The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-15
The Convention.
Platform Adopted. Free Sill
yer Coinage at Is to / In
dependent of all 9th
er Nations.

CHICAGO July 9-The committee on
resolutions completed the platform and
as 10 it's 6nal form was adopted by a
vote of SO TO Is.
In committee Senator Hill. after the
adoption Of the motion to adopt the
platform, moved to adopt q paragraph
commendiug the Intelligence. integrity
and faithfulness Of the administration
Of President Cleveland. but bali a doz-
en- members moved toalay it 90 the
table. and it was SO ordered-29
to II So the platform carries DO
reference TO the National Admins
tration.
The following is the platform, as
finally agreed upon by the committee
90 resolutions, to be submitted to the
convention when the report is called
for:
We. the Democrats of the United
States in national convention assem- bled
do reafhrm our allegiance to these great
essential principles of jastice aud lib
erey upon which our institutions are
founded. and which the Democratic
party has advocated froG Jefferson s
time to our own-freedom of speech,
freedom of the press. freedom Of con-
science, the preservation of personal
rights. the equality of all citizens be-
fore the lawSand the faithful observance
of constitutional liberties. During all
these years the Democratic party has
resisted the tendency Of selfish inter-
esss to the GENERALIZATION of government
power and steadfastly maintained the
integrity of the dual scheme of govern
ment established by the founders Of
this republic Of republics. Under its
guidance and teachings the great prin.
ciple Of local self-government has found
Its best expression iu the maintenance
of the rights Of the States and in its as
sertion Of the necessity of coo6ning the
general government to the exercise of
the powers granted BY the Constitution
of the United States.
Recognizing that the mcuey question
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 monetary uuit and admitted gold TO
free coinage at ratio based upon tie
silver dollar unit. We declare that the
act Of 1873 demonet;ziog silver with
out the knowledge or approval of the
American people. has resulted 10 the
appreciation Of gold aud correspond
ing fall iu the prices Of commodities
produced by the people; heavy in-
crease in the burden Of taxation and of
all debts, public and private the enrich
ment Of the money lending class a,
home and abroad the prostration of
industry and improvershment Of the
people.
We are uualterably opposed to mono.
metallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of au industrial people in the
paralysis of hard times Gold mono
metallism is a British policy. and its
adoption has brought other nations into
financial servitude to London. It is
not only un-American, but anti-Amer-
lean, and it can be fastened on the
Uoi,ed States only by the sitting OF
that spirit and love Of liberty which
proclaimed our political independence
10 l776 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 or consent of any
other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender equally with all gold for
all debts, public aud private. and we
favor such legislation as will prevent for
the future the demonetization of any
kind of legal tender money by private
contract.
We are opposed to the policy ano
practice of surreadering to the holders
of the obligations of the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov
ernment of redeeming such obligations
ic either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of
Understanding bonds of the United
States 10 time Of peace, and condemn
the srafieiDg with banking syndicates.