The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-08-01
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.


We tie Democrats of the United States
IN national convention assembled, do re-
affirm our allegiance to tbUSe great essen
-tial principles of justice and liberty upon
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has advocat-
ed from Jetfersoa's time to our own, free
of speech. freedom OF the Dress, free
dom of conscience. the preservation of
personal rights the equality of all c~itizeus
before the law, and the faithful observ-
ance of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency OF selfish
Interests to the Capitalization OF govern
mental power and Steadfastly maintained
the integrity OF the dual scheme of gov
ernment established by the founders of
this republic OF republics. Under its
guidance the great principle OF local self
government has found its best expression
in the maintenance of the rights OF the
States and in its assertion of the necessl-
ty of combining the general government to
the exercise of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
Recognizing that the money system is
paramount to all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
crai Constitution names SILVER and gold
together as the money metals OF the Unit
ed States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the Constltu-
EJl0n mnUt UUG SIlNtE HU1tdI VIC lluIiIbabAy
unit and admitted god the free coinage at
a ratio based ppon h e'silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act of 1873, de-
monetizing silver without the knowledge
or approval of the American people, has
resulted i'll the appreciation OF gold and
a corresponding fan in the prices OF COM
mouitieS produced by the people; a heavy
increase In the burden of taxation and
of all debts, public and private; the en-
richment OF the money lending class at
home and abroad; prostration of industry
and impoyerishment of the people,
We are unalterably opposed to the
monometallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity OF an industrial people in the
paralysis of hard times. Gold mon0met-
allism is a British policy, and it's adoption
has brought other nations into
servitude to London. 1t is not only I'M
American, but anti-AmeIlcan, and 1t can
be fastened on the United States only by
the sitting of that spirit and love OF lib
Jerry which proclaimed our political indie
pendence in 1776. and won it IN the war
&0f the Revolution.
We demand Hthe free and unlimited
coinage OF both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio OF Is to l.. without
waiting for the aid or consent of any 9TH
or nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be q full legal tender
equally with gold, for all debts, public,
aud private, and we favor such leglsla-
ton as will prevent for the future the de-
mOnetization of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
We are Opposed to the policy and prac-
tice of surrendering to the holders of the
obligations of the United States the OPP
ton reserved by law to the government
of redeeming such obligations i'll either
silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing OF inter
est-bearing bonds of the United States IN
time OF peace and condemn the t%rafficking
with banking syndicates which, in eX-
change for bonds and as an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the Federal
treasury with gold to maintain the policy
sof gold recommendation,
Congress alone has the power to coin
and Issue money, and President jackson
declared that this power could not be del
gated to corporations or individuals. We
therefore demand that the power to issue
notes to circulate as money be taken from
national banks and that All paper mon
4ey shall be issued directly by the
Treasury Department, redeenraile in coin
.andreceivable for all debts, public and
private.
We hold that the tariff duties should
be levied for purposes of revenue, such
duties to be so adjusted as to operate
- equally throughout the country, and not
discriminate between class and section,
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs Of the government, honestly
and economically administered. We de-
ounce as disturbing to business the Re
publican threat to restore the Mckinley
law, which has twice been condemned by
the people in national elections, and
which, enacted under false plea of pro-
lection tohome industry, proved q prolific
breeder of trusts and ~mOnopoles, enrich
ed the few at the expense of the many,
restricted trade and deprived the produ-
GERS of the'great American staples OF ac-
cess to their natural markets.
Until the money question. is settled we
are opposed to any agitation for further
changes in ourtariff laws, except such as
are necessary to make up the deficit in
revenue, caused by the adverse decision
by the supeme court on the income tax.
But for this there would be no deficit in
revenue, Under the law passed by a
Democratic Congress, in strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions of that court
having that decision sustained, cOnstitu-
tiOnal objection to its enactment, which
has been overruled by the ablest judges
VINO ever sat on that bench. We declare
that it is the duty of Congress to all the
constitutional power which remains after
thatdecision or which may come from it's
reversal Ivy the court as it may hereafter
he constituted, so that the burdens of
taxation may be equally and impartial
lard to the end that wealth may bear its
due proportionate expenses of the govern
ment.
We hold that the most efficient way to
protect American labor is to prevent the
importation of foreign pauper labor to
compete with it in the home market, and
that the value of the home market to our
farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by a vicious monetary system. which de-
presses the price of their products below
the cost of production, II thus depTives
them of the means of purchasing the pro-
ducts Of our home manufacturers,
Tho absorption of wealth by the few.
the consolidation of ouT leading railway
systems and the formation of trusts and
pools, require a ~stricter control by the