The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-28
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text as Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted at -. Louis. June Is. 1876.

con, entioL and OF the democratic party IN
e ,ch state. a Jealous effort and 30 opera
ton To this end, and do hereby appeal 10
| our fellow citizens Of every former political
! connection 10 undertake with IL hi. tfst
an most pressing patriotic duty.
TIN UNION. IHK CoNsIITC1JOS. EErTBL.-
CAS SkLt.GoN kK>MKNr
For the democracy OF the whole country
we do hereby reaftifm our faith ia the per-
manence OF the federal union: our devotion
To the constitution OF the llted States.
with its eLdments universally accepted
AZ the mai settlement OF The contTol ersie :
that engendered civil War. and do here re-
cord our stesdtast confidence ia the perpe
tuitv Of republican .elt-Zovernme
1HE FIRST CENTURY.
10 absolute acqriiescenee 10 the will oil
the m.jority-the vital principle OF repjb.
hes: 10 the supremacy of the civil over the
military authority, In tue totsi &c psiation OF
church and state, TOR the sake alike OF civil
and Religious freedoms: in the equallt, VI
81. citizens before lust laws OF their own EN-
.c,ment; ia the liberty OF Individual COZ
duct, uhypXed by .umptuary laws: in the
faithful education OF the rising generation,
that they may preserve. enjoy and TRANSMIT
these best conditions of human happiness.
ani hope We behold the noblest products of
u hundred years OF changeful history; but
great charter OF these great rights, i: be-
hooves free people 10 practice also that
eternal vigilance which 1. the price of
liberty.
REFoRM-CoRRuPT!ON
Reform is necessary to build aud establish
in the hearts ~ the whole people the union,
eleven year, gohappily rescued from The
danger OF y secession OF states but now to
be taved from a corrupt centralism, viii th.
after inficting upoa ten States the rapaciiy
Of carpet-bag tyrsnnies, has hOue v combed
the offices OF the federal government itself
with incapacity, waste and fraud: infacte d
States and municipalities with the conta-
glon OF mi srule. and locked fast the pros
perity OF An industrious people i'm the pa.
ralysis of hard times.
REFORM OF THE CURRENCY-sPECIE
PAYMENTS.
Ktforas IL necessary TO 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 tender
notes, which are 4 changing standard OF
value In the hands OF the people, and the
non payment of which Is i der. gard OF the
phgbted faith OF the nation.
We denounce the improyidence which in
eleven years of peace has taken from the
whole amount of the legsl tender notes
and squandered iOuI times this sum 10 use.
lees expense, without accommodating any re.
serve Tor their redemption. We denOunce
the financial imbecilily and immortality OF
that party which. during eleven years oil
peace. has made no advance toward re
! demptiOn: no preparation tor RESUMPTION
but, Instead, has obstructed resumption b,
! wasting our resources and eyhausting al
our surplus income, and while annually
protesting TO intend a speedy return IL
specis payment, has annually enacted fresh
hiudrances theretO-as such hindrance
we denOupce the RI sumption clause OF the
act of 1873, and we demand its repeal.
We demand judiciOus system OF pre-.
paration, by public economies, BY otticia
retrenchment. and by the finances, which
shall enable the nation soon to assure the
Whole world OF its perfect ability aud IL.
perfect readiness to meet any OF its prom.
ises al the call of the creditor entitled Ia
payment.
We believe such a system, well devised
aud, above all. entrusted u competent
hands for its execution, Great ny ut no time
an artificial scarcity OF currency, and AT nc
time alarming the public mind INTO with
drawal OF that vast machinery OF credit by
which 81 per cent. OF all our business tran:
actions are performed: system open to
the public aud inspiring general confidence
| would, from the day of its adoption. bring
healing on its wings to all oilr hsrrassed ia.
dnstries, set in motion the wheels Of com.
merce, manufactures and the mechanlca
arts, restore employment to labor. and re.
! new In all It's national sources the prosper.
| lily OF the people.
REFORM OF THE TARIFF-FREE TRADE.
R,rorHa Is necessary IN the SUN ana mode
! OF federal taxation, 10 the end that capitai
may he set tree from distruSt and iah,I
lightly burdened. We denounce the pres.
ent tarin levied upon nearly four thousand
articles AS master piece Of injustice, in
equality and false pretense. 1t yields a
| uWindllng, not yearly rising revenue, II
has impoverished many Industries TO sub.
sidiLe Anew; IT prohibits imports that mig ht
| purchase .he products of American l,bors.
II has degraded American commerce from
the hrst TO an inferior rank upon the high
| seas; II has cut down the sales of Amerioaa
manufactures at home an 4 abroad, and de.
pIeted the returns OF American agriculture,
an industry followed by halt our peOple. Ii
costs the people five times more than il pro
duces To tie treasury; Obstruets the process
Of production and wastes the fruits of la.
DOT IL promotes fraud, fosters Smuggling.
ehfiches dishonest officials and BANKRUPT,
honest merchants. We demand III ii all
custom house taxation shall lie only ioI
revenue.
REFORM -ECoNoMY IL PUBLIC Expense
HJorm Is necessary In the scale OF public
eNpense-federal. State and municipal.
our federal taxation has swollen from sixty
millions gold, in 1850, to tour hundred and
nifty millions currency, In 1870. Dur sggre.
gate taxation. IRON one hundred and fiity.
four millions gold IN 1860, To seven hundred
Anu thitty unions currency 10 $50. or In
one decade, from lees than i've dollars Der
mead to more than eighteen dollars De mead
shce Tue peace the people have paid n
theif tsx-sstherers more than thrics the
sum OF the national debt, and more m
| twice that sum Tor the federal government,
alone. We demand vigorous lrugsli1y i'm
every department, and from every otdc ~
OF the government.
knFokM-pUBLic LANDS TO ACTUAL. s.T.
TLGRs.
AI"H. IN necessary 10 put q stop To the
pron'gote waste of the public lands and
their INVERSION from actual settlers NV ill.,
ps,E IN power, which has smlanJersd
IN amount Of more than tbri,e ,hs. a,,' ~"
gate, has disposed OF less than "A siy,h.,i
recliy TO the tiller- Of the coil. "''
SEfokM-ADoPTED CITIZENS. RrIrcrpo
nOSGOLs.
Ag.M |" hscesszr. 10 correct the omm l..
non OF republican congres IS ana ,hs 81. ~ -
OF our treaties aud our diplomacy wh,e
nave stripped our feliow-citizens OF ioraiao
cu.n suu A.uuteu race, reerossing the A.
s ahi e shle'a OF American citizen.
Pacific coast 70 the incursious OF . Tsc ~ ,he
sprung from the same great paren, s,.Ip'
and, In Tact, now by law ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a.
through naturalization, asheing nsI,t'niP
'e"s'''nta 70 the traditions OF proyr..-,