The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-08-24
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, July, 1895.

We, the Democrats of the United
States in national convention assembled,
do reat1irm 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 JetferSOn'S time to our own
freedom of speech, freedom OF press,
freedom of conscience, the preservation
of personal rights, the equality OF all citi-
ZenS before the law, and the faithful O0-
seryatiOn of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies of selfish
interests to the centriliZation of govern
mental power, and steadfaStly maintain
ed the integrity of the dual scheme Of
of government established by the found
ers of this republic of republics. Under
it's guidance and teachings the great prin-
ciple of local government has found
its best expression in the maintenance OF
the rights of the States and its assertion
of the necessity of contning the general
government to the exercise OF the powers
granted by the constitution OF the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount to all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together as the money metals OF the Unit
ed States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
made the silver dollar the unit OF value
and admitted gold to free coinage at a
ratio measured by the free silver dollar
unit.
We declare that the act of 1873 demone'
tiZing silver without the knowledge or
6 A npnIllp
suited in the appreciation of gold and
corresponding fall in the prices Of com
modities produced by the people; heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and OF
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment of the money lending class al
home and abroad; prostration OF industry
and impoverishment Of the people.
We are unalt erably opposed to mono
metaliSm. which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrious people in the
PARALYSIS of hard times. Gold monOmet-
allism is a British policy, and its adop-
tiOn has brought other nations into imam
cial seryitude to London. 1t is not only
un- American, but anti American, and il
can be fastened on the United States only
by the sti0ing of that indomitable spirit
and love of liberty which proclaimed Oul
political independence in l716, and won il
in the war Of the revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of rs to l. without
waiting for the consent or aid of any 9th.
er nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall he u full legal tender
equally with gold, for all debts, public
and private, and we favor such legisla,
tion as will prevent for the future the de-
monetization of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prac'
tice of surrendering to the holders of the
obligations of the United States the opin'
ion reserved by law to the Government Of
redepmng such obligations in either sill
yer coin or gold coin.
Weare opposed to the issuing OF inter
est. bearing bonds OF the United states N
time OF peace and condemn the tralclnl
withdrawing syndlcates whichin exchange
for bonds and at an enormous proUt tt
themselves, supply the Federal Treasury
with gold to maintain the policy Of gold
mcnometalism,
Congress alone has the power to cOir
and issue money, and President jackson
declared that this power could not be del
cgatcd 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 rcdeemabIe IN
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 dlscrlmi-
nate between class or section, and that
taxation should be limited by the needs Of
the Government honestly and economic
ally administered. We denounce as dis
turbIng TO business the Republican threat
TO restore the Mckinley law, which has
been twice condemned by Tie people In