudranc- Se denOunce the re-
sumption clause uf the act o1 1919, and We
hereby demand is repeal
Me demand a IudIcluus system u pre-
larlu.u 81 public economies, by official
r.tr-u,lmyut. ana BY finance which shall
enable the nation soon ~ assure the whole
Epr.d NJ it. perfect ability and ne perfect
readiness e. meet any y its promises at
TIE Call - The creditor entitled u pay
meuJ. we believe such system, well
devised, ana above all iutrusted to compe-
teut hands for execution creating al no
time al artificial currency, and at no time
alarming the public mind into a with
draUal " that yaster machinery IF credit
hy which % per cent. 81 all business trans
.,ctions are Performed system open 10
the public aud inspiring General con
ndei.ce- would, from the day Of its adop-
ton. buug healing On It's wings To all our
harrassed Industries, set n motion the
wheels oi commerce, manu- lectures and
the mechanical arts, restore employment
~ labor, and renew ia all a. national
sources the prosperity Of the PeoI Y.
Reform u necessary IN the I'M and
mode 4i Federal taxation. u the end that
ap.tai may he st free from distrust, and
.aboI lightly burdened We denOunce the
present taur ievies upon nearly 1900 art
lcles aA a master piece u injustice, in
equality and false practice. 1t yields
a~lr--iuZ. uot yearly rising, revenue.
u has BlyDytr lshed many industries to
subs.dIze Z fea II prohibits imports that
might purchase the products Of American
labor lt has degraded American com
merCc, from ,hv first, 70 an inferior rank
upor ..le highs seas. IL has cut down the
sales ~ American manufactures AZ home
and abroad, and depleted the returns Of
American agriculture, an industry fol-
lowed by half our people. IL costs The PEG
PIE tive times more than 1t produces to
the treasury, obstructs the process of pro-
-ductfOn and wastes the fruits Of labor 1t
promotes fraud, fosters smuggling, en-
riches dishonest officials and bankrupts
honest merchants We demand that all
Custom House taxation shall be only for
revenue.
Reform is necessary III the scale Of pub
lie expense, Federal, State and municipal.
Our Federal taxation has swollen from
500. OOO. 600 III gold III 1860, to $3.50, OO0, =
900 in currency IN 1870, or, in one decade,
from less than s. per head TO more than
SIS per head. Since the peace, the people
have paid to their aKgatherers more than
thrice the sum Of the national debt, and
.sore than twice that sum for the Federal
Government alone. We demand a Wig
orous frugality in every department and
from every officer Of the Government.
Reform is necessary to put stop to the
profigate waste OF the public lands, and
their diversion from actual settlers by the
party IN power, which has squandered
200, 600, 900 Of acres upon railroads alone,
and out Of more than thrice that aggregate
has disposed of less than sixth directly
to tillers of the soil.
Reform is necessary to correct the omis-
sions Of Republican Congress and the
errors Of our treaties and our diplomacy,