Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-04
THE INDIANAPOLIS, PLATFORM.
"GOld is the Necessary Money of thu
Large AHairs of Commerce"

This convention has assembled to uphold
the principles upon which depend the honor
and welfare Of the American people, in
order that democrats throughout the Union
may unite their patriotic labor to avert
the disaster from the country and ruin
from their party.
THE democratic party is pledged to equal
and exact justice to all men of every creed
and condition; to the largest freedom of the
individual consistent with good govern
ment; to the preservation of the federal
government in its constitutional vigor and
to the support of the states in all their
just rights; to economy in the public ex-
penditures; to the maintenance of the pub
lie faith and sound money, and 1t is op-
posed to paternalism and all class legis-
lation.
Chicago Platform.
1.-THE declarations of the Chicago conven-
ton attack individual freedom, the right
of private contract, the independence Of
the judiciary and the authority Of the
President to enforce federal laws. They
advocate a reckless attempt to increase
the price Of silver by legislation to the de-
basement of our monetary standard and
threaten unlimited issues of paper money
oy the government. They abandon for
republican allies the democratic cause Of
tar1n reform to court the favor Of protec-
tlonists to their fiscal heresy.
In view of these AID other grave de-
partureS from democratic principles we
cannot support the candidate of that con-
vention. nor be bound by its acts. The
democratic party has survived many de-
!eats, but could not survive victory won
In behalf Of the doctrine and policy pro-
claimed In Its name at Chicago.
THE conditions however, which make
possible such utterances from a national
convention are the direct result of class
legislation by the republican party. 1t
still proclaims, as it has for years, the
power and duty of government to raise and
maintain prices by law, and it proposes no
remedy for existing evils except oppres-
sive and unjust taxation.
The national democracy here recon-
Vened, therefore, renews It's declaration of
faith In democratic principles, especially
as applicable to the conditions of the times
Taxation ind Expenditures.
Taxation tariff, excise or direct, is right
FULLY imposed only for public purposes and
not for private gain. Its amount is justly
measured by public expenditures, which
should be limited by sc1upulous economy
The sum derived by the treasury from
tariff and excise levies is affected by the
state OF trade and volume of consumption.
The amount required by the treasury is de-
termined by the appropriations made by
Congress.
The demand of the republican party for
an increase in tariff tax has its pretext in
the deficiency of revenue which has its
causes IN the stagnation of trade and re-
duced consumption. due entirely to the loss
OF confidence that has followed the populist
threat OF free coinage and depreciation of
Cur money and the republican practice of
extravagant appropriations beyond the
leeds OF coed government We arraign and
condemn the Populistic conventions of Chi
csso and st. Louis for their cooperation.
Protection Denounced.
The republican party is increasing these
conditions, which are pleaded in justifica-
ton OF a heavy increase of burdens of the
people and further resort to protection
We, therefore, denounce protection and its
ally, free coinage of silver, as schemes for
the personal profit of few at the expense
Of the many. and oppose the two parties
which stand for these schemes as hostile
to the people of the republic, whose food
ard shelter, comfort and property are at
tackled by higher taxes and deprecated
money. In fine, We reatfrm the historic
democratic doctrine Of tariff for revenue
only.
American Shipping.
I'VE demand that henceforth modern and
liberal policies toward American shipping
shall take the place of our imita ton Of the
restricted statutes of the eighteenth CEN
fury, which were abandoned by every mari
time power but the United States, and
which, to the nations humiliation, have
driven American capital and enterprise to
the use of alien flags and alien crews, nave
made the stars and stripes an almost m
known emblem in foreign lands and have
virtually extinguished the race of Ameri-
can seamen. We oppose the pretense that
discriminating duties will promote shipping
as that scheme is an invitation to CONNER
cial warfare upon the United States, I'M
American in the light of our great COM
mercial treaties and offering no gain what
ever to American shipping, while really in
oreasing ocean freights on our agricultural
end manufactured products.
Gold and Silver.
1.-The experience OF mankind has shown
that gold is the necessary money of the
large affairs of commerce and business,
while silver is conveniently adapted to
minor transactions. The most beneficial
use Of both together can be insured only by
the adoption of the former as a standard
Of monetary measure and the maintenance
of silver at parity with gold by its linn
tied coinage under such safeguards Of law.
THUS the largest possible enjoyment of
both metals is gained with value univer-
sally accepted throughout the world, which
constitutes the only practical currency as
surfing the most stable standard and espe-
cially the best and safest money for ell who
esrn a livelihood by labor or the produce of
husbandry. They cannot suffer when paid
in the best money known to man, but are
the peculiar and most defenseless victims
Of a debased and fiuctuating currency,
which offers continued profits to the money
changer at their cost.
LonK-Estnblished Democratic Policy.
Realizing these truths. demonstrated by
long public inconvenience and loss, the
democratic party, in the interests of the
masses and of equal justice to all, practi-
cally established by the legislation of 1884
and 1853 the gold standard of monetary
measurement and likewise entirely divorced
the government from banking and currency
issues. To this long established democratic
policy we adhere, and insist upon the main
tenance of the gold standard and of the
parity Herewith of every dollar issued by
the government, and are firmly opposed to
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
and to the compulsory purchase of silver
bullion. But we denounce also the further
maintenance of the present costly patch
work system of nationa! paper currency as
constant source of injury and peril
Bank Currency.
I'VE assert the necessity of such il:telli-
gent currency reform as will confine the
government to it's legitimate functions,
completely separated from the banking
business, and afford to all sections of chr