The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-06-30


us this first and most pressing patriotic duty
for the democracy of the whole country. We
do here affirm our faith in the permanency
OF the federal Union, our devotion to the con-
stltution of the United States, with its amend
ments, universally accepted as final settle
ment of the controversies that engendered the
civil war, and do here record our steadfast
confidence i'll the perpetuity Of republican self
government; in absolute acqueScencc in the
VIII OF The majority, the vital principle of re-
publlcs; in the supremacy ofthc civil over mill
tary authority i'm the total separation ofchurch
and state for the sake alike of civil and re-
ligious freedom, in the equality of all 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, we behold the
modest products ola hundred years ofchange-
full history; but while unfolding the bond of
our Union and great charter of these, our
rights, it lbehooyes II free people to practice
also the eternal vigilance which is the price
of liperty,
Reform is necessary to rebuild and estab-
fish in the hearts of the whole people the
Union eleven years ago happily rescued from
the dangers of secession of States, but now
to be saved from corrupt centralism which,
after intlcting upon ten States the rapacity
of carpet bag tyrannies has honcycombed
the offices of the federal government itself
with incapacity, 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 necessary to establish n
sound currency, restore the public credit and
maintain the national honor. We denounce
the failure for all these eleven years to make
good the promises of the legal tender notes,
which are changing standard of value in
the hands of the people, and the non payment
of which is disregard of the pliglted faith
Of the nation. We denounce the IMPROVE
dence which i'll eleven years of peace has
taken from the people in federal taxes thir-
teen times the whole amount of the legal.
tender notes, and squandercd four times this
sum in useless expense without accommodating
any revenue for their redemption. We de-
nOuncc the financial imbeclity and immOr-
atty of that party which during eleven years
of peace has made no advance towards re-
sumption that instead has obstructcd re-
sumption by wasting our resources, and cx-
hausting all our surplus income, and while
annually protesting TO intend speedy re-
| turn to specie payments has annually enact
ed fresh hindrances thereto; ms such him
Of the act of 1875, and we here demand its
repeal. We demand n judicious system of
preparation by public economies, by official
retrenchmcns and by wise finance which
shall enable the nation soon 10 assure the
whole world of its perfect ability and lis
perfect readiness TO meet any of lis promises
at the call of the creditor entitled to PAYMENT.
We believe such a system, well devised, and
above all entrusted to competent hands for
| execution, creating ut no time an artificial
scarcity OF currency, and ut no time alarming
| the public mind into withdrawal of that
| yastcr machinery Of credit by which nine
| ty-tiVe per cent. of all business llunsac-
| tons are performed. A system 0pcn public
and inspiring general confidence would from
the day of its adoption bring healing on its
| wings TO all our harassed industry, and set
| in motion the wheels of commerce, manllfac.
| lures and tie mechanical arts, restore en-
| ployment to labor and renew in all its nalu-
raj force the prosperity Of the people.
Reform is necessary in the form and mode
, of federal taxation, to the end that capital
may be set free from distrust and labor light
| ly burdencd. We dcnouncc the present tariff
| levied upon nearly four thousand articles as
| n masterpiece Of injustice, inequality and
| false pretensc. 1t yields dwindling not Il
| yearly rising revenue. 1t las impoverished
| many industries TO subsidizc q few. 1t pro-
hibils imports that might purchase the pro-
| ducts of American labor. 1t las degraded
American commerce from the first to an in
ierior rank upon high seas. 1t has cut down
| the sales of American manufactures at home
and abroad, and depleted the returns of
American agriculture and industry, followed
by half of our people. 1t costs the people
five times more than it produces to the trea-
sury, obslructs the processes of production
| and wastes the fruits oflabor 1t promotes
| fraud and fosters smuggling, cnriChcs dis
honest officials and bankrupts honest mcr-
chants. We demand that all custom house
taxation shall be only for revenue.
Reform is necessary in the scale of public
eXpensc-tederal, State and municipal Our
federal taxation has swollen from 100000, 600
gold in 1860 to $450,000,000 currency in
1870. Our aggregate taxation from $154,-
600, 600 gold in 1860 to $730, 100000 curren-
cy in 1870; or 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 gathercrs more than
thrice the sum of the national debt, and more
than twice that sum for the federal govern
ment alone. We demand vigorous fru-
gality in every department and from every
| officer OF the government.
Reform is necessary to put stop TO the
proiligatc waste Of public lands and their di-
version from actual settlers by the party in
power, which has squandcrcd two hundred
millions Of acres upon railroads alone, and
out of more than thrice that aggregate has
disposed of less than sixth directly to til
lcrs OF the soil. Reform is necessary to cor
rect the omissions of the Republican Con.
| gross and the errors of our treaties and our
diplomacy which have stripped our fellow
citizens OF foreign birth and kindred race re-
crossing the Atlantic Of tho shield of Amcri-
can citizenship, and have exposed our breth-
| rem OF the Pacific coast TO the inOursions 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 to the traditions of progressive
civilization nor exercised in liberty under
equal laws.
| We dcnouncc the policy which thus dis
cards the liberty loving German and toler-
utcs the revival of the coolic trade in Mon.
golian women imported for immoral pur-
poses and Monaghan men hired 10 pcrform
servilG labor contracts, and we demand such
modification of the treaty with the Chinese
empire, on such legislation by Congress,
within constitutional limitation, rs shall
prevent the further importation or immgra-
ton Of the Monaghan race
IL form is necessary, and can never be eff
| fcclcd but by making it, the controlling issue
of the elections and lifting it above the two
false issues with which the otlicc-hol;linp
class and the party in power seek to smother
| it.
We denouncc the false issue with which
they would cnkindlG scclaIian strife in re-
spect to the public schools, of which the es-
adjustment and support belongs exclusively
to the several States, and which the Demo-
cratic party has cherished from their foun-
datioD, and resolved to maintain without
partially or preference for any class, sect or