Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-06-29
EVENING STAR.
ST. LOUIS CONVENTION.
The DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
TILDEN FOR PRESIDENT.
HIS NOMINATION ON SECOND BALLOT.
THE PLATFORM AS ADOPTED.
The CURRENCY WRANGLE.
ST. LOUIS. CONVENTION.
THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
T1LDEN FOR PRESIDENT.
HIS NOMINATION ON SECOND BALLOT.
THE PLATFORM AS ADOPTED.
The CURRENCY WRANGLE.

We commence our report of the st. Louis
convention TO day with the platform in full,
as reported, "a large portion of which was
printed In our third edition last evening"
following which Will ne found the lively dis
cussion OF the financial plank, fiual adoption
of the platform, nomination OF Tilden on the
second ballot. and his remarks when he heard
the news. together with press comments on
the domination, which closes the record of
last night.
The Platform.
Lieut.. Governor Dorsheimer, of New York,
read the report OF the committee on resolu-
lions at the chairman's desk as follows:
We, the delegates of the democratic party
of the United States in national convention
assembled, do hereby declare the admins
tration of the federal government to be in
urgent need Of Immediate reform; do hereby
enioin upon the nominees of this convention
and OF the democratic party in each state a
Jealous effort and CO operation to this end,
and do hereby appeal To our fellow citizens
dertake with us this first and most pressing
patriotic duty for the democracy OF the
whole country, we do here reaffirm our faith
in the permanency of the federal union. our
devotion to The Cons titution of the Unito1
States with its amendments universally &c
cepted as final settlement OF the contro-
vers1es that engendered civil war, and do
here record our steadfast confidence In the
perpetufty OF republican selfgovernment
absolute dCQules6uce III the Will OF the
majority, the vital principle of republics,
in the supremacy Of the civil over the mill
tary 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 own enact
ment 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,
we behold the noblest products of
hundred years of changeful history;
but while UNFOLDING the bond of our
Union and great charter OF these our rights.
1t behOoves free people to practice also that
eternal vigilance which is the price of lib
establish in the hearts OF the whole people
the Union eleven years ago happily rescued
from the danger of a corrupt centralism
which. after inficting upon the states the
rapacity of carpet bag tyrannies, has honey
com bed the offices of the federal government
itself With incapaclty, waste and fraud,
infected states and municipalities with the
contagiOn of misrule and locked fast the
prosperity OF an Industrious people In the
paralysis of hard times. Reform is neces-
sary 10 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 tenders notes which are q changing
standard of value in the hands of the people
and the nom payment OF which Is disregard
OF the plighted faith OF the nation. We de-
nounce the improvtdence which In eleven
y
federal taxes thirteen times the whole
amount Of the legal tender notes, and so uan-
dered four times this sum in useless expense
redemption. We denOunce the financial i'm
becility and immortality of that party which
during eleven years Of peace has made no
has INSTRUCTED resumption by wasting our
resources and exhaustiDg all our
surplus income and while annually
protesting TO intend a speedy return
TO specie payments has annually enacted
fresh hindrances thereto. As such q hind
rance we denounce the resumption clause of
peal. We demand judicious system of pre-
paration by public economies, by official re.
trenchments, and by wise finance which
world OF It's perfect ability and its perfect
readiness to meet any of its promises at
the call OF the creditor entitled TO payment,
and We believe such a system wen devised.
and above all entrusted TO competent hands
for execution, creating at no time an arti-
hcial scarcity OF currency, and at no time
alarming the public mind into withdrawal
OF that vaster machinery of credit by which
ninety five per cent OF all business transac-
tions are performed, a system open, public,
and inspiring general confidence, would, from
the day of Its adoption, bring healing on fts
wings to all our harrsssed INDUSTRY. and
set In motion the wheels OF commerce, man
ufactures and the mechanical arts; restore
national source the prosperity OF the people
Reform is necessary in the form aud mode
OF federal taxation, to the end that capital
may be set free from distrust and labor light
~ buIdened. We denounce the present tariff
levied upon nearly 0O0 articles as q MASTER
piece OF injustice, inequality and false pre-
tense. IL yields dwindling not yearly
rising revenue. 1t has impoverished many
industries 10 subsidize a few. 1t prohibits
imports that might purchase the products of
American labor. II has degraded American
commerce from the first To an inferior rank
upon the high seas. It has cut down the
safes or American manufactures at home
END abroad, and depleted the returns OF
American agriculture and industry, folIoy-
ed by half OF our people. 1t costs the people
I'VE times more than IL produces TO the trsa-
sury, obstTucts the processes of production
and wastes the fruits of labor. It promotes
fraud and fosters smuggling, enriches dis
fonest ofneials and bankruptS honest mer-
chants. We demand that all custom house
taxation shall be only for revenue.
Reform Is necessary In the scale of public
expense-federal,s state and municipal. Our
federal taxation has swollen from SEQ, 900 900
Our aggregate taxation from sI5i 900 600 on
gold In 1850 TO $3.50 900 900 currency In 1870 or
In one decade from less than I've 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 government alone. We
demand vigorous frugality in every de-
partment and from every officer of the gov
TDment.
Reform is necessary to put stop to the
diversion from actual settlers by the party
In power, which has squandered two hum
dred million OF acres upon railroads alone.
and out OF more than thrice that a2gregate
has disposed OF less than sixth directly 70
tillers Of the soil. Reform is necessary To
correct the omissions Of the republican Com
gIess and the errors OF our treaties and our
diplomacy which have stripped our fellow
citizens Of foreign birth and kindred race
recrossing the Atlantic of the shield OF Amer
lean citizenship, and have exposed our breth.
rem Of the Pacific coast TO the incursions Of q
race not sprung from the same great parent
stock. and In fact now by law denied citizen
ship through naturalization, as being neither
accustomed 70 the traditions Of o progressive
CIVILIZATION nor exercised In liberty under
equal Laws.
We denounce the policy which thus dis
caIcs the liberty-lovfng Germans and tole-
rates the revival OF the coolie trade In Non.
eolian women imported for immoral pur.
poses and Mongolian men hired 10 perform
servfle labor contracts, and We demand such
modification OF the treaty with the Chinese
empire. or such legislation by Con9resa.
within constitutional Limitation, as shall
prevent the further importation or immigra-
ton OF the Mongolian race.
Reform Is necessary, and can never be
effected but by making it the controlling
issue Of the elections and lifting IL above the
two false issues with which the odice-hold-
fng class and the party In power seek 10