The St. Johns herald., 1896-07-18
THE PLATFORM.
of Principles by tho
 Democratic Convention.

great essential principles ofjustice anc
 liberty upon which our institutions art
 founded and which the Democratic
 party has advocated from Jefferson's $
 time to our own-freedom of con science preservation of personal rights, the
 equality ofall citizens before the law
 and the faithful observation of consti-
 tutional limitations.
 During all these years the Denocra- tic party has resisted the tendency to i selfish interests to the eentralization of
 Governmental power and steadfastlY maintained the entegrity 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 government
 has found it's best expression in the maintenance of the rights of the States
 and in it's assertion of the necessity of contining the general government to the exercise of the powers granted by the Constitution of the United States,
 Recognizing that the money system is paramount to all others at this time, we invite attention to the fact that the Federal Constitution names silver and gold together as the money metals of the United States, and that the first coinage law passed by Congress under the Constitution made the silver dollar the mon- etary unit, and admitted gold to free coinage at a ratio based upon the silver dollar unit.
 We declare that the act of 1873, demonetizing silver without the knowledge or approval of the American people, has resulted in the apprecia- ton of gold and corresponding fallin the price of commodities produced by the people; heavy increase in the burden of taxation and of all debts, public and private; the enrichment of the money-lending class at home and abroad, and the prostration of industry and impover- ishment of the people.
 We are unalterably opposed to monometalism which has locked fast the prosperity of an in- dustrial people in the paralysis of hard times Gold mon ometalism is a British policy. and its adoption has brought other nations into finan- cial servitude to London. It is not only un American but anti-American, and it can be fas- tened on the United States only by the stifing of that spirit and love of liberty which pro- claimed our political independence 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 16 to l, without waiting for the aid consent of any other nation. We demand that the stand ard silver dollar shall be full legal tender equally with gold, for all debts public and pri- yate, and we favor such legislation as will pre- vent for the future the demoetization of any kind of legal tender money by private contract. We are opposed to the policy and practice of to the holders of the obligations of the United States the option reserved by law to the Government of redeeming such obliga- | tions in either silver coin or gold coin. We are opposed to the issuing of interest bearing bonds of the United States ill time of peace and con- demn the traticking with banking syndcates. | which, in exchange for bonds at an enormous profit to themselves, supply the Federal Treas ury with gold to maintain the policy of gold | 
 Congress alone has the power to coin and is- sue none and President Jackson declared | pcrations or individuals. We, therefore, de- mand that the power to issue notes to circulate as money be taken from the national banks, and that all paper money shall be issued di- rectly by the Treasury Department, be redeem
  lie and private.
 We hold that tariff duties should be levied for of revenue, such duties to be so ad- justed as to operate equally throughout the and not discriminate between class or section, and that taxation should be limited by the needs of the Government honestly and eco- administered We denounce as dis turbing to business the Republican threat to re- store the Mckinley law, which has been twice by the people in national elections. and which, enacted under the false plea of pro- to ction to home industry; proved a prolific breeder of trusts and monopolies, enriched the few at the expense of the many, restricted trade and deprived the producers of the great Amer lean staples of access to their natural markets
 Until the money ques ion is settled, we are Op- posed to a;y agitation for further changes in our tariff laws, except such as are necessary to supply the deficit in revenue caused by the ad- verse decision of the Supreme Court on 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 Of hat court for nearly 100 years that court having 1nde rthat decision sustained constitutional ob- ections to it's enactment which had been over ruled 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 remains after that decision, or may come rom its reversal by the court as itmay hereafter De constituted, so that the burdens of taxation nay equally and Impartially lead to the end hat wealth may bear it's due proportion of the expense of the Government.
 We hold that the most efficient way of protect ng American labor is to prevent the importa- ion of foreign pauper labor to compete with it . D the home market, and that the value of the nome market to our American farmers and art sans is greatly reduced by the vicious monetary ystem which depresses the prices of their pro- lucts below the cost of production, and thus lspriyes them of the means of purchasing the S products of our home manufactures.
 The absorption of wealth by the few, the con- of our leading railroad systems, and he formation of pools require a stricter control y the Federal Government If those arteries of I We demand the fragment of the [ powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission ' nd such restrictions and guarantees in the con- :; rol of railroads as will protect the people from obbery and oppression, We denounce the rofigate waste of money wrung from the peo- 'le by oppressive taxation and the lavish appro- riations of recent Repub ican congresses l 7hich have kept taxes high while the labor C hat pays them is unemployed and the products C f the peoples toil are depr essed in price till C hey no longer repay the cost of production. We emand return to that simplicity and economy c vhich befits a Democratic government, and l ed uction in the number of useless offices the l diaries of which drain the substance of the