West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-07-16

Income Tax Law, Restricted In
migration; Abolition Of National
Banks, and SympathlzeS With Cuba.
Here is the platform as reported
by the Committee and as adopted
by the National Democratic Con-
vention at Chicago last week. 1t IS
purely a platform Of the people, for
the people and by the people.
JEFFERsoNIAN PRINCIPLES REAP
FIRMED.
We, the Democrats of the United
States, in National Convention as
embled, do reaffirm our allegiance
to those great essential principles
Of justice and liberty upon which
our institutions are founded, and
which the Democratic party has ad :
yocated from Jeffcrson's time to
our own-freedom of speech. free
dom of the press, freedom Of con
science, the preservation OF person
al rights, the equality of all citizens
before the law and the faithful OBJ
servance of constitutional hmita-
tions.
CESTRALIzATToN oFPowER RESISTED
During all these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the ten
dency of selfish IN terests 10 the GEN.
tralzation Of governmental power,
and steadfastly maintained tho in
tegrity Of the dual system of gov
eminent established by TIE found
ers Of this Republic of Repu blics.
Under It's guidance and teachings
the great principle Of local self
government has found its best ex-
preston in the maintenance of the
rights OF the States and in its as
sertion of the necessity Of confining
the general government to the ex-
erclse of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
SILVER ONCE THE UNIT OF VALUE.
Recognizing that the money cues
ton 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 unit Of value and admitted gold
to free coinage at a ratio measured
by the silver dollar unit.
THE CRIME OF '73.
We declare that the act of 1873.
demonetizing silver without tho
knowledge or approval of the Amer
lean people has resulted in the APP
| probation OF gold and correspon.
ding fall in the price of commodi-
ties produced by the people;a heay 2
increase in the burden OF taxation
and OF all debt, public and private;
the enrichment OF the money lender
class at home and abroad; prostra-
ton OF industry and impoyerIsh-
ment Of the people.
MoNoMETALLIsM DENOUNCED.
We are unalteraby opposed to
monometallism, which has locked
fast the prosperity of an industrial
people in the paralysis of hard
times. Gold monometallism is a
British policy, and its adoption
has brought other nations into f.
naneial seryitude to London. 1t is
not only un-Americnn, but anti
American, and it can be fastened
on the United States only by the
stirling OF that spirit and love of
liberty which proclaimed our politi-
cal independence in 1776 aud won
it IN the war of the Revolution.
FREE COINAGE AT I6 TO l.
We demand the free and unlimi.
ted coinage of both gold and silver
at the present legal ratio OF 16 to l #,
without waiting for the aid or con.
sent Of any other nation. We de-
mand that the standard silver dol
lar shall be a full legal tender,
equally with gold, for all debts,
public and private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent for
the future the decentralization of
any kind Of legal tender money by
private contract.
OBJECT TO "GoLD" BONDS.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice Of surrendering to the hold
ers Of the obligations Of the United
States the option reserved by law
to the Government Of redeeminp
such obligations in either silver
coin or gold coin.
BOND ISSUES DENOUNCED.
We are opposed to the issuing OF
interest bearing bonds Of the Uni
ted States in time Of peace, and
condemn the trafiicking with bank
ing 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 monometallisn
AWAY WITH NATIONAL BANKS 7
Congress alone has the power To
coin and issue money, and Prosi-