The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-07-30
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Declaration of Principles Enunciated
by the Chicago Convention.
PREAMBLE.

Essential principles VI JuolieC dHu III
erty upon which our institutions are
founded, and which the Democratic
party has advocated from jeferson's
time 10 our own-freedom Of speech,
freedom OF the press, freedom Of con-
science, the preservation Of personal
rights, the equality Of al! c!tlzens be-
fore the law, ard the faithful observance
of the constitutional limitations. Dur
ing all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency Of sell
fish interests to the Capitalization OF
government power, and steadlas;ly
maintained the integrity Of the dual
scheme OF government established by
the founders Of this republic Of repub
lies. Under its guidance and teach
ings the great principle of local self
government has found It's best express
sion in the maintenance OF rights OF
the States and its assertion of the ne
cessity of combining the general gov
eminent TO the exercise Of the powers
granted by the constitution Of the
| United States. The constitution Of
the United States guarantees to every
citizen the rights Of civil and religious
| liberty. The Democratic party has
always been the exponent OF political
liberty and religious freedom, and it
renews its obligations and reafflrrns its
devotion to these fundamental prnci-
pies of ;he constitution.
MONEY QUESTION.
Recognizing that the money ques-
| ton IS paramount to all others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact
that the federal constitution names sill
yer 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 monetary unit and admitted
gold 10 free coinage at a ratio based
| upon the silver dollar unit
We declare that the act Of 1873,
demonetizing silver without the knowl
edge or the approval Of the American
people, has resulted in the apprecia-
ton of gold and a corresponding fall
in the prices of commodities Produced
by the people; heavy increase in the
burden Of taxation and Of all debts,
public and private, the enrichment Of
the money-lending class, at home and
abroad; the prOslraton Of industry
and impoverlshment Of the people.
AGAINST GOLD STANDARD.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
ometallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
the paralysis Of hard times. Gold
monometalism is British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
is not only I'M American but anti
American, and it can be fastened on
the United States only by the sitting
OF that spirit and love of liberty which
proclaimed our political independence
N I776 and won it in the war of the
revolution.
FREE COINAGE DEMANDED.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage Of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of I6 to I, without
waiting for the aid of any other nation.
We demand that the standard silver
dollar shall be full legal tender,
equally with gold, for all debts, public
and private, and we favor such litiga-
ton as Will prevent for the future the
demonstration OF any kind of legal
tender money by private contract.
We are opposed to the pol cy and
practice of surrenderlEg to the holders
Of the obligations of the United States
The option reserved by law to the gov
ernment of redeeming such obliga-
tons in either silver coin or gold
| coin.
AGAINST BOND ISSUES.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest bearing bonds Of the United
Statet in time of peace and condemn
the trafticking with banking syndi-
Gates, which, in exchange for bonds
and at an enormous profit to them
selves, supply the federal treasury with
sold to maintain the policy of gold
mOnOmetallism.
Congress alone has the power to
coin and issue money, and President
Jackson declared that this power could
not be delegated to corporations or in
dlvlduals. We, therefore, denounce
the issuance of notes intended to cir
culate as money by national banks as
in derogatlon of the constitution; and
we demand that all paper which is
made legal tender for public and
private debts, or which is receivable
for dues to the United States shall be
issued by the government of the
| United States and shall be redeemable
! in coin.
| \ REVENUE TARIFF
We hold that tariff duties should be
levied for purposes of revenue, such
duties TO be SO adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country and
not discriminate between class or sec
ton, and that taxation should be linn
tied by the needs Of the government,
honestly and economically admins
tered. We denounce as disturbing to
business the Republican threat to re-
store the Mckinley law, which has
twice been condemned by the people
IN national elections, and which, en-
acted under the false plea of protec-
ton to home industries, proved pro-
life breeder of trusts and monopolies,
enriched the few at the expense of the
mnny, restricted trade and deprived
the producers of the great American
| staples Of access to their natural mar