The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-07-12
PL A TIE OR Nj
ADOPTED BY
The DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATIVE CONVENTION,
j L y + = .I49G

IIeI, UeTeTT -TTIIIUu
of the Federal government TO be in great
need Of immediate reform, and do hereby
Join upon the nominees OF this convention and
of the Democratic party in each State a zeal
Gus effort and cooperation To this end, and do
here appeal to our feliow-citizens Of every
former political connection to undertake with
this first and most pressing patriotic duty.
For the Democracy Of the whole country we
do here re-aitrn our faith in the permancnce
of he Federal Union our devotion to the
Constitution of the United States. with it,
anne ndmeuts. universally accepted a. n final
settlement OF the controversies that engcnder-
ca the civil war, and DO here record our stead
fast confidence IN the pcrpetalty Of republican
enlargement; in absolute acquleseence in
the will Of the maJ0rity-the vital principle
of republics; IN the supremacy Of the civil
over the military; in the total separation Of
Church and State. for the sake alike Of civil
and rel gious freedom in the equality Of alI
citizens before jgst laws Of their own enact
meut; 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 happ ness and hope,
we behold the notlest products ola hundred
years Of changciul history
But while uphoIding the bond Of our Union
and the great charter of these our rights. it
behooyes D free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which Is the price of liberty.
Reform IL necessary 10 rebuild and establish
in the hearts Of she whole people the Union
eleven years ago happily rescued from the
saved from d corrupt ceutrali-EI, which after
inlicting upon ten States the rApacity Of car
peL-bag attorneys, has hOney-COmbed the offices
of the Federal government itself with incapaci-
ty waste and fraud, infected States and mu-
inequalities with the contagiOn Of misrule, and
locked fast the prosperity of an industrious
people IN the ParaIys OF hard times reform
is necessary 10 establish a sound currency,
restore the public credit and maintain the ma
tIonal honor.
We denounce the failure for all these eleven
years TO make good the promise of the legal
lender notes which are a changing standard of
value in the hands Of the people, and the non
pa yment Of which Is disregard Of the plight
ed faith Of the nation.
We denounce the improvidence which in
eleven years Of peace has taken from the peo-
ple in Federal taxes, thirteen times the whole
amount Of the legal tender notes, and squan-
dered four times their sum in useless exper Sc,
without accommodating any reserve for their
redemption.
We denounce the financial imbecility and
immortality of that party which, during eleven
years Of peace, has made advance to-
ward resumption, made no preparation for
resumption; but instead has INSTRUCTED re
sumption by wasting our resources and eX-
hausting MI our surplus iucome-and. while
annually protesting to intend speedy return
to specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hindrances thereto. As such Il him
drance we denounce the res sumption clause Of
the act of 1875, and we here demand its re
peal.
We demand n judicious system Of prepara-
ton, by public economies, by official retrench-
ments, and by wise finance, which shall ena-
Bile the nation soon to assure the whole world
of it's perfect ability and its perfect readiness
to meet any of its promises Mt the call of the
creditor entitled TO payment We believe
such a system, well advised and, above all, in
trusted to competent hands for execution,
creating at no time artificial scarcity of
currency and at no time alarming the public
mind into a withdrawal of that vast ma
oh,
cent. of our business transactions is perform
ed--a system, open and public, and inspi-
ring general confidence. would, from the day
Of it's adoption, bring healing on its wings to
AL our harassed industries, set in motion the
wheels OF commerce. manufactures and the
mechanic arts. restore employment TO labor,
and renew in all its sources the prosperity
OF the people.
Reform is necessary in the sum and mode
OF Federal taxation, to the end that capital
may be set free from dstrust and labor light
" hurdened. We denouncc the present tariff
levied upon nearly four thousand articles ;
masterpiece of injustice, inequality and false
pPetense, which yields dwiudliug, not yearly
rising revenue; it has impoverished many in
dustries TO subsidize a few it 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; it has cut down the walls
ofAmerican manufactures al home and abroad;
il has depleted the returns of American
agriculture-an industry followed by half our
people; it costs the peopletiye times more than
ii produces TO the treasury il Obstructs the pro-
cess of production and wastes the fruits Of la
Dor 1t promotes fraud, fosters smuggling,
enriches dishonest officials and b0nkrupts
honest merchants. We demand that all GUS
tom-hOuse taxation shall be only for revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scale of public
eXpense-Federal, State and Municipal. Our
Federal taxation has swollen from sixty mil
lion dollars in gold in 1850 to four hundred
and fifty million dollars in currency in 1870 4
our aggregate ia Ration from one hundred and
ffty-four millions in gold in 1860 to seven
hundred and thirty million dollars in curren-
CIV in 1870, or III one decade from less than FIVE
dollars per head TO more than eighteen dol
lars per head. Since the peace the people have
paid to their tax-gathercrs more than thrice
the sum of the national debt, and more than
twice that for the Federal government
alone. We demand rigorous frugality in
every department and from every officer of
the government.
Reform is necessary 10 put a stop to the
prohigate waste of public lands and their di-
version from actual settlers by the party in
power, which has squandered two hundred mil
lions of sores upon railroads alone, and
out of more than thrice that aggregate has
disposed of less than sixth directly to the TIL
lors of the soil.
Reform is necessary to correct the omissions
of Il Republican congress and tho errors Of
our treaties and our diplomacy, which haze
stripped fellow-citizenS OF foreign birth
and kindred race, re-crasing the Atlantic
have exposed our brethren OF the Pacific
coast to the iHcurSious of race not sprung
from the same great parent stock. and in fact,
now by law denied citizenship through natu-
traditions Of a progressive civilization, and /
unexercised in liberty under equal laws. |
We denounce the policy which thus diScards |
The hberty-loylng German and tolerates the |
revival of the Coolie trade In Monaghan wo- |
men imported for immoral purposes, and Mon !
Rolisn men held to perform scrvile labor con-
/, 1
fcations Of the treaty with the Chinese en- /
pire, and sue. legislation by Congress. within |
constitutional liaiitation, as shall prevent the /
further Importation or immigration of the |
hongoiian race.
Reform Ia necessary and can never be effect I
cd but by making IL the controlling Issue of |
the election and lifting it above the two false /
issues with which the 0ibce-holdjng class and /
party in power seek - smother list the false /
issues with which they would enkindle secta-
rian strife ia respect to the public schools, of /
which the establishment and support belong
exclusively 10 the several safes and which
the Democratic party has cherished from their
and is resolved to maintain with
Gut Partially or preference for any class. |
sex creed, aud without contributions
{ rom the treasury to any. 2i. The false issue !
by which they seek - Ii ght anew the dying en- |
bers of sectional hate between kindred peoples /
once unnaturaily estranged, but now reunited
IA one IndlNIsIble republic and common des
tiny.
hSiDEh Is necessary IN the civil service.
proves that efficient and
economical conduct of the government Is not
possible If its syil service be subject TO change
at every electioH--if ii be a prize fought f5r
at the ballot-boN-or if it be an approved re-
ward of party zeal instead Of posts Of honor
8 ssigned for approved competency and held
for fidelity IN the public employ. That the
dispensing Of patronage should neither be =
tax upon the time Of our pnblic men, nor an
Instrument of their ambition Here. again.
professions falsifed in the performance attest
hat the party in power can work out no prac. !
ical or salutary reform.
Reform is necessary even more in the higher
trades of The public Standardization, Vice ,
bnnrilnnt i,rd.rns snnntnrs rernra -. |