Connecticut western news., 1896-07-16
THE PLATFORM.
The Declaration of Principles of the Dem-
 ocrntic National Convention

ocrutic National Convention.
 The following Is the full text of the platform adopted by the convention:
 We, the Democrats of the United States. in national convention assembled. do reaffirm our allegiance to those great essential prin- ciples of justice and liberty upon which our institutions are founded and which the Demo cratic party has maintained from Jefferson's time to our own-freedom of speech freedom of the press, freedom of conscience, the pres. ervation 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 centralization of governmental power and stes dfastly maintained the integrity of the dual scheme of government established by the founders of this republic of republics. Un- der its guidance and teachings the great prin. ciple of local self government has found its best expression in the maintenance of the rights of the states and in its assertion of the necessity of confining the general government to the exercise of powers granted by the con stitution of the United States
 The constitution of the United States guar antees to every citizen the rights of civil and religious liberty. The Democratic party has always been the exponent of political liberty and religious freedom. and it renews its obli- gations and reafirms It's devotion to these fundamental principles of the constitution.
 Recognizing that the money question is par amount to all others at this time, we invite attention to the fact that the federal constitu- ton names silver and gold together the money metals of the United States, and that the first coinage law passed by congress un- der the constitution made the silver dollar the unit of value and admitted gold to free coinage at a ratio measured by the silver dol lar unit.
 We declare that the act of 1873 demonetizing silver without the knowledge or approval of the American people has resulted in the appre- citation of gold and a corresponding fall in the prices of commodities produced by the people, heavy increase in the burden of taxation and of all debts public and private, the richment of the money lending class at home and abroad, paralysis of industry and impov- erishment of the people.
 We are unalterably opposed to the single gold standard, which has locked fast the pros perity of an industrious peos,e in the paraly- sis of hard times Gold L.-onometallism is a British policy. founded upon British greed for gain and power, and it's general adoption has brought other aLtions to financial scrvitude to London. It is not only un-American, but nti-American, and it can be fastened upon the United States only by the stifiing of that in- donitable spirit and love of liberty which proclaimed our political independence in l776 and won 1t in tho war of Revolution. We demand the immediate restoration of the free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver at the present legal ratio of l6 to l, without waiting for the aid or consent O. 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 will prevent the de- monetizstion of any kind of legal tender mon ey by private contract.
 We are opposed to the policy and practice of sur rendering to the holders of the obligations of the United States the option reserved by law to the government of redSeming such ob- legations 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 at an enormous profit to themselves, sup | ply the federal treasury with gold to main tain the policy of gold monometallsm. Congress alone has the power to coin and issue money. and President Jackson declared that | this power could not be delegated to corpora | tions or to individuals.
 We therefore denounce the issuance of notes | intended to circulate money by national banks as in derogation of the constitution, and | we demand that all paper which is made s le | gal tender for public and private debts, ol | which is receivable for duties to the United | States, shall be issued by the government oi | the United States and shall be redeemable ir o.otn-