Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-09-04
THE PLATFORM.
OF PRINCIPLES ON
WHICH PEOPLE WILL WIN.

WHICH PEOPLE WILL WIN.
The Democratic Party. >horn of Its
Fungus Growth. b. again the
Party of the Pcopie-A Plain and
Explicit Statement OF il. Princi.
giles.
We the Democrats of the United States
in national convention assembled do re-
affirm our allegiance TO those great IS.
>ential principles OF Justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democratic party has
advocated from Jeiicrson'S time to our
/ own: Freedom OF speech. freedom of the
press. freedom of conscience. the prcser-
! vaiiuu OF personal rlg hts the equality of
all citizens before the law, and the faith
| tul observance of constitutional limita-
tion&. During all these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the tendency of
selfish interests TO the Capitalization of
governmental power and StcadtaStly
maintained the integrity of the dual
scheme of government as established
! 10y the founders of this repub.
lie of republics. Under its guild
ance and teachings the great princi-
| pie of local Sclt-gUNernment has found its
best expressions i'll the maintenance of
the rights of The States and its assertion
| of the necessity of combining the general
| government to the exercise of the powers
granted by the constitution OF the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question is
| paramount to all hers at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together aS the money metals of the
United States. and that the first coinage
law passed 10y congress under the con-
stitutiOn made the silver dollar the
| IN nnt n .lHn trAlh To trnn
coinage at a ratio based upon the silver
dollar unit. We declare that the act of
1873 demonetiZing silver without the
knowledge or approval of the American
people has resulted in the appreciation of
gold AMI Il corresponding fall i'll the
prices of commodities produced by the
people, a heavy increase i'll the burden of
taxation and of all debts. public and
private, the enrichment of the money
lending class at home aud abroad, prostra-
ton OF industry and impoverishment OF
the people. We are unalterably opposed
to mono metallism, which has locked
fast the prosperity of an Industrious peo-
Pile in the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
mono-metallism is IL British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t IS
not only un-American, but anti-Ameri-
can, and it can be fastened upon the
United States only by the sitting OF that
spirit and love Of liberty which pro-
our lOlltlcIl III
l776 and won 1t i'll the war OF the revolu-
ton.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of IL to |, 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 and private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent the
characterization of any kind of legal
tender money 10y private contract.
/ We are opposed to the policy and prac
tice of guaranteeing to the holders of OBJ
legations of the United States the option
reserved 10y law to the government of re-
deeming such obligations in silver.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest. bearing bonds of the United States
in times of peace, and condemn the traf-
Ticking with banking SyndicateS which in
to themselves supply the Federal treas
ury with gold to maintain the policy of
gold mono-metallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be
delegated to corporations or individuals.
We therefore denounce the issue of notes
As money by national banks as in deroga-
ton 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 aud be redeenable in coin.
We hold that tariff duties should he
| levied for the purpose OF revenue, such
duties TO be readjusted so as to operate
equally throughout the country and not
discriminate between class or section, and
needs of the government honestly
and economically administered We
denounce as disturbing to business
the Republican threat to restore the
condemned by the people in national
elections, and which. enacted under
| the false plea of protection to home
industry, proved a prolific breeder of
trusts and nonopolies. enriching 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 ques-
ton is settled We are opposed tOany agita-
ton for further changes in our tariff laws.
| except Sucn As are necessary to make up
the deficit in revenue caused by the ad
verse decision of the supreme court on
| the income ta-.
But for this decision by the supreme
| court ther' would be no deficit in the
revenue under the law passed by DEM
ocratic Congress-, in strict pursuance of
the uniform decisions of that court for
nearly 100 years, that court having under
that decision sustained constitutional OBJ
| jections to its enactn 1t which had been
Overruled by the est judges who have
ever sat on that bench. We declare that
it is the duty OF Congress to use all the
constitutional power which remains after
that decision, or which may come from
its reversal by the court as it may here
after be constituted, so that the burdens
of taxation may equally and impartally
be levied, to the end that wealth may
| hear itS dine DrODOrtiDn (,f the mo pf
the government.
We hold that the most efficient way of
| protecting American labor is to prevent
the importation of foreign pauper labor
to complete with IT in the homie market,
and that the value of the home market
| to our American farmers and artisans is
greatly reduced by vicious monetary
system which depresseS the prices of
their products below the cost of produc-
ton and thus depriyes them of the means
of purcf aSlng the products OF our home
MAJ ufacto les.
The absorption of wealth 10y the few,
the consolidation OF our leading railway
systems and the formation of trusts and
pools require Strlcter control by the
Federal government of those arteries of
commerce. We demand the enlarge
| ment of the powers of the interstate com
merce commission, and such restrictions
and guara ntees in the control of railroads
as will protect the people from robbery
and oppression.
We denounce the proEigate waste of
the money wrung from the people by OPP
pressive taxation and the lavish appro-
priations OF recent Republican Congresses
which have kept taxes high, while the
labor that pays them is u iemplOyed and
the products of the peoples toll are de-
pressed in price until they 10 longer re-
pay the cost of production. We demand
a return to that simplicity and economy
which BELTS a Democratic government
and reduction in the number of useless
offices, the salaries of which drain the
substance of the people.
We denounce the arbitrary interference
by Federal authorities in local affairs as
a violation of the constitution of the Unit
ed States, and a crime against free in
situations, and we especially object to
government interference by injunction AS
new and highly dangerous form of OPP
preston by which Federal Judges. in
contempt of the laws of the States and
the rights of citizens. become at once
legislators, judges and executio iers. and
we approvethe bill passed at the last ses-