Year: 1876

StTectS.


DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.


Uni:ed States, in national convention assembled do
hereby declare the administration OF the Federal Gov
to be in great M ahs 40
and Of the Democratic party in each State and at St.


Louis 70 make efforts and to to this end and
political connection to undertake with this first and
most pressing and patriotic duty for the benefit of the


We here affirm our faith in the permanency of the
Federal Unicn our devotion to the constitution of the
final settlement of the controversies that engen
dered the civil war; and do here record steadast conf
in an absolute acquisition in the will Of The majority
the pcple Of republics in the supremacy Of the civil
ay and r e H ks o 5
freedom; in the equality Of citizens before the just
laws of their own enacment in the liberty of individ
ua conduct unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the faith
preserve, enjoy and transmit these best conditions Of


We uphold the nOblest products Of hundred years
of changefu history, but while upholding bond of
6choOves free people practice also that eternal vig
ilance which is the price Of liberty Reform Is neces-
cary rebuild and establish in the hearts OF the whole
people Of the unon eleven years ago happily rescued


om danger OF corrupt centralism which after inctng
ten states the ,sp apasy Of the G Peers
ment itself with ncapacity worse than fraud inflicted
States and municipalities with coniagon OF msru;e
and locked fast the property of an industrious people
the paralysis of hard times.


Reform is necessary to establish sound currency
restore the public credit and maintain the national hon
or We denounce the failure for all these ten years to


make good the promise Of the legal notes which are
and the non.payment Of which is disregard of the
plghted faith OF the nation. We denounce the improv
Of
ega tender notes and squandered four times the sum
In useless expense without accumuating any reserve
ey and immortality of that party which during eleven
years Of peace has made no advance towards resump
s oar surplus and While equally


Intend e
3 hindrance we denounce the resumption clause Of
ndcous ~ system Of preparation By public economies
by Official retrenchments and BY wise finance, which
perfect sbty and perfect readiness to any Of its
promises the cali OF Its creditors entitled to
believe that aS %s eyeses ana a mn r
ine the public mind in Withdrawal Of that yastcr ma
transsstions are performed-a system open public and
Inspiring general confidence, would from the day Of it's
indIstres set in motion the wheels Of commerce man
nfactures and the mechanic arts restore employ
TO o, s O 10
end that capital be set free from dstrust and labor
lightly burdened.


0opOU0Cc
4OO articles as masterpiece Of injustice and false
pretenses Myieds dwindng. not yearly rising rev
,sx mas might
the products of the country has reduced American
commerce from the first to an inferior upon the nigh
lures home and abroad and depetes the returns OF
American agriculture and industries followed by half Of
4 produces to the Treasury It obstructs the processes
OF production and wastes the fruits Of labor It pro.


ssIs sna esnpTapas honest merchants we demand
that custom house taxation shall be only for revenue
ens sste and msnicpa Our Federal taxation has
swollen from $6OO0O0OO gold In 1860 to $45OOOOOOO
1s eod 0SE s to
or in decade from less than $5 per head to more
than SIS per head Since the peace the people have
amount the national debt, and more than twice OF
that sum for Federal outlays. Above ALL we depand
srnoaity In all the departments and every office of the


Reform is necessary to put stop to the profgats
two hundred millions Of acres upon railroads alone and
ss iess Il than maj sixth to the ters 81 the soil.


Reform is necessary to correct the omissions of Re
ppiomscv which have stripped our fellow citizens Of
foreign birth and kindred race crossing the Atlantic Of
the shield Of American citizens and exposed our breh-
and in net now by law denied citizenship through matt
uraxation as being neither accustomed to the tradi
tions of progressive civilization exercised in lib
erty under equal laws. We denOunce the policy which
the cooiie trade in Monaghan women imported for inn.
moral purposes and Mongolan held to perform
Of the treaty with the Chinese Empire or such egsia-
ton by Congress within Constitutional limitations
shall prevent the further importation, or immigration


Reform is necessary. and can never be effected but
bymakng it the controlling issue Of the elections MS and nd
crit. i. The ,aise issue with which they would
off, in - nnhl
Of which the establishment and support belong exclu
Syeiy to the States which the Democratic party has
sect or creed and without contribution from Treas
anew the dying embers Of sectional hate between Kin


red people once unnaturay estanged but now united
IN Resrm Ss is necessary in civil service Experience
that the efficient economical conduct Of the gov


IL II mo- not he hts c service be be


marty zeal instead of posts of honor assigned proved
competency and held for fidelity in pi public employ


tax on the time Of all our public men nor the insr
ment Of their ambition. Here again profession alss


e in the performance attest that the party in power
NOW can work out no practical satisfactory reform Re-
form is necessary more in higher grades of public
tst;vcs Cabinet ofcers-these and all in authority are
the PEOPLES servants Their offices are not private per-


isRss 'Sss the and Of Vice
PRESIDENT Of q late Speaker of The House Of Represen
tsyes Ss ther ons
tees of the late House of Representatives exposed in
late Of ~ the Tfeas11y forcing
sraI missppropriatng public funds Of Secretary of
the Navy enriched earichng friends BY percentage


levied of the prodss Of contractors with his depart
honorable speculation; of Presidents private
reary barely escaping conviction upon trial for guilty
completely in frauds upon the revenues OF Secretary
of War impeached for high crimes and confessed mis-
demeanors The demonstration is complete that the


first step in reform must be the choice for hon.
est men from another party lest the disease of one


tic oraization infect the body politic and by
making no change of men party get no change OF
measures aud reform of all these abuses wrongs and
crimes. That the production OF sixteen years OF as
reform Is confessed by the Republicans themselves,
but their reformers voted down in convention and
displaced from the Cabinet. The parly's mass of the
honest voters pOwerless to resist the sOOO Office
uolders its leaders and guides. Reform only be
had by peaceful, civic revolution. We demand a
change or parties that we may have change Of meas.