The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-09-10
PLATFORM ADOPTED BY THE Ma
TIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONYEN-
TION AT INDIANAPOLIS
SEPT ?, TRUE DEMO
CRATIC PRINCIP

Gratis throughout the Union may unite
their patriotic efforts to avert disaster
and ruin from their party.
The Democratic party is pledged to
equal and exact justice to all men of
largest freedom of the individual con
sistment with good government; to
the preservation of the federal govern
ment in its constitutional vigor and to
the support of the states in all their
just rights; to economy in the public
expenditures; to the maintenance of
the public faith and sound money;
and it is opposed TO paternalism and
all class legislation.
The declarations of the Chicago
convention attack individual freedom
the right of private contract. the in
dependence OF the Judiciary ard the
authority of the president to enforce
federal laws They advocate reck-
less attempt to increase the price of
silver by Legislation. to the debasement
| of our monetary standard and threaten
unlimited issues of paper money by
| the government; they abandon for Re
ptlDllCdlI allies lIle DtlIlOCl dllS SoliSC
of tariff reform to court the favor of
protectionists to their fiscal heresy.
In view of these and other grave
| departures from Democratic princip-
les, we cannot support the candidate
| of that convention, nor be bound by
its acts The Democratic party has
survived many defeats, but could not
survive a victory won in behalf of the
doctrine and policy proclaimed in its
name at Chicago.
The conditions however which make
possible such utterances from a ma
tional convention are the direct re-
suit of class Legislation by the Republi-
can party. 1t still proclaims as it has
for years, the power and duty of the
government to raise and maintain
prices by law, and it proposes no rem
edy for existing evils except oppres
sive and unjust taxation.
The National Democracy here con
| vened therefore renews its declaration
of a faith in Democratic principles,
especially as applicable 10 the condi-
tons of the times,
Taxation. tariff, excise or direct Is
rightfully imposed only fer public
purposes and not for private gain. Its
amount is justly measured by public
| expenditures. which should be limited
by scrupulous economy The sum
derived by the treasury from tariff
and excise levies is effected by the
state of trade and of consumption.
The amount required by the treasury
is determined by the appropriations
made by congress.
The demand of the Republican
party for an increase in tariff tax has
its pretext in the deficiency of revenue
which has It's cause III the stagnation
Of trade and reduced consumption
due entirely to the loss of confidence
that has followed the Populist threat
of free coinage and depreciation of
our money and the Republican prac-
tice of extravaganza appropriations be
yond the needs of good government
We arraign and condemn the Popu
listic convention of Chicago and st.
Louis for their cooperation with the
Republican party in increasing these
conditions, which are pleaded in JUS
LITIGATION of heavy increase of bur
dens of the people and further re-
| sort to protection. We therefore, de
nounce protection and its ally, free
coinage of silver, as schemes for the
personal profit of few at the expense
of the many, and oppose the two par
ties which stand for these schemes as
hostile to the people of the republic,
whose food and shelter, comfort and
property, are attacked by higher taxes
and deprecated money.
TARIFF FOR REVENUE.
In fine. we reaffirm the historic
Democratic doctrine for revenue only
We demand that henceforth modern
and liberal policies toward American
shipping shall take the place of our
imitation of the restricted statutes of
the eighteen century, which were
abandoned by every maritime power
| but the United States, and which, to
the nations humiliation, have driven
American capital and enterprise to
the use of alien flags and alien crews,
have made the stars and stripes an al
most unknown emblem in foreign
countries, and have virtually extin
guished the race of American seamen.
We oppose the pretense that dis
eliminating duties will promote ship
ping and assert that scheme is an in
vltatlOn to commercial warfare upon
| the United States, un-American in the
| light of our great commercial treaties,
offering no gain whatever to Ameri
| can shipping, while greatly increasing
ocean freights on our agricultural and
manufactured products.
The GoLD STANDARD.
The experience of mankind has
shown that by reason of then natural
| qualities, gold is the necessary money
of the large affairs of commerce and
business, while silver is conveniently
| adapted to minor transactions, and
| the most beneficial use of both to-
gether can be insured only by the
adoption of the former as standard
OF monetary measure and the main
tenance of silver at a parity with gold
by its limited coinage under such
safeguards of law. Thus is the larg-
est possible enjoyment of both metals
gained with the value universally &C
cepted throughout the world. which
constitutes the only practical curren
rency. assuring the most staple stand
ard and especially the best and safest
money for all who earn livelihood by
labor or the produce of husbandry.
They cannot suffer when paid in the
best money known to man, but are the
peculiar and most defenseless victims
of debased and tiuctuating currency.
which offers continued profits to the
money changer at their cost.
Realizing these truths. demonstrate
ed by long public inconvenience and
loss, the Democratic party, in the in
terest of the masses and of equal JUS
tlce to all, practically established