The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-08-29
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

tial principles of justice and liberty upon
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has adyocat-
ed from Jefferson's time to our own, free
dom of speech, freedom of the press, free
<donl of conscience. the preservation OF
personal rights the equality OF all cItlzeus
before the law, and the faithful observ-
ance of constitutional limitations:
During all these years the DeInocTatlc
party has resisted the tendency OF selfish
interests to the CONTEMPLATION OF Govern,
mental power and steadfastly maintained
the integrity OF the dual scheme OF gov
rrnment established by the founders OF
this repnblic of republics. Under It's
guidance the great principle OF local self
government has found its best expressi0 OF
in the maintaiuance of the rights OF the
States and in its assertion OF the necessl-
ty Of combining the general government to
the exercise of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
~sRecognizing that the money system Is
paramount to all others at this time, We
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
&4ral Constitution names SILVER ana gold
together as the money metals OF the Unit
ed States. and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the Constitu-
ton made the silver dollar the monetary
ulit and admitted goldth free coinage at
a ratio based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act OF 1873, de
monetizing silver without the knowledge
or approval of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation OF gold and
Il corresponding fall in the prices of COM
modities produced by the people; a heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and
of all debts, public and private; the en-
richment of the money lending class at
home and abroad; prostitution OF industry
and impoyerishment OF the people,
We are unalterably opposed to the
recommendation, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people Ill the
PARALYSIS of hard times. Gold monomet-
alIism is a British policy, and its adoption
has brought other nations into hnanelai
sarvitude to London. 1t is not only IN
American, but antl-Amer1can, ana u can
be fastened on the United States only by
the sitting of that spirit and love OF lib
cry which proclaimed our political indie
pendence in 1776. 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 10 to l., without
waiting for the aid or consent of any 9TH
or nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be a full legal tender
equally with gold, for all debts, public,
and private, and we favor such leglsla-
ton as will prevent for the future the de-
monetization of any kind OF legal tender
money by private contract.
WIZ dI0 EOppOsCu U DOO PoAlOl NAA paw
tice of surrendering to the holders OF the
obligations of the United States the OPP
ton reserved by law to the government
of redeeming such obligations In either
coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of inter
e~st-bearing bonds of the United States in
time OF peace and condemn the tratficking
with banking syndicates which. in ex-
change for bonds Inc as an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the Fedora
treasury with gold to maintain the policy
of gold m~onometallism,
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared chat this power could not be del
gated to corporations or individuals. We
therefore demand that the power to issue
notes to circulate as money be taken from
national banks and that all paper mon
ey shall be issued directly by the
Treasury Department, redeemable in coin
and receivable for all debts, public and
private.
We hold that the tariff duties should
be levied for purposes of revenue, such
duties to be SO adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country and not
discriminate between class and section.
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs Of the government, honestly
and economically administered. We de-
nounce as disturbing to business the Re-
publican threat Ito restore the Mckinley
law, which has twice been condemned by
the people in national elections, and
which, enacted under false plea of pro-
lection to home industry, proved a prolific
breeder of trusts aud monopolies, enrich
ed the few at the expense OF the many,
restricted trade and deprived the produ-
GERS of the great American staples of ac-
cess to their natural markets.
Until the money question is settled we
are opposed to any agitation for further
changes in our tariff laws, except such as
are necessary to make up the deficit III
caused by the adverse decision
by the supeme court on the income tax.
But for this there would be no deficit in
revenue. Under the law passed by o
Democratic Congress, in strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions of that court
having that decision sustained, constita-
tional objection to it's enactment. which
has been oyerruled by the ablest Judges
VINO ever sat on that bench. We declare
that it is the duty of Congress to all the
constitutional power which remains after
that decision or which may come from it's
reversal by the court as it may hereafter
be constituted, so that the burdens of
taxation may be equally and impartially
land to the end that wealth may bear it's
due proportlonate expenses of the govern
ment.
We hold that the most efficient way to
protect American labor is to prevent the
Importation of foreign pauper labor to
compete with it in the home market, and
that the value of the home market to our
farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by a vicious monetary system, which de-
presses the price of their products below
the cost of production, and thus deprives
them of the means of purchasing the pro-
ducts of our home manufacturers,
The absorption of wealth by the few,
the consolidation of our leading railway
systems and the formation of trusts and
pools, require a stricter control by the
Federal Government of those arteries of
commerce.. We demand the enlargement
of the powers of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and such restrictions and
guarantees in the control Of railroads as
will protect the people from robbery and
oppression.