Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-09-12
A MODEL PLATFORM.
Adopted by the Democrats In National
Convention.

National DemOCratlc convention;
We, the Democrats of the United
States In national convention aSSemb-
led, do reanirm our allegiance to those
great essential principles of justice
and liberty upon which our inStitu.
tions are founded, and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
JetferSon's time TO our own-freedOm
of speech, freedom of the press free
dom of conscience, the preservation of
personal rights, the equality of all
citizens before the law, and the faith
full observance of constitutional limi-
tations.
During all these years the Demo-
cratic party has resisted the tendency
of selfish interests to the centraliz-
alton of governmental power, and
steadfastly maintained the integrity
of the dual scheme of government
established by the founders of this
republic of republics. Under its
guidance and teachings the great
principle of local self-goVernment has
found its best expression in the main
tenance of the rights of the states
and in its assertion of the necessity
of contining the general government
to the exercise of powers granted by
the constitution of the United States
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
The constitution of the United
States guarantees 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
obligations and reatirms its devotion
to these fundamental principles Of
the constitution.
FINANCE. 80
Recognizing that the money ques-
tion is paramount to all Others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact
that the 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 sill
yer dollar the money unit, and ad-
mitted gold TO free coinage at a ratio
based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act Of 1873 de-
monetiZing silver without the knOwl-
edge or approval of the American peo-
pie has resulted in the appreciation
of gold, and a corresponding fall in
the price of commodities produced by
the people; heavy increase in the
burden of taxation and of all debts,
public and private; the enrichment Of
the money lending class at home and
abroad, the prOstration of industry,
and impoverishment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
OmetalliSm, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
paralysis of hard times, Gold mono
metalism is a British policy, and its
adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London.
1t is not only un-American, 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 political inde-
pendence in 1776 and won in the war
of the revolution.
FREE COINAGE.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio Of l6 TO l, without
waiting for the aid or consent Of 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 as will prevent
for the future the decentralization Of
any kind of legal tender money by
private contract.
BONDS.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice of surrendering to the hold,
ers of the obligations, of the United
States, the option reserved by law To
the government of redeeming such OBJ
| legations in either silver coin or gold
| coin.
We are opposed to the issuing Of in
terest-bearing bonds Of the United
States in time of peace, and condemn
the trafiicking with banking syndi-
Gates which, in exchange for bonds
and at an enormous profit to them
selves, supply the federal treasury
with gold to maintain the policy OF
| gold monometallism.
ISSUE OF MONEY.
Congress alone has the power To
coin and issue money, and Prerident
Jackson declared that this power
could not be delegated to corporations
or individuals. We therefore de-
nounce the issuance Of notes intended
| to circulate as money by national
banks as in derOgation of the consti-
tuition, and we demand that all paper
which is made legal tender for
public and private debts or which Is
| receivable for duties TO the United
| States shall be be issued by the gov
ernment of the United States and
shall be Tedeemable in coin.
TARIFF.
We hold that tariff duties should be
levied for purpose of revenue, such du-
ties to be so adjusted as To operate
equally throughout the country and
not discriminate between class or sec
tion, and that taxation should be
limited by the needs OF the govern
ment honestly and economically ad-
ministrated.
We denounce as disturbing to busi-
ness the Republican threat to restore
the Mckinley law, which has twice
been condemned by the people In ma,
tional elections, and which, enacted
under the false plea Of protection TO
home industry, proved prOllnc
breeder of trusts and mOnopolies, en-
riched the few by the expense or the
many, restricted trade, and deprived
the producers OF the great American
staples of access TO their natural mar
kets.
INCOME TAX.
Until the money question IS settled
we are opposed TO any agitation TOT
further changes In our taTin laws, eX-