The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-09-15
The Platform.

VIZ bno Dcm90rntl or bh9 Untt60 Soatoq, if
convention assembled, 80 affirm our allegiance
TO thosc great essontte principles Of Justice
and liberty upon which our institutions are
foundel and which the Democratic party has
advocated from Jofcrson's time to our own
freedom Of speech, freedom of the press free
dom of conscience. the preservation of per
sonal rights tho equality of all citizens before
the law. and the faithful observance of con.
stitutional limitations.
| During all those years tho Democratic party
has resisted the tendency OF selfish interests
| to the Capitalization of governmental power
and stondfastly main tanned the integrity OF
| the dual schene Of government established by
| the founders of this republic Of republics
Under its guidance end teachings the great
| principle OF local self government has found
| It's best expires sion in tho m llntenance of the
| rights OF the states and its assertion of the
necessity OF combining the general government
| TO tho exercise Of the powers granted by the
constitution Of tho United States.
| The constitution of tho United States guar.
| antces to every citizen the rights Of civil and
religious liberty. The Democratic party has
| always been th) exponent OF political liberty
and OF religious freedom, and it ronews it's OBJ
legations and reaffirms the devotion TO those
fundamental principles Of the constitution.
Recognizing that the money question Is par.
amount to all others at this time, we invite
attention to tho fact that tho federal con titu.
ton names silver and gold together as the
money metals OF the United States, and hat
tho first coinpg law pissed by congress under
the constitution madn the silver dollar the
monetary unit and admitted gold to free coin.
age at n alto based upon the silver unit.
We are opposed to the policy and practice
of surrcndoring to the holders OF tho obliga.
tions of the United States the option reserved
by law to the government of redeeming such
obligation 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 trafficking with bank.
ing syndicateS which, in exchange for bonds
and Irmous 'roht to themselves, supply tho
federal treasury with gold to m1intniu tho
policy Of gold monometallism
Congress alone has the power to coin or ssue
money, rs President jackson declared that
this power could not be d ,logated to corpora.
tions or Individual We therefore demand
that tho power to issue notes to circulate as
money be taken from the national banks, and
that all paper money sba be issued directly
by the treasury department, bo redoemable In
coin and receivable for ali debts, public and
private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revenue, such duties to bo so nd
justed NJ to operate equally throughout the
country, and not discriminate between class
or section, and that taxation should b limited
by tho needs OF the government honestly and
economically administered. We denounce 30
disturbing to business the Republican threat
TO restore the Mckinley law, which has been
twice condemned by the people in national
elections and which, enacted under false pleas
Of protection to hCme industry, proved pro-
life brccdor Of trusts and monopolics, en-.
riohed tho fow at tho expense Of the many, re
strictod trade AID deprived the producers Of
the great American staples Of access to their
natural markets.
Until the money question is settled we are
-. ,..gG al -. 4
In our tariff laws, except such rs are noces
sary to mcot tho deficit In revenue caused by
the adverse decision Of the supreme court on
the income tax. But for this decision by the
Supreme court there would bo no defc.t iu the
revenues under the law passed by Douo
cratic congress in strict pursuance Of tho uni
after bo constituted, SO That Tie burdens Of
taxation may bo equally and impartially laid,
to tho end that wealth may bear its due pro-
portion Of tho expenses OF tho government
We hold that tho most efficient way Ot pro.
teoting American labor Is to prevent tho i'm
portation OF foreign pauper labor TO compete
with II in the home market, and that the value
OF the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans Ia greatly reduced by vicious
monetary system which dcpressc5 the prices
OF their products below tho cost Of production
and thus deprvca them of tho means Of pur.
chasing tho products of our homo uanufacto
rie1.
The absorption of wealth by the few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
and the formation OF trusts and pools require
o strlcter control by the federal government
Of those arteries of commerce. We demand
the enlargement of the powers of the inter
state cofnmoi o commission, an1 sunh rcStric'
tlons and guarantees in the control of rail
roads as will protect the psopls from robbery
and oppression.
We denounce tho pro1lgato waste of the
money wrung from the people by oppressive
taxation aud IN lavish appropriations OF re-
cont Republican congresses, which have kept
taxes high, while the labor that pays thcn is
unemployed, and the products Of the peoples
toll are depressed in price till thoy no longer
repay the cost Of production. We demand
return TO that simplicity and economy VIII Oh
bofits Democratic government and reduc'
ton in tho number OF useless offices, che snla'
ries OF which drain the substance Of the people
We donounce arbitrary interference by fed
eral authorities In local Affairs 63 violation
OF the constitution of tho United states and y
crime against free institutions, AID We es'
pecially object to government by Injunction
as o now and highly dangerous form OF op
lrsssion by which federal judges, in coEtcmp
of the laws of tho states and rights of citizens,
become at once legislators, judges and exccu-
toner's and we approve the bill pH5s,i NJ the
last session OF the e~~Unitod States senate and
relative TO contempts In federal courts and
providing for trials by jury cases of contompt,
No discrimination should be indulg ID by tho
government of the United States in favor OF
any of its debtors. We approve of tho refusal
Of tho Fifty-third congress to pass tho Pacific
railroad funding bill, and donounce the effort
Of the present Republican congress to enforce
similar measures.
Recognizing the just claims OF tho deserving
Union soldiers we heartily endoiss the rules
of the Present comm Toner OF pensions, thnt
no names thlli be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll, and the fact of enlistment
and service sh luld be deemed conclusive ovi
donco against disease and disability before eu'
listment
wufavor the admission OF the territories Of
Now Mexico and Arizona into Tho Union as
statei aud we favor the carly admission of
all tho territories having the necessary popu
latiOn aud resources to entite thom to state
hood, and while thoy rem0in territories We
hold that the officials appointed 20 administor
the government OF any territory, together
with the District OF Columbia, shouia be bona
Ade residents Of the territory or district In
which their dutics arc performed The Dom
ooratic party believes in home rule, ani thar
NIL pubiic lands of the United States should be
appropriated to the cs,ablishmcnt OF fee
homes for American citizens
We recommend that this territory of Alaska
be grantcd delegate in congrsss and that the
general lind and timber laws Of tho United
States DO extended 30 snid territory.
We extend our sympathy to tho people OF
Cuba in Their heroic struggle for liberty and
independence.
We aro oppolei 10 life tenure In the public
service Wo favor appointments based upon
merit, flxcd terms Of office and such admin
istratiun OF the civil service law as will afford