The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-09-11
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention, at Chicago, July, 1896

Convention, at Chicago, July, 1896.
We. the Democrats of the United
States. in national convention assembled
do reaffirm our allegiance to those great
essential principles of justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded
and which the Democratic party has ad-
vocated from JefferSon'S time to our OWL
freedom of speech, freedom of press
freedom of conscience, the preservation
of personal rights, the equality of all citi'
zens before the law. and the faithful OBJ
servatiOn of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies of selfish
interests to the centrilizatiOn OF govern
mental power. and Steadfastly maintain
ed the integrity of the dual scheme Of
of government established by the found
erS Of this republic of republics. Under
its guidance and teachings the great prin-
cipie of local self-government has found
its best expression in the maintenance OF
the rights of the States and its assertion
of the necessity of confning the genera
government to the exercise of the power,
granted by the constitution of the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount TO all others at this time, We
invite attention to the fact that the Fed.
eral constitution names silver and gOlG
together as the money metals of the Unit
ed States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
made the silver dollar the unit of value
and admitted gold to free coinage at q
ratio measured by the free silver dollar
unit.
We declare that the act of 1873 demone
tizing silver without the knowledge OF
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation Of gold and a
corresponding fall i'm the prices Of com
modities produced by the people; heavy
increase IN the burden of taxation and O
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment of the money-lending class a.
home and abroad; prostration of industry
and impoyerishment of the people.
We are unalteraby opposed to mono
metallsm, which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrious people in thu
PARALYSIS of hard times. GOld mOnomet'
allsm is British policy, and its adop
tion has brought other nations into tinan
cial servitude to London 1t is not only
un-American, but anti American, and Il
can he fastened on the United States only
by the sitting Of that indomitable spiri
and love OF liberty which proclaimed oul
political independence in 1776, and won Il
In the war Of the revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at thC
present legal ratio Of 16 TO /, withou
waiting for the consent or aid OF any 9th
er 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 leglsla
tion as will prevent for the future the de-
monetization Of any kind OF legal tender
money by private contract.
We are opposed 10 the policy and prac'
tice OF snrrendering TO the holders OF thC
obligations Of the United States the opin
ion reserved by law to the Government O
redeeming such obligations in either sill.
yer coin or gold coin.
Weare opposed TO the issuing Of inter
est. bearing bonds OF the United States In
time OF peace and condemn the traliclnq
withdrawing syndicates whichn exchange
for bonds aud AZ an enormous profit q
themselves. supply the Federal Treasury
with gold TO maintain the policy Of gold
monometallism.
Congress alone has the power TO coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be del
cgated TO corporations or individual We
therefore demand thatIhe power 10 issue
notes to circulate as money be taken from
the national banks and that all paper
money shall be issued directly by the
Treasury Department. be redecmablo IN
coin and received for all debts, public and
private.
We hold that tariff duties should be lev
led for purposes OF revenue, such duties
TO be so adjusted as 20 operate equally
throughout the country and not dlscrmI.
nate between class or section, and that
taxation should be limited by the needs Of
the Government honestly aud economic.
ally administered. We denOunce ns dis.
turbIng TO business the Republican threat
TO restore the Mckinley law, which has
been twice condemned by The people In
national oloctl0us and which, enacted
under the false plea Of protection 20 home
industry, proved u prolific breeder Of
trusts and monopolies, enriched the few
at the expense Of the many, restricted
trade and deprived the producers Of the
great American staples OF access TO their
natural markets,
Until the money question Is settled we
are opposed 10 any agitation for further
changes In our tariff laws, except such as
are necessary TO make up the deficit In
the revenue caused by the adverse decIs.
lon Of the Supreme Court on the income
tax, hut for this decision by the Su.
promo Court thoro would ho no deficit In
The revenue under the law passed by a
Democratic Congress IN strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions OF that court Tor
nearly one hundred years, that court
having sustained constitutional Obloc
tiona to ia pnnFtmpnt which hnVn hmm
oyerruled bylthe ,ablest Judges who have
the constitutional power which remains
ntter that decision, or which may come
from Ia reversal by the court M IL may
hereafter be constituted, 40 that the bur-