The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-07-09
Draft of the Democratic Platform
Which Will Likely Be
adopted
Silver the Main Topic Discussed.
No Change in the Tariff
Laws
Except Such as Will Make Up
Deficient Revenue Favor
Income Tax.

Platform as agreed to by the sub
committee. 1t is thought that few If
any notifications will be made before
the resolutions aSe presented TO the con
vention. The minority will, Of course,
present Il report taking ground against
the free coinage Of silver:
We. the Democrats of the Initcd states,
in national convention assembled. do re
affirm our allegiance to those great essen
tial principles of justice and liberty upO
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has main
tanned from J~cticr~onS time to II own.
freedom of speech. freedom of press. free
dom of conscience. the preservation Of
personal rights, the cqualit. of all citizens
before the law. and ~, faithful observ-
ance of constitutional limitations.
Recognizing that the moncy question is
paramount to all others at this time, VT
invite attention to the fact that the fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together rs the money metals of the
United States, and that the first coinage
law passed 10y congress under the consti-
tuition made the silver dollar the unit of
value and admitted gold to f~reccoinage at
"A ratio measured by the silver dollar unit.
W UtSlITe lIiil INC ACT ol 1910. ucIllotle-
thing silver without the knowledge or
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation of gold and IA
corresponding fall in the prices Of com
modities produced by the people; a heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and of
all debts, public and private; the enrich
nent Of the money lending class at home
and abroad; paralysis of industry and
impoveriShment of the people.
Weare unalterably opposed to the single
gold standard, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrious people in the
paralysis of hard times. Gold monomet-
allism is British policy, founded upon
British greed for gain and power, and its
general adoption has brought other ma
ions into financial servitude to London.
1t is not only un-American but anti
American, and it can be fastened upon the
United States only by the sitting of hat
indomitable spirit and love of liberty
which proclaimed u political independ-
ence and won it in the war of the Revolu-
ton.
Demand Immediate RestoI alton.
We demand the immediate restoration
of the free and unlimited coinage of gold
and silver at the present legal ratio of Ii
l. IL ""l'ihS III oiN VI S'i~
sent of any other nation. We demand
that the standard silver dollar shall be a
full legal tender, equally with gold, for
all debts, public and private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent the de-
monetization of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prac-
ticc of su%rrendering to the holders of the
obligations of the United States the option
reserved by law to the government of
redeeming such obligations in either silver
coin or gold coin.
Oppose Bond Issues.
We are opposed to the issuing of inter
est-bearing bonds of the United States in
times of peace, and condemn the traffick-
ing with banking syndicates which, in
exchange for bonds and at an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the federal
treasury with gold to maintain the policy
of gold mOIlOInetallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be del
egated to corporations or individuals. We
therefore demand that the power to issue
notes be taken from the banks and that
all paper money shall be issued directly
Dy the treasury department.
Tariff For Revenue Only.
We hold that tariff duties should be
levied solely for purposes Of revenue, and
that taxation should be limited by the
needs of the government, honestly and
economically administered WedenOunce
as disturbing to business the Republican
threat to restore the Mckinley law, which
has been twice condemned by the peopl"
in national elections, and which, enacted
under the false plea Of protection to home
industry, proved IA 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 mar
kets. Until the money question is settled
we are opposed to any agitation for fur
Their changes in the tariff laws, except such
as are necessary to make up the deficit in
revenue caused by the adverse decision Of
the supreme court on the income tax.
Fla sor an Income Tax.
There would be no deficit in the revenue
but for the annulment of the supreme
court Of a law passed by II Democratic
congress, in strict pursuance Of the uni
form decisions of that court for nearly 100
years, that court having sustained con
stitutional objections to it's enactment
which nave been ovcrruled by the ablest
judges who had ever sat on hat bench.
We declare that it is the duty of con-
gross to use all the constitutional power
which remains after that decision, or
which may come from the reversal by the
court as it may hereafter b. constituted.
so that the burdens Of taxation may be
equally and imrartially laid to the end
that w2alth may bear its due proportional
expenses of tine government.
No fauper hmm grafton.
We hold that the most efficient way OF
protecting American labor Is to prevent
the importation of foreign pauper labor tc
compete with it in the home market, and
that the valuc Of the home market to ouI
American farmers and artisans Is grcati,
reduced by u vicious monetary system
which depresses the prices Of their pro
ducts below he price of production anf
thus deprives them Of the means Of salts
flying their needs.
Denouace ProfiigAte Waste.
We denouE,e the ~profiRate waste Of tn,
money wrune from the people by oppres
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