The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-08-15
% DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

az 1
We the Democrats of the United States
III national convention assembled, 90 re-
affirm our allegiance to those great essen
tiaI principles of justice and liberty upon
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has advocat-
ed from Jetferson's time to Il own, tree
dom of speech. freedom of the press, free.
dom of conscience. the preservation OF
p~ersonal rights the equality OF al citlzeus
before the law, and the faithful obserV-
ance of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the DelnocIStic
party has resisted the tendency OF selnsh
interests to the Capitalization OF govern,
mental power and steadfastly maintained
the integrity of the dual scheme OF gov.
ernment established by the founders or
this republic of republics. Under IFS
guidance the great principle OF local sen
Government has found its best expression
IN the maintenance of the rights of the
.States and in it's assertion Of the necessl-
ty of confirming the general government TO
the exercise of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
s~RecogniZing that the money system Is
paramount to all others at this Tune, we
invite attention to the TACT tnat the reg
eral Constitution names SILVER ana goid
together as the money metals of the Unit
cd States. and that the first coinage law
nassed by Congress under the ConsIlGu-
fion made the silver dollar the monetary
unit and admitted goidthe free coinage at
a ratio based upon the SILVER o ~ 1a,o AZ.
We declare that the act OF 1873, De-
monetizing silver without the knowledge
or approval of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation of gold ana
a corresponding fall in the prices OF COM
modities produced by the people; a heavy
increase in the burden OF taNatl0h anu
of ali debts, public and private; the en-.
I.o.+ - fha mnuay lending class at
home and abroad; prostratlon OF industry
and impoyerishment of the people,
We are unalterably opposed TO Ghe
monometalIism, which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrial people In tne
paralysis of hard times. Gold mohoaleG
has brought other nations into hnancla
sarvitnde to London. 1t is not only an
American. but anti-American, and IT can
he Fastened on the United States only Dy
the sitting of that spit and love OF I'D
cry which proclaimed our poiitlcal nut nue.
pendence in 1776. and won IL III ING wal
of the Revolution.
we demand the free n unllmlted
coinage of both gold n silver at the
present legal ratio of 16 to l.. without
waiting for the aid or consent Ot any otn,
ar nation. We demand b q
silver dollar shall ne q Imll I nmhi;c
eanaliy with gold, for all debts, puDlic'
and nrivate. and we favor snch leglsla-
4 &n &c will nreyent for the future the de-
DISQUALIFICATION of any kind of legal tender
mOney by private contract.
Wei are e0pposed to the money anu RIa e.
tice Of surrenderlng TO tne notaers III pa S "n.
ton reserved by law to the government
Of redeeming such obligations In eltnel
silver coin or gold com. ;,+or-
~ast.hearing bonds of the United states IN
time OF peace and condemn the afncKln
with banking syndicates which, IN ex.
change for bonds and as an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the federa
treasury with gold to Inc poilcy
of gold m0nometalllsm, odr
CONGRESS alone has the power TO COLI
and issue money, n President jackson
declared that this power cone nos 90 W. w.
Therefore demand that the power to ISSUE
notes To circulate as money be X IRON
rational banks and that all paper mon
CIV shaIl be issued directly by bne
Treasury Department., redeemaple IA coIi
and receivable for all debts, pubic ano
private. :e an+;os sbould
ha levied for purposes of revenue, sucI
dnties to be so adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country, ana no.
discriminate between class ana sec5loh
and that taxation should be limited %
the needs of the government, honestly
and economically administered we ae
nounce as disturbing to business the re
nuhlican threat to restore the Mchlnie
law. which has twice been condemned Dl
the people in national elections. ane
which, enacted under false plea OF PIo
lection tohome industry, proved o PROM
breeder of trusts and m~onopolles, enrlch
ed the few at the expense OF the many
Restricted trade and deprived the produ
GERS of the great American staples OF &C
cess to their natural markets.
Until the money question Is setbIed w
are onnosed to any agitation for furthe
changes in our tariff laws, except such a
are necessary to make up the deficit II
revenue. caused by the adverse decision
nv the supeme court on the income tax
But for this there would be no deflct Il
revenue. Under the law. passed by
Democratic Congress, IN stflc0 putsuanc
of the uniform decisions Of that u
having that decision sustained, constltu
tional objection to it's enactment, wh1c
has been oyerruled by the ablest judge
VINO ever sat on that bench. We declar
that it is the duty of Congress to all tn
constitutional power. which remains arts
that decision or which may come from II
reversal by the court as it may hereafte
be constituted, so that the burdens 3
taxation may be equally and IMPARTIAL
laid to the end that wealth may bear II
due proportionate expenses OF the govern
ment.
We hold that the most efficient way |
protect American labor is to prevent tt
Importation of foreign pauper labor
compete with it in the home market, an
that the value of the home market to OF
farmers and artisans is greatly reduce
by a vicious monetary system, which q
presses the price of their products belo
the cost Of production, and thus deprive
them of the means of purchasing the pr
ducts of our home manufacturers,
The absorption of wealth by the fey
the consolidation of our leading railws
systems and the formation of trusts al
pools, require q %stricter control by q
fro1a,.oI Gnvarnmant of those arteries