Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-07-11
bExoCgAfit PLATFORM.
IL Demands tl,e Free and Unlimited
Cninage Of Silver at is to l.

Chicago, July S.-The following is
the platform as finally agreed upon by
the Committee on Resolutions to be
submitted to the convention:
We, the democrats of the United
States, in National Convention as
sembled, do reaffirm our allegiance
to those great essential principles of
Justice and liberty upon which our
institutions are founded, and which
the democratic party has advocated
from ,}efferson's time to our own
freedom of speech, freedom of
the press, freedom of conscience,
the preservation 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 selfish
interests to the GENERALIZATION of
governmental power, and steadfastly
maintained the integrity of the
dual scheme of government estab-
lished by the founders of this Repub-
lie OF Republics. Under its guidance
and teachings the great principle OF
local self government, has found
its best expression in the mainten-
ance of rights Of the States, and In
its assertion of the necessity of con-
timing the general government to the
exercise of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
FINANCE.
Recognizing that the money ques.
ton is paramount to all Others at
this time we invite attention to the
fact that the Federal 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 Constitution
made the silver dollar the monetary
unit and admitted gold to free coin
age at q ratio based upon the silver
dollar unit.
We declare that the act of 1878
demonetizing silver without the
knowledge or approval of the Ameri-
can people has resulted in the APP
probation of gold and correspond
ing fall IL the prices of commodities
produced by the people; a heavy in
crease in the burden Of taxation and
OF all debts, public and private; the
enrichment of the money lending
class at home and abroad; the pros
tration of industry and impoverish-
ment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to a
monometallism which has locked
fast the prosperity of an industrial
people in the paralysis of hard times.
Gold monometallism is British
policy and its adoption has brought
other nations into financial servitude
to London. 1t is not only un-Ameri-
can. but anti American, and it can be
fastened on the United States only
by the sitting of that spirit and love
OF liberty which proclaimed our po-
litical independence in 1916 and won
it in the war of the revolution.
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 a full
legal tender, equally with gold, for
ali 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
practice Of surrendering to the
holders of the obligations of the
United States the option reserved by
law to the government of redeelning
such obligations IN either silver com
or gold coin.
BONDS.