Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-07-11
Free Silver.
Democratic Platform,

We the Democrats of the United States
in national convention assembled, do
reaffirm our allegiance to those great es-
sential principles of justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democrtic party has adj
vocated from Jeffersons time to our
own-freedom of speech, freedom of the
press, freedom of conscience, the preser-
walton of personal rights, the equality
of all citizens before the law and the
faithful observance of constitutional
limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency of sell
fish interests to the Capitalization of
governmental power, and steadfastly
maintained the integrity of the dual
system of government established by
the founders of this republic of republics.
Under it's guidance and teachings the
great principle of self government has
found it's best expression in the MAIN
tenance of the rights of the states and
in it's assertion of the necessity of con-
fining the general government to the
exercise Of the powers granted by the
constitution of the United States.
Recognizing that the money system is
paramount to all others 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 by congress under the consti-
tuition made the silver dollar the none
tary unit and admitted gold to free coin
age at ratio based upon the silver unit.
We declare that the act of 1873, de-
monetizing silver without the knowledge
and approval of the American people,
has resulted in the appreciation of gold
and a corresponding fall in the price of
commodities produced by the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
ometallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
che paralysis of hard times. Gold
recommendation is British policy and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
is not only un-American, but anti
American, and it can be fastened on the
states only by the sitting of that
spirit and love of liberty which pro-
claimed our political independence in
1776 and won it in the war of the revolu-
ton.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at 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 and private and We favor such
legislation as will prevent for the future
the characterization of any kind of legal
tender money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prac-
tce of surrendering to the holders of the
obi tons of the United States the oe-
ton reserved by law to the government
of redeeming such Obligations i'll either
silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of inter-
est bearing bonds of the United States
in time of peace and condemn the traf-
ticking with banking Syndicates, which.
in exchange for bonds and at an enor
| Il
federal treasury With gold to maintain
the policy of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
or issue money as President Jackson
declared that this power could not be
delegated to corporations or individuals.
We therefore demand that the power to
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 redeem
able in coin and receivable for all debts,
public and private.
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 section
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs of the government, honestly
and economically administered. We de-
nounce as disturbing to business the Re
publican threat to restore the Mckinley
law which has been twice 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 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 to any agitation for further
| changes in our tariff laws, except such
as are necessary to meet the 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 be no deficit in tbs
! revenues under the law passed by q
Democratic congress, in strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions of that court
| for nearly 100 years, that court having
| in that decision sustained constitutional
| objections to its enactment, which haG
| previously been OVerruled by the ablest
| 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 decis.
ion, or which may come from its reversal
by the court, as it may hereafter be con-
| Stituted so that the burdens of taxa.
| ton may be equally and mpartally
| laid, to the end that wealth may bear its
due proportion of the expense of the
| government
We hold that the most efficient way t,
| protect American labor is to prevent the
| importation of foreign labor to com
| pete with it in the home market, anC
that the value of the home market t.
| our American farmers and artisans i.
| greatly reduced by a vicious monetary
| system, which depresSes the prices o.
| their products below the cost of produc
| ton, and thus depriVes them of thu
| means of purchasing the products of oul
| home manufactures.
| The absorption of wealth by the few
| the consolidation of our leading railroad
| system, and the formation of trusts ant
pools require a stricter control by thu
| federal government of those arteries o
| commerce. We demand the enlargement
of the powers of the interstate com
merce commission, and such reStric
tons and guarantees in the control o
railroads as will protect the people from
robbery and oppression.
We denounce the profiigate waste o
the money wrung from the people b.
oppressive taxation and the lavish ap
preparation of recent Republican con
crosses, which have kept taxes high
while the labor that pays them is un
employed and the products of the PEG
pies toll are depressed in price unit
they no longer repay the cost of produc
ton.
We demand return to that simplicit.
and economy which BELTS Democrat
government and reduction in the mum
Der of useless offices, the salaries of whicl
drain the substance of the people.
We denounce arbitrary interference b,
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