Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-07-16
is AS PLAIN AS DAY.
WANT FREE COINAGE AT ONCE.
Tho Democratic Platform Goes to tho
Point on the Money observation-disclosures
. Lower Tariff and Public Economy.

. Lower Tariff and public Ec0nomy.
Chicago. Ju'y 0.-The platform adopt
ed by the Democratic convention to-
day reads as follows:
We, the Democrats Of the United
States. In national convention assem-
bed. do rcafiirm cur allegiance to these
great essential principles OF justice and
liberty upon which our institutions arc
party has advocated from Jeffcrson'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-
forc the law and the faithful observ-
ance of constitutional limitations.
During al these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the tendency
Of selfish interests to the Capitalization
Of governmental power and s;eadfns;ly
maintained the integrity Of the dual
scheme OF government es ahllshed by
the founders OF this republic OF repub-
lies. Under Its guidance and teachings
the great principle OF local sclf-govern-
mcnt has found .ts best expression in
the maintenance OF the rights Of the
states and IN Its assertion Of the neces-
slty OF contiuins the general Goveren-
ment to the exercise Of the powers
granted by the constitution OF the
United States.
The constitution Of the United States
guarantees to every citizen the rights
Of civil and religious liberty. The
Democratic party has always been the
exponent Of political liberty and re-
lig.ous freedom and 1. renews Its obli-
cations and reafiirms Its devotion to
these fundamental principles Of the
constitution.
Recognizing that the money question
Is paramount to nj others at this time,
We invite attention to the fact that the
federal cons titution names silver and
gold together as the money metals Of
the United States, and that the hrst
coinage law passsd by Congress rnder
the constitution made the silver dollar
tho monetary unit and admitted gold to
free coinage at a ratio based upon the
silver dollar unit We declare that the
act Of 1878 demonCtlz.ng silver without
the knowledge or approval Of the
American rcople has resulted In the up
preclation Of gold and corresponding
fall In the prices of commodities pro-
duced by the people, heavy increase
In the burden of taxation and of all
debts, public and p:iva;e: the enrich
mcnt Of the money-lendins class at
home and abroad; the prostration Of In
dustry and impoverishment OF the peo-
pie. We are unal.erably opposed to
monometa!lism, which has locked fast
the prosperity of an Industrial people
in the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
monometalism is British policy, and
Its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servltude to london. 1t
Is not only un-American but anti-Amer-
.caE, and 1t can be fastened on the
United States Only by the sitting Of
claimed our political independence In
1T7G and wen 1t in the war Of the revo-
luton.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage Of both silver and gold ut the
present legal ratio OF 16 to l. without
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 or private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent in the
future the decentralization Of any kind
Of legal tender money by private con-
tract.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice Of surrender;ng to the holders
of the Obligations of the United States
the option reserved br law to the gov
ernment of redcemins such obligations
In either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest-bearing bends of the United
States in time of peace. and condemn
the trafficklng with banking syndicates.
which, in exchange for bonds and at an
enormous S:oiit to themselves, supply
the federal treasury with gold to main
tain the policy of gold monomctallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jack
son declared that this power could not
be delegated to corporations or indl-
viduals. We therefore denounce the IS
suance of notes intended to circulate as
money by national banks as in deroga-
tlon Of the constitution. and we demand
that all paper which is made legal
tender for public and private debts, or
which is receivable for dues to the
United States shall be issued by the
government Of the United States and
shall be redeemable in CON.
We hold that 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 or section.
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs of the government honestly
and economically administered. We
denounce as disturbing to business the
Republican threat to restore the Nc
Klnley law, which has twice been con-
demned by the people in national cleo
tlons, and which, enacted under the