Year: 1876

that the administration of the Federal
Government is surrounded and infiu-
enced by corruption; that We there
fore call upon Congress, as represent
ing the States and the people of this
Union, to spare no pains in the inves-
tigation of those matters, and to take
steps for the punishment of the guilty,
however high their position may be.
MAINTENANCE OF THE coNsTITU-


TI0N.


Fourth-That we pledge ourselves
to the faithful maintenance of the Con-
stitution as it is; that we regard the
thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments as the necessary and le-
gitimate results of the war, and as
permanent parts of the fundamental
law; but that we are opposed to any
further tampering or interference with
the provisions of that instrument, be-
lieving, as we do, that in its present
form it fully meets the requir ements
of the people, and confers upon the
Federal Government all the powers
necessary to its successful administra-
ton.


SCHOOL FUND.


Fifth-That we pledge ourselves
under all circumstances to oppose the
diversion of the school fund from its
legitimate destination to purposes Of
sectarian education; that it would be
wise for each of the several States to
provide by an amendment to its or
ganic law, against every attempt at
such diversion, but that the subject is
one purely local In character, and
should be forever so regarded; that,
therefore,w we earnestly deprecate every
effort, come from what source it may,
to thrust into the arena of Federal
politics, or make it the preteXt of fur
ther curtailing the rightful powers of
the States by inserting it, in the form
of an amendment, into the Federal
Constitution.


TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.


Sixth-That as with the school fund,
so with the taxation of Church prop.
erty; that such property should be
subject to taxation in all the States,
as it is by our own State Constitution,
but that the question is one of State
concern alone, with which the Fed
eral Government has no right to in
terfere,


RELIGION AND POLITICS.


Seventh-That it is an essential
feature in the theory of American in
stitutions that all religious questions
should forever be kept apart from the
politics of the country, and the ad-
ministratiOn of the laws; that we can
conceive of nothing so fraught with
danger to the peace and quiet of the
country, and the happiness and liber-
ties OF the people, as an alliance be-
tween religious passions and political
opinions and interests; and that there
fore it is the duty of every citizen to
labor to prevent the coalition between
them, which we have every reason to
believe will be attempted at the next
Presidential election.


CIRCULATING MEDIUM.


Eighth-That it is the paramount
duty of the Federal Government to
provide safe and sound circulation me-
dunn for the people; that the common
sense OF mankind has long since de-
termined that no material is so we'll
fitted for purposes of money as the
dret ious metals; that coinage
from these metals is clearly intended
by the Constitution when it confers
on Congress the power to coin money
and regulate its value; that that body
has no power to make anything but
gold and silver legal tender; that
the chief impediment to return to q
specie basis is the legal tender provi-
sion of the Act of February, 1862, a
provision subsequently declared to be
unconstitutional by its own author;
that had the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in Hep
burn VS.. Griswold, declaring that
provision null and void, been allowed
to remain in force, we have every
reason to believe that sound cur
rency would long since have been
re-established, and that those, and
those only, who rested not until by
q reorganization of the Court they
obtained reversal of that judgment,
are responsible the for wretched
financial condition of the country,
flooded as it is with irredeemable
promises to pay, instead of lawful
money.


Az N<hIOnhh ~ IL


Ninth-That the power to levy inn
ports is revenue power only; that
the perversion of it to the protection
of special interests and the industry of
particular sections is repugnant to the
Constitution, unjust and fraught with
oppression to the general industry of
the land; that discriminating duties
violate every sound principle of taxa
ton by imposing upon the poor bur-
den equal to that borne Ly the rich
consumer, and out of all proportion to
the protection afforded to them by the
Government; that for these reasons it
is in the highest degree expedient that
our Government should at once re-
turn to system of dd rdiorena duties,
and that they should be reduced to the
lowest figure compatible with the ne
cessities of the Government.


-. ASIATIC SLAVERY.


Tenth-That our country owes its
first duty to it's citizens; that the abo-
lition of African slavery at an enor-
nous expenditure of blood and treas
ure will scarcely compensate its cost,
if its place is to be supplied by an
Asiatic slavery, such as is we'll known
to now exist in this State; that the re-
suit of Asiatic immigration has been
to drive our own people from the fields
of labor, to cut off immigration to the
Pacific coast by men of our own race,
and that this result is chiefly owing to
the provisions of the Burlingame
treaty, and to the bounties paid to
steamship lines running to the ports
OF China; that for these reasons we
call for such notifications of the
treaty referred to as will effectually
discourage, rather than encourage,
the continued immigration to our
shores, of Mongolian slaves and pros
titutes; and we should earnestly dep