Year: 1876

v ir National Convention assem bled, do hereby declare the ad- ministration of the Federal Gov ernment to be in great need of immediate reform. Do hereby enjoin upon the nominees of this Convention, and of the Demo cratic party in each state, a zeal ous effort and cooperation to this end, and do here appeal to our fellow citizens of every form Of political connection to undertake with us this first and most press ing patriotic duty for the Democ- racy of the whole country, we do here reaftirm our faith in the per manence of the Federal Union, our devotion to the Constitution of the United States with its amendments universally accept ed as final settlement of the controversy that engendered the civil war-and do here record our steadfast confidence in the per petuity of republican self-govcrn- ment; in absolute acquiescence in the will of the majority, the vital principle of republics; in the SUI prcmacy of the civil over the mil itary; in the two-fold separation of the Church and State, for the sake alike of civil and religious freedom, in the equality of all citizens before just laws of their own enactment; in the liberty of individual conduct unvexed by sumptuary laws; in the faithful education ofthe rising generation, that they may preserve, enjoy and transmit these best conditions of human happiness and hope, we behold the noblest products of a hundred years of changeful histo- ". But while upholding the bond of our Union and 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 establish in the hearts of the whole people the Union eleven years ago happily rescued from the danger ofa secession of States, but now to be saved from a cor rupt centralism, which, after in hicting upon ten States the rapac- ity of carpet bag attorneys, has honey -combed the offices of the Federal Government itself with incapacity, waste and fraud: ln- fected States and municipalities with the contagion of mlsrule, and locked fast the prosperity of industrious people in the paraly- sis of hard times. Reform Is nee essary to establish a sound cur rency, restore the public credit and maintain the national honor. We denounce the failure for all these eleven years to make good the promise of the legal tender notes which are a changing stan dard of value in the hands of the people, and the non-payment of which is the disregard or the plighted faitk of the Nation.

 We denounce the improvidence which, in eleven years of peace, has taken from the people Tn Federal taxes thirteen times the whole amount of the legal tender notes and squandered four times their sum in useless expense without accommodating any reserve for their redemption. We de- nounce the financial imbecility and immortality of that party which, during eleven years oi peace, has made no advance to- ward resumption, no preparation for resumption, but instead has obstructed resumption by vast ing our resources and exhaustin2 ali our surplus income, and while annually protesting to intend a speedy return to specie payments has annually enacted fresh hin drances thereto. As such hin dranccs, we denounce the resump, tion clause of the act of 1879, and we here demand its repeal. We demand q judicious system ol preparation by public economies bv official retrenchments, and by a wise finance which shall enable the Nation soon to assure the whole world of its ability and It's perfect readiness to meet any o

 it's promises at the cail of a cred

 itor entitled to payment. we be

 lieve such q system well-adviseo and, above all, entrusted to com

 petent hands for execution, creat

 inc at no time an artificial scarcl

 ty of currency, and at no time

 alarming the public mind inte

 q withdrawal of that vast machin

 cry of credit by which ninety -hv'

 per cent. of our business transac tions are performed--a system

 open and public, and inspiring

 general confidence-would, from the day of its adoption, bring healing on its wings to all oul

 harassed industries, set Tn mo ton the wheels of commerce manufactures and the mechanlcaI arts, restore employment to labor

 and renew in all it's sources tho prosperity of the people. Reform