The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-09
PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES.
Pledges Of the Democratic Party to Il
Voters of the Land,

Pledges Of the Democratic Party to the
Voters of the Land.
CHICAGO, July 9.-The following is the
platform in full as agreed upon by the
committee on resolutions. 1t was pre-
sented to the convention at this mornings
session, and is now under discussion.
| 1t has been arranged to allow an hour
| and twenty minutes on each side for the
| discussion Of the resolutions, after which
| vote will be insisted upon. Senator Till
! man is to consume forty minutes of the
| time for the majority report. He will be
followed by Bryan, Jones and one other
silver man.
Senator Hill will make the PRINCIPAL
speech on behalf Of the minority speakers.
1t is understood Villas Gray and Russell
will be the other minority speakers. 1t is
intended to proceed with the nominating
speeches as soon as the platform Is adopted.
We, the Democrats of the United States, in
national convention assembled, 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 advocated from Jefferson's time to our
own-freedom of speech, freedom of the press
freedom of conscience, the preservation OF per.
the law and the faithful observance of consti
tutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic party
has resisted the tendency of selfish interests to
the Capitalization of governmental power and
steadtastly maintained the integrity of the
dual scheme Of government established by the
founders Of this republic of republics. Under
its guidance and teachings the great principle
of local self government has found its best ex-
preston in the maintenance of the rights DP 10
states and in its assertion of the necessity Of
contnng the general government to the cxer
else of the powers granted by the constitution
of the United States
Recognizing that the money system is para
mount to all others at this time, we invite at.
tention 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 con-
stitution made The silver dollar the monetary
unit, and admitted gold to free coinage al a |
RATIO based upon the silver Unit
We are opposed to the policy and practice Of |
surrendering to the holders Of the obligations |
of the United States the option reserved by law
to the government Of redeeming such obliga.
tons in either silver coin or gold coin
We are opposed to the issuing of interest
bearing bonds Of the United States in times Of
peace, and condemn the trafiicking with bond
syndlcates which, IN exchange for bonds at an
enormous profit to themselves, supply the fed.
eral treasury with gold to maintain the policy
Of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin and is
sue money, and President Jackson declared
that this power could not be delegated to cor,
porations or individuals. We, therefore. de-
mand that the power to issue notes be taken
from the banks, and that all paper money shall
be issued directly by the treasury department
be rcdecmable in coin and receivable for all
debts, public and private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
solely for purposes Of revenue, such duties to
be so adjusted as to operate equally through
out the country, and not discriminate between
class or section, and that taxation should be
limited by the needs Of the government, hon
estly and economically administered. We de-
nounce ns disturbing business the Repub-
lican threat to restore the Mckinley law,which
has twice been condemned by the people in ma
tional elections, and which, enacted under the |
false plea of protection to home industry,
proved prolific breeder Of trusts and monop- |
oliea enriched the few at the expense of the ;
many, restricted trade and deprived the pro-
ducers Of the great American staples Of access
to their natural markets. Until the money |
question IL settled we are opposed to any agita-
ton for further changes in our tariff laws, ex-
ccpt such az are necessary to make up the de-
felt in revenue caused by the adverse decision
of the supreme court on the income tax.