The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-18
SEEK NO STRANGE GODS
LOYAL DEMOCRACY MASSES UNDER
 ITS OLD FLAG.

Rlddled With Hoies-N1gorouS Protest
 by Men Who Have Supported tho Party
 in the Days When It Sought the Suffrage
 of the People Upon the Issues Which
 Called 1t Into Being and Which Have
 Perpetuated Its Life.
 Chicago, Aug, 1.-The national dem- ocratic partys executive committee last evening issued the following:
 To the democrats of the United States:
 The democratic party is the only party organization with history cx- tending back to the birth of the repub- lie. Party after party has attempted its overthrow. Some have achieved temporary triumphs. With each tri- umph was heard the prophecy that the democratic party would surely die. It has survived all defeats. By virtue of its indestructible principles it has wit messed the birth and death of every rival save one and this, its present great antagonist, with a history of no more than forty years, had no part In laying the foundations of constitution al popular government. For more than a century men of high principles, noble ambitions, unseltish and patriotic aims, have adhered to the democratic party with constancy of devotion unparal leled in the history of politics. For more than a century, through good and evil report, in times of prosperity, and days of diversity, it has kept it's faith.
 Without variableness or shadow of turning" it has kept fast to the funda- mental principles of free government formulated by its founders and subse- quently enforced by its great leaders, from Jefferson to Cleveland. For more than century. no man was ever in doubt as to what constituted democ- racy. He who proclaimed himself a democrat defined his principles He believed and this was the cardinal ar ticle of his political faith in the ability of every individual unassisted, if unfet- tered by law, to achieve his own hap piness, and therefore, that every citi- zen there should be secured the right and opportunity to pursue whatever course of conduct he would, provided such conduct provided no other individ ual of the equal enjoyment of the same right and opportunity. He stood for freedom of speech, freedom of con- science, freedom of trade and freedom of contract, all of which are implied by the century old battle cry of the democ- racy, individual liberty" As con- sequence every democrat believed in the rule of law and the rule of an inn partial law, in the unhesitating protec- tion not only of the lives of citizens, but of private rights and property and in the enforcement of obedience to duly constituted authorities.
 Every true democrat Insisted upon strict observance of the mandates of the federal constitution and of the lim- itations therein prescribed, as we'll as upon a loyal support of all the institu- tions thereby created to the guarantees of the liberty it sought to perpetuate. He profoundly disbelieved in the abil- ity of government, through paternal legislation or supervision, to increase the happiness of the nation. He was opposed to all attempts to conjure com fort into the home of it's citizens or wealth into their pockets. He believed that 1t is the function of government to provide the people with an honest and stable medium of exchange, thus enabling them to transact their busi- ness safely and conveniently in every market of the world.
 He reprobrated every attempt to sup ply to money by means of legislation, that which value it can possess only by reason of those qualities that rem der 1t acceptable to the world when unsupported by legislative fiat. He believed in the greatest measure of freedom of trade and industry compat- ible with the necessity to obtain, by constitutional means, an adequate rev. enue for the support of the govern ment. He believed in simple, eco nomical, honest and efficient admins tration of the affairs of the nation, to the end that the prime object Of gov ernment, the liberty of the people, should be preserved with the least pos- sible resulting burden and the greatest possible certainty
 With such record and such a creed the president, being a democrat, elect ed on a platform reafFirming the sound principles of democracy the democrat ic party was called upon to select del- egates to a natioEtf convention. The delegates to Chicago were authorized and had the power to proclaim plat form emhodying their views of the true solution of the problems of the govern ment, not agitating the nation, but up- on the condition that such platform should be consistent with the cardinal principles held by the party through out it's existence. They distinguish it from all other political organizations If they are abandoned, the party ceases to exist. It was, therefore, not within the power of any majority of the dele gates assembled at Chicago to bind the democrats of the United States to Q platform inconsistent with the party's principles or to any action that should result in their surrender.
 to them a majority of the delegates as- sembled in that convention, ignoring the rights of the minority, unseated regularly elected delegates to make places for others in sympathy with theselves. They proclaimed a section- al combination of the south and west against the north and east. They im- peached the honesty and patriotism of President Cleveland who under excep- tional endorsements produced by past errors of legislation has heroic ally maintained the honor and integri- ty of the republic. Against the protest of one third of thA delegates they pro- mulgated platform at variance with the essential principles of the demo- cratic party. This platform is in it's policies dangerous to the welfare and