The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-08-20
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention, at Chicago, July, 1896

We. the Democrats of the United
States, in national convention assembled,
do reafiirm our allegiance to those great
essential principles of Justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democratic party has ad-
vocated from JefferSOn'S time to our own
freedom of speech, freedom of press,
freedom of conscience, the preservation
of personal rights, the equality of all citi-
Zels before the law, and the faithful OBJ
SeryatiOn of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies of selfish
interests to the centriliZatiOn of govern
II entail power, and stead lastly maintain
ed the integrity of the dual scheme of
of government established by the found
erS of this republic of republics Under
its guidance and teach 'ngS The great prin-
cple of local self-gOvernment has found
its best expression i'm the maintenance of
the rights Of the States and its assertion
of the neceSS ty of cOnfining the general
government to the exercise Of the powers
granted by the constitution of the United
stat
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount to all Others at this time, We
invite attention to- the fact that the Fed
cral constitution names silver and gold
ed States, and that the fir coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
made the silver dollar the unit of value
and admitted gold to free coinage at
alto measured by the free silver dollar
unit.
We declare that the act of 1878 demOnp
tizing silver without the knowledge or
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation of gold and a
corresponding fall in the prices of COM
moditieS produced by the peoples heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and of
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment of the money lending class AT
home and abroad; prOstratiOn OF industry
and impOVeriShment Of the people.
We are unaltcrabIy opposed to mono
metallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an Industrious people in the
paraIy is Of hard times. todd monomet-
aliSm is British policy, and its adOp-
tion has brought other nations into inan-
cial servtude to London. 1t is not only
American, but anti American, and it
can fastened on the United States only
by the sitting Of that indomitable spirit
and love of liberty which proclaimed our
political Independence in l776, and won it
In the war of the revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both god and silver at the
present legal ratio of Is to /, without
waiting for the consent or aid of any 9TH
er nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shal be full legal tender,
equally with gold, for all debts, public
and private. and we favor such legiSla-
tion as will prevent for the future thede-
monetization 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
obligations of the United States the opin-
ion reserved by law to the Government of
redepmmg such obligations in either sill
yer coin or gold coin.
Weare opposed to the issuing of inter
est. bearing bonds of the United States in
time of peace and condemn the traticng
withdrawing syndicateS whichin exchange
for bonds and at an enormous profit to
themselves, supply the Federal Treasury
with gold to maintain the policy OF gold
monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be del
egated 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 redeemable IL
coin and received for all debts, public and
private.
We hold that tariff duties should be lev
led for purposes Of revenue, such duties
to be so adjusted as to operate. equally
throughout the country and not discrimi-
nate between class or section, and that
taxation should be limited by the needs Of
the Government honestly and economic
ally administered. We denouncc as dis
turbing to business the Republican threat
been twice condemned by the people in