Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-07-23
PLATFORM FOR FREE SILVER

We, the Democrats Of the United States, IN /
convention assembled, do affirm our allegiance /
70 those great ESSENTIAL principles Of justice |
and liberty upon which our institutions are |
founded and which the Democratic party has |
advocated from Jefferssn's time to our own |
freedom Of speech, freedom Of the press, free |
dom Of conscience. the preservation Of per- |
sonal rights, the equality Of all citizens before
the law, and the faithful observance of con- |
stitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic party |
has resisted the tendency of selfish interests |
to the Capitalization 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 It's guidance and teachings the great
principle Of local self government has found
its best expression in the maintenance Of the
rights Of the states and it's assertion Of the
necessity Of confining the general government
to 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 it renews its OBJ
legations and reafirms the devotion to those
fundamental principles of the constitution.
Recognizing that the money question is par
amount to all others at this time, we invite
attention to the fact that the federal constitu-
ton names silver and gold together as the
money metals of the United States, and that
the tlrst 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 10 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 trafflcking with bank
ng syndicates which, in exchange for bonds
and enormous profit to themselves, supply thh
federal treasury with gold to mNintain the
policy Of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin or issue
money, as President Jasl<on declared that
this power could not be delegated to corpora
tions or individuals
We therefore denounce the issuance OF
notes intended to circulate as money by ma
tional banks as in derogation, of the constl-
tuition and we demand that all paper when is
made legal tender for public and private
debts or which is receivable Ior dues 10 sne
United States. shall be issued by the govern
ment of the United States and shall be re-
deemable in coin.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revenue, such duties to be 30 ad-
justed 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 as
disturbing to business the Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law
Until the money question is settled we are
opposed to any agitation for further changes
In our tariff laws, except such as are neces'
Bary to meet the deficit in revenue caused by
the adverse decision of the supreme court on
the income tax.
But for this decision by the supreme court
there would be no deficit in the revenue under
the law passed by democratic congress in
strict pursuance OF the uniform decisions s. OF
that court for nearly one hundred years, that
court having under that decision sustained
constitutional objections to its enactment,
which have been overruled, by, the ablest
judges who have ever sat on that bench,
We declare that it 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 impartially 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 pauper 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 a vicious
monetary system which depresses the prices
of their products below the cost of production
and thus deprives them of the means of pu-.
chasing ths products of our home manufacto
ries.
try we demand the passage OF Such laws as
may be necessary to protect 1t IN alllts rlghts
Inu ausorprron OF wealth by the few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
and the formation Of trusts and pools require
a stricter control by the federal government
of those arteries of commerce. We demand
the enlargemt at Of the powers of the inter
state CONNIE .oe commi ssion, aud such restric.
tions and gus rantees in the control of rail.
roads as will protect the people from robbery
and oppression.
We denounce the profigate waste Of tho
msnes 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
repay the cost of production.
We demand return to that simplicity anC
economy. which.betits a democratic govern
ment and a reduction of the number OF use
less offices, the salaries OF which drain the
substance OF the people.
We csnouncs arbitrary interference by fed.
eral authorities In local affairs as q violation
of the constitution of the United States and q
crime against free institutions, and we es-
pecially object to government by injunction
as q new and highly dangerous form of op-
preston by which federal judges, in contempt
pf the laws of the states and rights of citizens,
become at once legislators, judges and execu-
tioners, 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
s5 fs hs rhse e. # m
the government of the United States in favo
Of its debtors, We eapprove of the refusal o
the Fifty third congress to pass the Pacific
railroad funding bill and denounce the effor
of the present republican congress to enac
similar measure.
Recognizing the Just cIaImsof 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 evi.
dence against disease and disability before en-
listment.
We favor the admission of the territories o
New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arizona to tn
union as states, and we favor the earl!
admission Of all the territories to state
hood, and while they remain territories. W
ter the government Of any territory, togethe
with the District of Columbia and Alaska
should be bona fide residents of the territor.
or district in which their duties are to be per
The democrtic party believe in home rule
and that all public lands of the United State
should be appropriated to the establishment
of free homes for American citizens.
We erecommend that the territory Of Alask,
begranted a delegate In congress- and tina
the general land and timber laws Of tn
United States be extended to said territory
The Monroe doctrine, as originally de
clared and as interpreted by succeeding
presidents, Is a permanent part 0fthe foreigl
policy of the United States. and must at al
times be maintained.
We extend our sympathy to the people O
Cuba in their heroic struggle for liberty an
independence.
We are opposed to life tenure In publ
service. We faver appointments based upol
merit, fixed terms of office, and such an ad
ministration of the civil service laws. as vii
afford equal opportunities to all citizens
ascertained fitness.
We declare 1t to be an. unwritten law Q