Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-10-26
a MODEL PLATFORM.
Adopted by the Democrats In National
Convention.


Convention.
The following is the full and com.
plete platform as adopted by the
National Democratic convention:
We, the Democrats of the United
States In national convention assemb-
led, do reatfirm Our allegiance to those
great essential principles Of justice
and liberty upon which our institu.
tions are founded, and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
JefferSOn's time to our own-fTeedOm
of speech, freedom of the press, free
dom of conscience, the preservation of
personal rights, the equality of all
citizens before the law, and the faith
full observance of constitutional limi-
tations.
During all these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the tendency
of selfish interests to the centTaliz-
alton of governmental power, and
steadfastly maintained the integrity
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 expression in the main
tenance of the rights of the state
and in its assertion of the necessity
of contining the general government
to the exercise of powers granted by
the constitution of the United States
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
The constitution of the United
States guarantees to every citizen the
rights of civil and religious liberty
The democratic party has always beer
the exponent of political liberty anC
religious freedom and it renews it'
obligations and reatirms its devotion
to these fundamental principles OF
the constitution.
Cd FINANCE. F
ERecognizing that the money ques
tiOn is paramount to all others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact
that the constitution names silver
and gold together as the money meta
of the United States, and that the
first coinage law passed by congress
under the constitution made the sill
yer dollar the money unit, and adj
mitted gold to free coinage at a ratio
based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act OF 1873 de
monetiZing silver without the knowl-
edge or approval Of the American peo-
ple has resulted in the appreciation
of gold, and a corresponding fall In
the price of commodities produced by
the people; heavy increase. in the
burden of taxation and OF all deots,
public and private; the enrichment OF
the money lending class at home and
abroad, the prOstratiOn OF industry,
and impoverishment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
ometallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
paralysis of hard times, Gold mono
inetailism is a British policy, and It's
adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude TO LOndon.
1t is not only un-Amerlcan, but anti
American, and 1t can be fastened on
the United States only by the stlfiing
OF that spirit and love of liberty
which proclaimed our political inde-
pendence in 1776 and won in the war
of the revolution. Wf
FREE COINAGE.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio Of 10 to /, without
waiting for the aid or consent OF any
other nation. We demand that the
Standard silver dollar shall be a fuil
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.
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 "
fine government Of redeeming such ob,
legations in either silver coin or gold
We are opposed 10 the issuing OF In,
terest-bearing bonds OF the United
States In time OF peace, and condemn
The trafficking with banking syndi-
Gates which, Ia exchange for bonds
and AT an enormous profit TO them
selves, supply the federal treasury
with gold 10 maintain the policy Ol
gold recommendation.
ISSUE or MONEY. =.
Congress alone has the power u
coin and issue money, and Prendenl