The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-08-23


few; it prohibits imports that might pur
chase tue products OF American labor
it has degraded American commerce from
the first to an inferior upon the high seas
it has cut down the sales of American
manufactures Mt home aad abroad, and
depleted the returns of American agricul
ture, an interest followed by half on,
people; it costs the people five times ,nore
than it pro luces to the treasury, Obstructs
the processes of production and wastes
the fruits Of labor; it promotes fraud and
fosters smuggling, enriches dishonest
officials ard barkrupts honest merchants
We demand that all custom house taxa.
ticn shall be only for revenue. Reform il
necessary in the scale of public expenses,
Federal, State and municipal.
FEDERAL TAXATION HAS SWOLLEN
from SIG, 900 600 gold in 1860 to $3.50, 900 :
900 currency in 1870: our aggregate taxa
ton from Sl54, OO0, 600 gold in 1860 to
$3.50 DOC, 900 currency in 1870, or in one de-
cade from less than five dollars per head
to more than eighteen dollars per head
Since the peace the people have paid to
their tax gathcrels 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 ne
cessary to put stop to the pr0figate
waste of public lands and their diversion
from actual settlers by the party in power.
which has squandcred two hundred mil
lions of acres upon railroads alone, and
out of more than twice that aggregate
has disposed Of less than sixth directly
to tillers of the soil. Reform is necessary
| to correct the
OMISSIONS OF REPUBLICAN CONGRESS,
and the errors of our treaties and our di-
plomacy which have stripped our fellow.
citizens of foreign birth and Kindred race
recrossing the Atlantic of the shield of
American citizenship, and have exposed
our brethren of the Pacific slope to thc in
cursions of Il race not sprung from the
same great parent stocl--in fact now de.
MED by law citizenship through naturali.
cation, as being neither accustomed to the
tradition Of q progressive civilization, Or
exercised in liberty under equal laws
| We denounce the policy which thus dis
cards the liberty loving German, and toll.
crates the revival Of the coolie trade in
Monaghan women imported for immoral
purposes, aud Monaghan men hired to
perform servile labor contracts, aud de-
mand such modification of the treaty with
the Chinese Empire, or such legislation
by Congress within n constitutional limi-
tation, as shall prevent the further impOr-
tation or immigration of the Monaghan
race. Reform Is necessary, and eau never
be effected but by making it the control
ling issue of the elections, and lifting it
above the two false issues with which the
office.holding class and the party in power
seek to smother it. The false issues with
which they would enkindle sectarian
strife in respect to the public schools, of
which the establishment and support be.
long exclusively to the several States, and
which the Democratic party has cherished
from their foundation and resolved 10
maintain without partiality OF preference
for any class, sect or creed, and without
contributing from the treasury to any
The false issue by which they seek to
light anew the dying embers of sectional
hate between two kindred peoples once
unnaturally estranged, Int now reunited
in one indivisible Republic and common
destiny.
REFORM IN CIVIL sERyiCE.
Reform is necessary III the civil service.
Experience proves that efficient, cconomi.
cal conduct Of the governmental business
is not possible if it's civil service Le sub.
jccted to change at every election, and be
a purse offered at the ballot-box as brief
reward of party zeal, instead of posts N
honor assigned for proved competency and
held for fidelity in the public employ
That the dispensing of patronage should
| hos no $,~ he ~ al
public men, nor the instrument Of thei,
ambition. Here again professions; falsi.
fed in the performance, attest that the
party in power can work out no practical
or salutary reform.
REFORM IN HIGH PLACES.
Reform is necessary even moro in the
higher grades Of public service. Presi.
dent, Vice-Presideut, judges, Senators
T Representatives. Cabinet officers - these
and all others in authority are the peo
ple's servants. Their offices are not a
: private perquisite; they are a public
trust When the annals of this Republic
proclaim the disgrace and censure of q
Vice President; late Speaker of the
House of Representatives. marketing hi,
, ruling as q presiding officer; three Sena
, tors profting secretly by their votes al
, lawmakers; five chairmen Of the leading
committees of the late House of Represen
, tatives exposed in jobhery; a late Secreta
ry of the Treasury forcing balances in thu
, public accounts; q late Acknowledgement
, misappropriating public funds; Secreta
ry Of the Navy enriches or enrichinl
, friends by per centages levied off the profits
+ Of contractors with his department.; Al
| Ambassador to England concerned il
3 u dlshonorable speculation; the President
f private Secretary barely escaping convic
: ton, upon trial, for guilty completely il
8 frauds np0n the revenue; a Secretary o
l War impeached for high crimes and con
8 fessed misdenleanors; tie demonstration i
: complete that the first step must he th
3 public choice of honest men from anothe
J party lest the disease of one politica
S organization upset the whole body polite
l and thereby making no change of men o
| party, we can get no change of measure
| and no reform.
All these abuses, wrongs and crimes
q the product of sixteen years Of ascendanc,
8 of the Republican party, create pecessit
= for reform confessed By the Republican
e themselves. But their reformers are va
J, ted down in convention and displace,
from the Cabinet. The party's mass y
honest votes is powerless to resist tn
eighty thousand office-holders, Its leader
aud guides. Reform can only be had by
, peaceful civic revolution. We demand
2 change of system, change of admi.,istra
tration, u change of parties, that we ma
= have a change of men.
"A man who was not clever at CO
: nundrums, in attempting to get Of
! one at tea party at his own hous
o the other evening, became exceeding
3 ly mixed. He intended to say tn
q old question, "Why is woman lik
ntlyy7'' the familiar but gallant an