The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-07-18
NATIONAL PLATFORM
Declarations of Principles
Adopted at Chicago.
SILVER AND COLL
Declares That Both Should Be Rec.
ognized as Money Of Full
Legal Tender Power.
Income Tax Strongly Indorscd-Tariff for
Revenue Sufficient to Meet the Ex-
psnses of the Governmeut-Op-
poses Life enure In ONCE

I'VE, the democrats Of the United
States, in national convention Assem-.
bled, reaffirm our allegiance to those
great essential principles of justice
and liberty upon which our institutions
are founded, and which the democratic
party has maintained from Jefferson s
time to our own-freedom of speech,
freedom OF the press, freedom of con.
science, the. preservation of personal
rights, the equality of all citizens be.
fore the law, and the faithful observ.
vance of constitutional limitations.
"Recogniziug that the money ques-
tion Is paramount to all others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact
that the federal constitution names
silver and gold together as the money
metals of the United States, and that
the first coinage law passed by con-
gress under the constitution made the
silver dollar the unit of value and ad-
mitted gold to free coinage, at a ratio
measured by the silver-dollar unit.
"We declare that the act of 1873 de-
rnonetizing silver without the knowl-
edge or approval of the American
people has resulted in the appreciation
OF gold and corresponding fall in the
prices of commodities produced by the
people; heavy increase in the burden
of taxation, and of all debts. public and
| private; the enrichment of the money
lending classes at home and abroad;
paralysis of industries and impoverish-
ment of the people.
"We are unalterably opposed to the
| single gold standard, which has locked
fast the prosperity of an Industrious
people In the paralysis of hard times.
| Gold monometalism is British policy,
founded upon British greed for gain
and power, and its general adoption
hss brought other nations into fnan-
cial servitude to London. 1t is not
only un-American, but anti-American,
, and it can be fastened upon the United
States only by the sitting OF that in
fdomitable spirit and love Of liberty
which proclaimed our political inde-
pendence in 1778 aud won 1t. in the
war of the Revolution.
We demand the immediate restora-
tion of the free and unlimited coinage
of gold and silver atsthe preseut legal
ratio OF I6 TO !. wfthod1 waiting for
the aid or consent-of any other nation.
We demand that the standard silver
dollar shall be full legal tender,
equally with gold, for all debts, public
and private, and we favor such legis-
latiou as will prevent the, demonetiza-
tion of any kind of legalstender money
by private contract
"We are opposed to the policy and
practice of surrendering to the holders
of the obligations of the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov
ernment OF redeeming such obliga-
tions in either silver coin or gold coin.
"We are opposed to the issuing of
interest-bearing bonds OF the United
States in times of peace and condemn
the trafflcking with banking syndi-
Gates which, in exchange for bonds
and at AN enormous profit to them
selves, supply the federal treasury
with gold to maintain the policy OF
gold monometallism.
Congress alone has power to coin
and issue money, and President jack
son declared that this power conld not
l,a 7ala m oor,a1rafiAnc ~. m in
dividuals. We therefore denounce the
issuance OF notes as money for national
banks as in derogation. of the constitu-
tion and We demand that all paper
which is made legal tender for public
and private debts. or which is receiv-
able for dues to the United States shall
be isaued by the government of the
United States, and shall, be redeem
able in coin.
"We hold that tariff duties should
be levied solely for purposes Of revenue
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs OF the government, honestly
and economically administered.
..!We depounce as disturbing to bust.
ness the republican threat to restore
the Mckinley law, which has been
twice condemned by the people in the
national elections and which, enacted
under the false plea OF protection to
home industry, proved a prolific
breeder of trusts and monopolies, en-
riched the few at the expense OF the
many, restricted trade and deprived
the producers Of the great American
staples OF access to their natural mar
kets.
Until the money question Is settled,
We are opposed to any agitation for
further changes in our tariff laws. ex-
cept such as are necessary to make up
the deficit In revenue caused by the
adverse decision of the supreme court
on the income tax.
"There would have been no deficit
in federal revenue during the last two
years but for the annulment by the su.
preme court of the income taxa law
placed upon the statute books by a
democratic congress-.
"The obstruction to an income tax
which the supreme court discover ed In
the constitution after 1t had lain hid
den for hundred years. must be re-
moved to the end that accumulated
wealth may be made to bear its just
share of the burdens of the govern
ment. We, therefore, favor ap amend
ment to the federal copstitution that
will permit the levy of an income tax.
"We hold that the most efficient
way OF protecting 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 the American
farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by vicious monetary system. which
depresses the prices Of their products
below the cost OF production and thus