Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-10-01
PLATFORM FOB FREE SILVER

|
dom OF conscience. the preservation Of per
sonal rights, the equality Of ell citizens before
the law, and the faithful observance Of CON
stitutionaI limitations
During all these years the Democratic party
has resisted the tendency OF selfish interests
70 the centralization Of governmental power
and steadfastly maintained the integrity Of
the dual scheme Of government established by
| the founders OF this republic Of repub lies
Under its guidance and teachings the great
principle Of local self govern has found
Its best expression in the maintenance Of the
| rights Of the states and It's assertion Of the
necessity Of confning the general government
70 the exercise Of the powers granted by the
constitution of the United States
The constitution of the United states guar
'antees to every citizen the rights Of civil and
religious liberty. The Democratic party has
always been the exponent OF political liberty
and Of religious freedom. and IL renews Its OBJ
legations and reafarms the devotion to those
fundamental principles of the constitution t
Recognizing that the money question is par
amount to all others at this time, we invite
attention 10 the fact that the federal constitu-
tion names silver and gold together as the
money metals OF the United States and that
the hrst coinage law passed by congress under
the constitution made the silver dollar the
monetary unit and admitted gold TO free coin.
| age at a ratio based upon the silver unit
We are opposed TO the policy and practice
| Of surrendering to the holders Of the obliga-
tions Of the United States the option reserved
by law to the government of redeeming such
obligation in either silver coin or gold coin
| We are opposed to the issuing Of interest
bearing bonds of the United States in times Of
peace, and condemn the trafickng with bank
ng syndicates which, in exchange for bonds
and enormous profit to themselves, supply thh
federal treasury with gold TO maintain the
policy Of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power TO coin or issue
money, as President Jsskon declared that
this power could not be delegated to corpora
tions OF individuals
We therefore denounce the issuE nee of
not - intended to circulate as money by ma
ttOnal banks as in deloSation OF the coCsti-
tuition and We demand that all paper which is
| debts or winch Is receivable for dues TO the
| United States shall be issued by the cOveI n
ment c. the United States and shall be re-
| deemaDle in coin.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes Of revenue, such duties TO be 80 ad-
iusted as to operate equally throughout the
country, and not discriminate between class
or section, and that taxation should be limited
| by the needs Of the government honestly and
economically administered. We denounce es
disturbing to business the Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law.
| Until the money question lie settled we are
opposed to any agitation for further changes
| In our tariff laws, except such as are neces-
sary to meet the deficit in revenue caused by.
the adverse decision of the supreme court on
| the income tax.
| But f1r this decision by the supreme court
| there would be rodeie.til the revenue under
| the law passed by a dem cratic congress N
strict Pursuance Of the'uniGoTm m dc tisionS of
| that court for nearly o3e hundre years, That
| YIN i,a d.4p,G pel,i
| constitutional objections t. its enactment,
which have been o5ertule py the ablest
judges who have ever sat on thai bench,
We declare that 1t is the duty Of congress to
| use all the constitutional power which re-
mains after that decision, or which may come
| from its reversal by the court as it may here
after be constituted, so that the burdens of
taxation may be equally and impartislly laid.
| to the end that wealth may bear its due pro-
portion OF the expenses of the government
We hold that the most efficient way OF pro
| tecting American labor is to prevent the i'm
portation of foreign psuper labor to compete
with it in the home market, and that the value
Of the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans is greatly reduced by vicious
| monetary system which depresses the prices
of their products below the cost Of production
and thus deprives them of the means of pur.
chasing ths products Of our home manufacto-
ries.
AMI as labor creates the wealth ofthecoun-
try, we demand the passage OF such laws as
may be necessary to protect it in all its rights
An7 aUsorpuron OF wealth by the few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
and the formation Of trusts and pools require
stricter control by the federal government
Of those arteries of commerce We demand
the enlargemt at Of the powers Of the inter
state CONNIE .ce commis ission, and such restric-
tlons and gu: rantees in the control of rail
roads as will protect the people from robbery
and oppression
We denounce the profigate waste Of the
msncs wrung from the people by oppressive
taxation and the lavish appropriations of re-
cent Republican congresses, which have kept
taxes high, while the labor that pays them is
unemployed, and the products Of the peoples
toll are depressed in price till they no longer
re0ay the cost of production.
Ne demand a return to that simplicity and
l. >nOmy which BELTS a democratic govern
ment aud reduction of the number of use
less offices, the salaries o. which drain the
Substance of the people.
We denounce arbitrary interference by fed,
eral authorities In local affairs as violation
of the constitution of the United States and
crime against free institutions, and we es-
pecially object to government by Injunction
as new and highly dangerous form Of op-
preston by which federal judges, In contempt
Of the laws Of the states and rights Of citizens,
become at once legislators, judges and execu-
TONERS, and we approve the bill passed at the
last session of the United States senate and
now pending in the house of representatives
relative to contempts in federal courts and
nrovidina for trials by iarT cases 9f contsmpk
No discrimination should be indulged in by
the government of the United SrateS in favor
of lis debtors. We approve of the refusel Of
the, Fifty third congress TO pass the Pacific
railroad funding bill and denounce the effort
of the present republican congress to enact
a similar measure.
Recognizing the Just claims or the deserving
Union soldiers we heartily endorse the rules
of the present commissioner of pensions, that
no names shall be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll, and the fact Of enlistment
and service should be deemed conclusive evf
dence against disease and disability before en-
listment
We favor the admission of the territories of
New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arizona to the
admission Of all the territories to state
hood, and while they remain territories we
hold that the officials, appointed to adminis-
ter the government of any territory, together
with the District of Columbia and Alaska,
should be bona tide residents of the territory
or district in which their duties are to be per-
formed.
The democrtic party believe in home rule,
and that all public lands of the United States
should be appropriated to the establishment
of free homes for American citizens.
We recommend that the territory OF Alaska
be granted delegate in congress, and that
the general land and timber laws Of the
United States be extended to said territory
The Monroe doctrine. as originally de-
clared and as interpreted by succeeding
presidents. is permanent part ofthe foreign
policy of the United States. and must at all
| times be maintained.
We extend our sympathy to the people of
Cuba in their heroic struggle for liberty and
| independence.
We are opposed to life tenure in public
service. We faver appointments based upon
merit, fixed terms of office. and such an ad-
ministration of the civil service laws as will
| afford equal opportunities to all citizens Of
ascertained fitness.
| We declare it to, be an unwritten law of
this republic. established by custom and
| pies of the greatest and wisest of those who
| founded and have maintained our govern
| ment. that no man should be eligible for q
The federal government ShOuld care for