The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-07-31
SILVER PLATFORM.
full Text Of the Declaration as Adopt
eG at st. Louis.

eG at st. Louis.
Tie National Silver party of Ameri-
ca, in convention at ST. Louis adopted
the following declaration of princi.
pies:
First: The paramount issue M this tima
in tho United States is indisputab,y tho
money question. 1t is between the British
gold standard, gold bonds and bank currel4-
cy on the one side, and the hi-mctallic stand
ara, 10 bonds, government currency (and an
American policy on the other.
"On this issue We declare ourselves to bo
in favor of u diStinctivcy American financial
system. We are Hnaltcrably opposed to tho
single gold standard, and demand the imme-
diate return to the constitutional standard of
gold and silver. by the restoration by this
government, Independently OF any foreign
power OF tho unrestricted coinage of both
gold and silver into II standard money at the
ratio of 16 to /. and upon exact equality as
they existed prior to 1874; the silver coin to
bc of full legal tender, equally with gold, for
all debts and dues. public and private, and
we demand such legislation as will prevent
for the future the destruction OF the legal
tender quality OF any kind of money by pri-
waite contract
I'VE hold that tho power to control and
regulate Il paper currency is iuscparahle
from the power To coin money: and, hence,
that all currency intended to circulate rs
money should hc issued and its volume con-
trollod. by the general government only. aud
should be Il legal tender.
I'VE arc unaltcrnhIy oppo. to the ISSUE
10y the United States OF Understanding bonds
in time OF peace. and "" dcnouncr, ~ Il blum
der worse than !; crime, tn" present Treasury
policy, concurred in hy Il Republican House.
of puuginG the country into debt by hun
lrcds Of millions in tn. vain attempt 10 main
tain the gold standard 10y borrowing gold;
and we demand the payment of all coin obi-
cations of the United States as provided 10y
existing laws. i'll cith"r gold or silver coin. at
the option of the government, and not ut the
option Of the creditor.
The decentralization of silver In 1873 cnor-
mousiy Increased the demand for gold, en-
haucinS its purchasing power, anI lowering
ail prices measured 10y that Standard: and
since that unjust and indrfrnsblc act, the
prices of American products have fallen upon
an average nearly 80 per cent. carrying
down with them rIOpor,ionally the money
value OF all other forms of property.
"Such fall "f prices has destroyed the lcG!t-
innate industry, iEjUrirg til" producer fOrthe
benefit of the nOn-prUdurcr. increasing ths
burden Of the debtor, swelling the gains Il
the creditor. rarayHins the productive cmrr-
Gics OF tn" American E""u'" rr!cEa:ihS 10
i!lencS@ vast n.nhcrs Of willing wOr.'ers,
sending tn. S..a,.OwS Of despair into III"
h0nl" Of the honest toilcr. filling the laEd
with tramps aud raupcrs aud building up
colossal fortunes Il; the money centres.
In the effort To- maintain the gold stand
are, the country has within the last two years,
loaded down with 92G2, ,0OO. 900 Of additional
i--t,rcst-Lcarny debt under such circum-
stances rs to allow u syndi,ut" of native and
foreign tank-.S to icai:c Il net prott Of mil
lions on single deal.
u; stands confessed that tn" gold standard
can only l." uphrL hy So drpi".inc our paper
currency IA To force the prices OF our pro-
ducts below I'll" European and even below
III" Asia,ic level to "nmSlc us to sell in fo,-
"Ign markets, thus ac.,ravating the very evils
Of which our pcOpl" 50 bitterly complain, de-
grading American labor and striking at tho
foundations of our civilization itself.
"Ih" advocates of the gold standard per-
sistcrtly claim that the cause of cur distress
is over-production that we have produced
so much that It made w. poOr-which implies
that the true remedy Is - close the factory.
abandon the iaril. and throw Il multitude OF
people out OF employment; Il doctrine that
leaves us Alncrvcd and dishcartcned aul ab-
sOlutcly without hope for the future.
''Nc affirm 1t t. ic unquestioncd that there
can be no such economic PARADOX as over
production, and 1T the sam" time tens OF
thousands OF our tcllow-citRens remaining
half-clothcd, and hnli-ird an! WHO ar. pitc-
ously claiEoring for the common necessities
Of life.
cover and above all other questions Of poll
Icy. We are In favor Oi restoring To I'll" people
OF the United States the timvhnnorcd money
OF the cOGstitntiOnGold and silver not one
hut bOLG-thc money OF Washington and
Hamilton and Jefferson and Monroe aud
JACKSON ana Lincoln, to the end tina. the
AEcri"an people muy receive honest pny for
az honest prOdu"t: that the A.nt rican debtor
may i,ay mis- Just obligations liz AN honest
standard and lot ~ u dishonest and uusounI
Standard Appreciated 100 per cent. in par
chasing power, and no appreciation in debt
paying power, and - til" end. further that
silver standard countries may l." deprived ot
til" unjust GdvaEtaE" th"v low enjoy. IN the
difference in exchange between gold aud
silvcr--"n advantage which tariff legislation
cannot overcome.
1--WE" therefore. confidently appeal TO tho
people OF the United States t. hold in GbCy-
am" ali other questions, however important
and even inomcntous they may appear II
sGHder. II need be-, nll former partv ties and
/ affiliations AMI Unltoi-l on" supreme effort
to fire." th"ms civ and their children from
III" domination 1.-THE money power "a power
more destructive than any whirh has ever
been fastened upon tn" civilized men of anv
race in any age. And upon the cons,.nma-
tion Of our desires and efforts W" evoke the
aid OF all ratrIoti" Amercau citizens and she
gracious favor OF Divin" Providence"
"lEuSmuch AZ tho patriotic majority of tho
Chicago convention eEhOdi"t i'll .ho iinan-
t:a plank OF its platform the principles culin.
c!0t"d IN tie platform of Iii" American III.
M"talli" party promulgated at Washington
l1 G., Jan. y, 1856 AMI therein reiterated
tl!;.t II l. not only til" paramount. hut the
"iiN real l>SU" III the pending campaign
therefore, recognizing that their nominees
cMOoiy thcS" patriotic principles, we recon-
mend tina. this convention nominate VIM, J.
Bryan, OF Nebraska, for President, and
Arthur ). ScwalI, of Maine, for Vice Prcsi
dent.