Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-08-14
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.


cratic party has dVocated from yefferSon's
time 10 our own-freedom OF speech. freedom
OF the press. freedom OF conscience. the
preservation OF personal rights. the equality
OF all cSt-zens before the Ia - and nc faithful
observance of constitutional limitations
During all these years the democratic party
mas resisted the tendency o: selfish interests
TO the centrally stioa OF governmental powcr
ana steadtastly maintained the iltecrit, Of
fhc du 1 scheme OF government established by
the founders OF this republic OF republics
Under it's guidance and teachings the gre NJ
principal OF local self-government has found
Its best expression in the maintenance OF the
rights OF abe states and in its assertion OF the
necessity OF combining the general governments
10 the exercises OF the powers granted by the
constitution OF the United States
The constitution OF the United States
guarantees 10 every citizen the right OF civil
and religious liberty. The democratic p,r,y
has always been the exponent OF political lib
erty and religious freedom. and IL renews its
obligations nd rec firms it's devotion 70 these
fundamental principles OF the constitution
Recognizing that the money qnsstion Is mar
amount TO all others 1T this time We inyite
attention To the fact that the federal consti-
tuition names silver and gold together a. the
money metals OF the United States. and that
the FIRST coinage law parsed by congress under
the constitution mnde the silver dollar the
monetary unit OF value and admitted gold 20
free coinage ut a ratio measured by tho silver
dollar unit
We declare that tho act OF 1873 demonotiziur
silver without the knowled g or approval of
the American people has resulted in she APP
probation OF gold and a corresponding fall in
the prices OF commodities produced br tho
people: n heavy increase I'm the burden OF Tx
alton and OF all debts public and private: the
enrichment OF the moneY-lending class at
home and abroad: postration OF industry and
impoverishmcnt Of the people.
We are unaltcrably opposed 10 the stn1Ie
gold standard which hes locked fast The pros-
perIty OF an Industrial people in the paraly sis
OF hard times Gold recommendation IS a
British policy and its adoption has brought
other nations into financial servitudc to Lon
don IL Is not only un-Americnn but anti
Ametcan and II can be fastened on the United
States only by the sitting Of that indomitable
spirit and hove OF liberty which proclairned
our political ependcncc In 1875 ard won &,
in the war OF the revolution
We demand the free and unlimited coinoye
OF both silver and gold ~ the present legal ratio
OF i6to l. without waiting for the aid or consent
OF any other nation We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be a full legal tom
der equally with gold for nll debts. public and
private, and we favor such lerisla tion : $ viii
prevent the dcmonetiz tfon os anv kind of L.
gal tender moley by private contract.
We are opposed 70 the policy and practice
OF surrendering 10 the holders OF the obligas
tiOns of the United states tho option rcs.rved
by law to the governu ent OF redo eruinr such
obligations in either silver coin or gold coin
We are opposed 10 the issuing OF interest
ot1tihS Dont'S OF inc OniteI states in time of
peace. and condemn the traficlxins with blnk-
Ing syndicates which. in exchange for bonds
ana az an enormous profit 10 themselves sup
ply the federal treasury with gold TO maintain
the policy OF gold monometallism
Congress alone has the power 10 coin and
issue money. and President Jackson declared
that this power could not be delexated To- CT
porattons or individuals
We therefore denounce the issuance Of
notes intended TO circulate rs money b. na-
IN q e ~ in 40 TO-,
tiOn and we demand that all paper which *
made legal tender FOR public ANA private
debts or which IS receivable for dues to the
United Strtes shall be issued by the govern
ment OF the United States ana shah be re-
dcemable in coin.
We hold that tariff duties should he levied
for purposes Of revenue. should also be adj
1usted so us TO operate equally throughout
the country, ana not discriminate between
class or section, ana that tax ton
should be limited by the needs OF the govero-
ment homes tly and economically administered
We denounce as disturbing to business the
republican threat 10 restore the Mckinley
law which has been twice condemn. d by tho
people Ia the national elections and
which. enacted under the false plea Of
protection TO home industry proved = prolfoc
breeder OF trusts and monopolies. enriched
the few ut 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 Il
settled We arc opposed to anv ayita-
ton Tor further changes In our tariff
laws. except such as urc ncccss .ry TO meet
the Cchcit in revenue caused by the adverse
ueclsion OF the supreme court the income
TAX There would be no deficit In the revenue
bus for tho annulmcnt oY the supreme court
OF law passed by democratic congress in
strict pursuance of the uniform decisions OF
tnat court Tor nearly one hundred years, that
court having in that decision aus
I
aciincnt which has been previously over
tulcd oy the ablcSt judges who had ever sat
on that bench We declare that fl is the dutv
OF congress 10 use all the constitutional power
winch remains after that decision or which
may come from it's reversal by the court as IL
may hereafter be constituted. so that the bur
dcnS OF taxation may be equally and ia,par-
tl'lly laid To the end that wealth may bear It's
uue proportion OF the expenses OF government
We hold that the most efficient way OF p~o-
tcctlhg American labor Is TO prevent The i'm
Iortation OF foreign paurer labor TO compete
win 1t IN the home mark I. and with the value
OF the home market 10 our American firmers
ana artisans Is greatly reduced by "A vicious
monetary system which dcpresscs the prices
OF the'r products below The cost of production
ana thus dcpriNcS them Of the means of Dur-
CHASING the products OF our homo manufac-
tories. and as labor creates the wealth of the
country. we d. mand the passage Of such lnws
as may be necessary TO protect IL IN all its
rights
We are I'm favor OF the arbitration OF differ
ehccs between employers engaged in Interstate
commerce and their employees. and recon-
mend such legislation as is necessary TO carry
out this principle
The absorption OF wealth by the few the
consolidation OF our leading railroad systems
ana the formation OF trusts and pools reauir,
n srlctcr control by the federal government
OF those arteries of commerce. We demand
the en- areemcnt of the Interstate commerce
commission. and such restrictions and guar
ahtecS In the control OF railways as will pro-
tect the people from robbery and oppression
we denouncc the p-onigate waste of tho
money ~rHnS rom the people b. oppressive
taxation and the lavish appropriations OF re-
rent republican congresses. which have kent
taxes nigh. while the labor that pays them is
unemployed and the product OF the peoples
Toll are depressed iii they no longer repay The
cost OF production. We demand a return To
that simplicity ana economy which belts
a democratic government and a reduction in
The number OF useless officers. the sa laries OF
which drain the substance OF the people
we denouncc the arbitrary interference bv
federal authorities in local fairs as n violl-
ZION OF the constitution OF the United States
and crime against free institutions and we
object TO government b. Injunction
as new and highly dangerous form of on
preston by which federal judges, in contempt
Of tho laws OF tho states ana rights Of citizens,
become ut once legislators judges md execu-