The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-10-25
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM.
Official Text rs Reported by the
Committee.
Adopted at 1T. Louis. Jane -. 1870.

| We, the delegates of the democratic
marty of the United states. in national con.
1 ,ention assembled, Go hereby declare the
| administration OF the federal government
| TO be in urgent eed OF immediate reform;
do hereby cnjoin upon the nominees of this
| convention, and OF the democratic party in
G tch State. jealous effort ana 60 opera
ton to this end. and do hereby appeal 10
| Gus iellow.citiZens of every former political
! connection to undertake with us hi. IFS
| an most pressing patriotic duty.
THE UNION. THE CONSTITUTION. REPUBL-
CAS- sELr-GoNEfNMENT.
| For the democracy Of the whole country,
we do hero by reaflirm our faith ia the per-
! manence of the ieocral union: our devotion
II the constitution OF the United states.
with its amei. dments universally accepted
a. tue final settlement OF the controversies
that engendered civil War. ami Ito here re-
cord our stead'sst cor titence in the peTpe.
| tuity of repubican self-goyernment
THE FIRST CENTURY.
ln ab olute acquiescence in the will OF
| the msjority--ihe vital principle of replb-
lies. in tue supremacy # the civil over the
! military authority. in tie totai separation Of
church and state, for the sake alike OF civil
and religious freedoms: in the equality Of
all citizens before Just laws OF theil own en-
4
duct. unveXed by sumptuary laws; in the
| faithful education OF The rising generation,
! that they may preserve. enjoy and transmit
| these best conditions Gf human happiness.
| and hope We behold the nob.est products OF
| a hundred years OF changeiul history; but
while unfolding tie bond OF our union and
great charter OF these great rights. i: be-
hooyes q fee people TO practi,e also that
eternal vigilance which I. the price of
liberty.
REFogM-CORRUrT!o
Reform is necessary TO build and establish
in the hearts o, the whole people the union,
eleven years ago happily rescued from he
danger OF secession OF states but now TO
hc saved from corrupt cehtralism. viii b.
AFTER tiiiictinT upon ten States the rapaci
OF carpet bag t!rannies, has hone y. combed
the Offices OF tue federal goycrnme Mt itself
with incapaciiy, waste and ira1d: Injected
States and municipalities with the conta-
glon OF mi.rule. and locked fast the pros
perity OF an industrious people in the pa
ralysi. o. hard tines.
REF ,IM OF THE CuResNCY-sprClE
PAYMENTS.
REFORM is Necessary 70 establish a solud
| currency, ,e>.ore the public credit and
maintain the national honor We denounre
the failure for all these eleven years to
make good the promise of the legal tender
notes, which are a changing standard OF
Nalhs in the band, Of the peop.c, and The
non payment OF which is Il i.r. gtrd OF the
plighted faith OF the nation.
We denounce the imuro, i,lence which in
eleven years of peace has taken from The
| people, IN federal taNos. thirteen times the
WHO'S amount of the l,g,l tender notes.
| aud sguandercd fouI times this stin in use
| lees expense, Without accumui,iir. ony re-
/ 'cr'e Tor their redemption. We dcuulnuc
| tEo hnancld! imbccility aud immortality OF
tait parry Which, during eleven years Of
peace. has made no advance toward re-.
deinpiion: no preparation Tor resumption,
but instead, has uh>It ucted resumption by
wasting our Resources aud cXlilu sting All
or snTplu> in somc, and while annually
processing 10 intend i spced, return Ia
specl payment. has ANNUALLY enacted fresh
Lih,falces thtfctO-as such 4 hinLrauce
We enolnrc the II sumption clause OF the
act OF 1919. and We demand its repeal.
We demand JIdicious system OF pre-.
p1ration, by public economics, by official
retrenchment. and by the finances. which
shalt enable the nation soon to assure the
Whole world of its perfect ability and its
perfect Readiness 70 meet any OF It's prom.
ises AT the call Of the creditor entitled 10
payment.
We believe such system, We'll devised,
and, above all, entrusted II competent
manu- lor us execution, Great ny at no time
! W. L
time alarming tho pubic mind into a with
drawal OF that vast machinery Of credit by
| when 10 per cent. OF all our business trans
| actions are perfofmed; a system omen TO
Tue public and inspiring genera, confidence.
would, from The day OF its ADOPTION, bring
| healing on us wings to all our hsrrassed III.
| uustfles, set Ia motion the wheels of com.
| merce, manufactures and the mechanical
| arts restore employment to labor, and re-
| new III all Its national sources the prosper-
| ity OF the people
| REFORM OF THE TARIFr-FRrE rp,nr
| Rdorm l. necessary IN the sum and mode
oi leuer"I taxatlon, 10 the end that capital
| may De sci Tree from dstrust and labor
| nghtiy burdened. We denounce the nres.
ent tarlh levied upon nearly four thousand
| articles lis Il mast n piece Of Injustice. in
equalily aud false pretense. Ii Yields a
| awindling, not yearly rising revenue. II
has Impoverished many industries 10 sub.
siulze Few; IL prohibits imports that nioht
| purchase :he products OF American ,bors.
u mas degraded American commerce rom
! the hrst 10 an inferior rank upon the high
seas IL mas cut down the sales Of American
| manufactures At home an 1 abroad. and de.
pleiei the returns OF American agriculture.
ah INDUSTRY followed by halt our people. II
dlices TO The treasury; obstructs the process
OF production. and wastes the iIuits of In.
DOT IL promotes fraud, fosters SMUGGLING
ehrlches dishonest officials and bankTupt,
honest merchants. We demand that Mi
custom mouse taxation shall be only for
revenue. ''i
REFORM ECONOMY IN PUBLIC EXPENSE
reform Is necessary in the scale OF public
eNpense-iederal, State and mun;rin,I
our federal taxation has swollen from sixty
liIlions gold, IN 1850, to four hundred and
my unions currency, in 1870 our a0gre
she taxation. from one hundred and tilty.
-FOUR millions gold IN 1860, To seven hundred
anu thirty millions currency in 1870: or. i'm
one decade, from less than five dollar, ner
heau TO more than eighteen dollars per head
since The peace the people have maid n
tueiI taN-5atherers more than thrice tLe
sum OF the national debt, and more than
twice that sum Tor the federal government
aIone' we demand a vigorous irurality i'm
etei! department, and from every officer
oil The government.
RECOMMENDING LANDS TO ACTUAL SET,
TLRRs.
AG"Fm Is necessary 10 put stop Ia tho
pion'sate waste OF the public lands and
,heir INVERSION from actual settlers by The
psly IN power, which has sauanderei
-Vo,oJo'VcO acres upon railroads alone. ami
Gu amount 81 more than thrice that ar.re. |
rec,ii,' mas uisp0sed OF less than a sixth di- |
| hEFoRM-ADoPTED CITIZENS prt,cr
MONGOLS.
.iaI.f" - necessary 10 correct the olnmis.
q, 80 -. aIepubilcan congress and the errors
VI our treaties and our diDlomacv wi,n
nave stripped our felow-eitizens OF tor"iso
ohtii anu kindred race. recros.inv lilo a.
lanllc, oil The shield of Ama,ioa,, 800, ~