Year: 1876

The following is the platform adopted
by the national democratic convention at
ST. Louis last week


REFORM CALLED FOR.


We, the delegates of the democratic
party of the United States, in National
Convention assembled, do hereby declare
the Administration of the Federal Gov
ernment to be in urgent need of imme-
diate reform we do hereby enjoin upon
the nominees of this Convention and of
the Democratic party in each State a
Jealous effort and cooperation to this
end, and do hereby appeal to our fellow
citizens of every former political con-
nection to undertake with US this first
and most pressing patriotic duty of the
Democracy Of the whole country.


THE RESULTS OF THE WAR GRAoIoUsLY
ACCEPTED.


We do here reaffirm our faith in the
permanency of the Federal Union, our
devotion to the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, with its amendments, univer-
sally accepted as a final settlement of
the controversies that were engendered
by the civil war, and do here record our
steadfast confidence in the perpetuity of
Republican self government, in absolute
acquiescence to the will of the majority,
the vital principles of Republics, in the
supremacy of the civil over the military
authority, in the total separation of the
church and State for the sake alike of
civil and religious freedom, in the equal
ity of all citizens before Just laws of
their own enactment, in the liberty of
individual conduct unvexed by sumptu-
AIRY laws, in the faithful education of the
rising generation that they may preserve,
enjoy and transmit those best conditions
Of human happiness and hope. We be-
hold the noblest products of hundred
years of changeful history, but while
upholding the bond of our Union and
the great charter of these, our rights, it
behooves free people to practice also
that eternal vigilance which is the price
of liberty.


Reform is necessary to rebuild and es-
tablish in the hearts of the whole people
Of the Union, eleven years ago happily
rescued from the danger of secession
of States, but now to be saved from
corrupt centralism, which, after inhict-
ing upon ten States the rapacity of car
pet-bag tyrannies, has honey -combed the
offices of the Federal Government itself
with incapaeity, waste and fraud, infect.
ed 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 sound currency,
restore the public credit and maintain
the National honor.


FINANCIAL POLICY OF THE ADMINIsrRA-





TIoN DENOUNCED.


We denoance the failure for all these
eleven years to make good the promise
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 plighted faith
of the nation.


We denounce the improvidence which
in eleven years of peace has taken from
the people in federal taxes thirteen times
the whole amount of the legal tender
notes, and squandered four times this
sum in useless expense without accumu-
lating any reserve for their redemption.


We denounce the financial imbecility
and immortality of the party which, dur
ing eleven years of peace, has made no
advance toward resumption, that, in
stead, has obstructed resumption by
wasting our resources and exhausting al.
our surplus income, and while annually |
protesting to intend a speedy return to
specie payments, has annually enacted
fresh hinderances thereto; as such a |
we denounce the resumption
clause of the act of 1875, and we here
demand its repeal.


PUBLIC RETRENCHMENT DEMANDED.


We demand a judicious system of pre-
paration by public economies, by official
and by wise finance, which
,hall enable the nation soon to assure the
whole world of its perfect readiness to
meet any of its promises at the call of
he creditor entitled to payment. We
believe such system well devised, and
lbove all entrusted to competent hands
or execution, creating at no time an ar
ifcial scarcity of currency, and at no
ime alarming the public mind into
of that vaster machinery of
,redit by which 95 per cent of all busi-
less transactions are performed, a sys-
em open, public and inspiring general
confidence, would, from the day of its
bring healing on its wings to
III our harassed industry and set in mo- |