The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-07-06

portation or immigration Of the Mon
golian race.
Reform is necessary and can never
be effected but by making it the con-
trolling issue of the elections and lift
ing it above the two false issues with
which the oficeholding class and par
ty in power seek to smother it. The
false issue with which they would en-
kindle sectarian strife in respect to the
public schools, of which the establish
ment and support belong exclusively
to the several States, and which the
Democratic party has cherished from
their foundation, and is resolved to
maintain without partiality or creed,
and without contributing from the
Treasury to any false issue by which
they seek to light anew the dying en-
bers of sectional hate between kindred
people once unnaturally estianged,
but now reunited in one indivisible
republic and a common destiny.
Reform is necessary in the civil SER
vice. Experience proves that an eff,
ficient and economical conduct of the
governmental business is not possible
if its civil service be subject to change
at every election, and be a prize
fought for at the ballot,box, be a
briefreward of party zeal instead of
posts of honor assigned for proved
competency and held for fidelity in
the public employ; that the dispensing
Ct patronage should neither be tax
upon the time of all our public men,
northe time of their ambition. Here
again professions falsifed in the per-
formance attest that the party in pow
er can work out no practical or salu-
tary reform.
Reform is necessary even more in
the higher grades of public service.
The 7 .ident, Vice President, Judges
Senators, Representatives, Cabinet
officers-these and all others in author>
ity are the peoples servants; their
offices are not private prerequisite,
they are a public trust. When the
annals of the public records show the
disgrace and censure Of a Vice Presi-
dent, a late Speaker of the House of
Representatives is marketing his rul-
ings as presiding officer; three Sem
ators profiting secretly by their votes
as lawmakers; five ehairmen of leads
ing committees Of the late House of
Representatives exposed in jobbery; a
late Secretary Of the Treasury for
forcing a balance in the public &C
counts; a late Attorney General mis-
appropriating public funds; a Secreta-
ry of the Navy enriched or enriching
friends by percentages leviee off the
profits ofcontractors with his Depart
ment; an ambassador to England CEN
sured in a dishonorable speculation;
the Presidents private Secretary bare
ly escaping conviction upon trial for
guilty completely in frauds upon the
revenues; a Secretary of War i'm
peached for high crimes and confess
ed misdemeanors.
The demonstration is complete that
the first step in reform must be the
peoples choice of honest men from
another, party, lest the disease of one
political organization infest the body
polite, and lest, by making no change
OF men or party, we can get change of
measures and reform. All these abu>
ses, wrongs and crimes, the product of
sixteen years ascendency of the Re
publican party, create necessity for
reform, confessed by Republicans
themselves, but their rcformers are
voted down in the convention and dis.
placed from the Cabinet. The party's
mass of honest voters is powerless to
resist the eighty thousand ofice-hol-
ders. Its leaders and guides can only
be held by a peaceful civicrevolution.
We demand change of the system,
a change of the administration, a
change of parties, that we may have
a change of members and of men.
Resolved, That this Convention,
representing the Democracy of the
United States, do cordially indorse the
action Of the present House of Rep
resentatives -applause] in reducing
and cGrtailing the expenses of the
Federal Government, in cutting down
salaries, extravagant appropriations,
and in abolishing useless offices and
places not required by public necessi-
ties, and we shall trust to the frmness
of the Democratic members of the
House, that 70 committee nor confer
ence misinterpretation of the rules
will be allowed to defeat the whole
some measures Of economy demanded
by the country.
Resolved, That the soldiers and
sailors of the Republic, and the widows
and orphans of tn 3se who have fallen
i'll battle, have a just claim upon the
care, protectionsand gratitude of their
fellow citizens,
Minority Report.
The following is the minority re-
port submitted, but not adopted.
The undersigned, members of the
Committee, recommend that the fol-
lowing clause in the Resolutions, re.
ported by the Committee, be stricken
out: GAS such hindrance we denounce
the resumption clause Of the Act of
1875, and we here demand its repeal"
[cheers, and they recommend that
there be Substituted for that clause
the following:
The law for the resumption ofspe-
Gle payments on the 1st Of January,
1879, having been enacted by the Re
publican party without deliberation
in Congress or discussion before the
people, and being both Intellectual to
secure its objects, and highly injurious
to the business of the country, ought
to be forthwith repealed. TCheers. I
THos. EWING, Ohio,
ID. w, VOORHEES,. Ind.