The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-30
National Democratic Platform.

This convention has assembled to uphold
the principles upon which depend the honor
and welfare of the American people in order
that Democrats throughout the Union may
unite their patriotic efforts to avert disaster
from their country and ruin from the party.
The Democratic party is pledged to equal and
exact justice to all men OF every creed and
condition; to the largest freedom of the indi-
vidual consistent with good government; to
tho preservation of the federal government in
us constitutional vigor. and to the support Of
the states In all their Just rights: to economy
In the PUBIC expenditures; to the m ain .enance
or the public faith and sound money and II
10 opposed to paternalism and all class legis-
lation.
The declarations Of the Chicago convention
attack individual freedom the right of pri-
vate contract, the independence of the Judi
ciary and the authority Of the president to
enforce legal laws. They advocate reckless
attempt to increase the price of silver by
legislation. to the debasement OF our monetary
standard, and threaten unlimited issues of
paper money by the government; they aban-
oon TOT HepuDlican allies the Democratic
cause OF tariff reform, to court the favor of
protecttonists to their fiscal heresy.
In view OF these and other grave departures
from Democratic principles, we cannot sup
port the candidate Of that convention nor be
bound by its acts. The Democratic party has
survived many defeats, but could not survive
victory won In behalf of the doctrine and
policy proclaimed in its name at Chicago The
cond o-s, however, VIII oh make possible such
utterances from a national convention are the
direct result of class legislation by the Re
for years, the power and duty of government
to raise and maintain prices by law and It
proposes no remedy for existing evils except
oppressive and unjust taxation.
The National Democracy here convened
therefore renews its declaration Of a faith in
Democratic principles, and especially as ap-
pl1cable to the conditions of times. Taxation,
tarln, excise or direct, is rightfully imposed
only Tor public purposes and not for private
gain. Its amount is justly measured by
public expenditures. which should be limited
the treasury from tariff and excise levies is
affected by the state Of trade and Of consump-
tion The amount required by the treasury
Is determined by the appropriations made nv
congress. The demand Of the Republican
party for an increase in tariff tax has its
extent in the deficiency Of revenue which has
Its causes In the stagnation of trade and
reduced consumption, due entirely to the
loss OF confidence that has followed the Popu-
list threat of free coinage and depreciation Of
our money, and the Republican practice of
extravagant appropriations beyond the needs
OF good government. We arraign and condemn
the Populistic conventions of Chicago and St.
Louis 1or their cooperation with the Repub-
1ean party IN Increasing these conditions,
which are pleaded in justification of a heavy
increase of burdens of the people and fur
ther resort to protection. We therefore de-
nounce protection and its ally, free coinage
OF silver, as schemes for the personal profit
OF few at the expense of the many and
oppose the parties which stand for these
schemes as hostile to the people Of the re-
public, whose food and shelter, comfort and
prosperity are attacked by higher taxes and
deprecated money. In fine, we reaflrm the
historic Democratic doctrine of tariff for rev
enue only.
We demand that henceforth modern and
liberal policies toward American shipping
shall take the place of our imitation of the
restricted statutes of the eighteenth cen
fury, which are abandoned by every mari
time power but the United States and which
to the nations humiliation, have driven Amer
lean capital and enterprise to the use of alien
flags and alien crews, have made the stars
and stripes almost unknown emblem in
foreign countries and have virtually extin-
guished the race Of American seamen. We op-
pose the pretense that discriminating duties
will promote shipping, and that scheme is
an Invitation to commercial warfare upon the
United States un-American in the light of our
great commercial treaties, Offering no gain
whatever to American shipping, while great