Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-07-10
Declaration Of Principles Around
Which Free Coinage Men
viii Rally.
PLATFORM or THE DEMOCRATS
Financial Plank That Cannot Posi-
bly, BE Distorted or Mis-
understood.


mittCa to be submitted to the general
committee, tomorrow morning 1t Is
thought that few if any notifications
will be made before the resolutions are
presented 10 the convention, although |
planhs favoring the Monroe doctrine
and recognizing Cuban beIigerency are
pressed
I'VE, the democrats of the United
States, in national convention assembled, |
do reatlirm our allegiance to those great
essential principles Of justice and Liberty
upon which our institutions are founded
and which the democratic party has
maintained from Jetferson's time to Our
own, freedom Of speech, freedom Of the
press, freedom Of conscience, preserva-
ton of personal rights, equality of all
citizens before the law, and a faithful
observance of constitutional limitations.
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 money metals of the United
States, and that the first coinage law
passed by congress under our constitu-
ton made the silver dollar the unit Of
value and admitted gold to free coinage
at ratio measured by the silver dollar
unit.
| 1--WE declare that the act Of 1878, de-
monetizing 81 yer without the knowledge
or approval Of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation Of gold and
corresponding fall Ill the prices of COM
moditiee produced by the people, a
heavy Increase in the burden of taxation
and of all debts, public and private,
the enrichment of the money lending
class, at home ana abroad the paralysis
of industries aud the mpoyerishment Of
the people. We are unaIterably opposed
to single gold standard, which has
locked fast the prosperity OF an indus
trious people in the paralysis OF hard
times. Gold monOmetallism is a British
policy. founded upon British greed for
gain and power, and its general adop-
ton has brought other nations
into financial seryitude to London. II
is not only un-American but anti-Amer.
ican, and it can be fastened upon the
United States only by the sitting Of that
indomitable spirit and love of liberty
which proclaimed our political indepen'
dence in 17-1G and won it in the,,war Of
the revolution.
"Wc demand the immcdiatcs,'' ''rest0ra
ton of the free and unlimited coinage OF
, gold and silver at the present legal ratio
of Is to |, without waiting for.the aid OF
consent of any other nation. We de-
mand that the standard silver doIlal
shall he full legal tender, equally with
| gold, for all debts, public and.private
and We favor such legislation as Wi,
prevent the drmonetization of anyskinC
, of legal tendcr money by private con
tract. We are opposed to the polio!
| and practice of surrrndcring TO holders
of obligations of the United States ar
|, option reserved by law to the govern
ment Of rcdecming such Obligations il
her silver coin or gold coin. " ar,
/ opposed to the issuing Of interest bear
. ing bonds of the United States in time
of reace and condemn traf1icking will
banking syncilcatea which, in exchange
for bonds and at enormous profit Il
I themselves, supply the federal treasur.
= with gold to maintain the policy Of golt
! monometaliem. Congress alone has tn
To- power to coin and issue money, and Pres
e ident jackson declared that this powe
e could not be delegated to corporation
- or individuals. We therefore demaLt
% that the power to issue notes be take
t from banks aud that all paper none
shall be issued directly by the treasur
department.
The platform then denounces the pos
d sible re-enactment of the Mckinley Law
d favors tariff for revenue, oppose
n pauper immigration denounces arb
i trary federal Interference with loca
t affairs, opposes life tenure in office al
!. declares against third term for pres
4 don't