The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-25
THE MINORITY REPORT.
The Minority Report of the Silver Con-
vention Platform Committee.

ventiOn Platform Committee.
The fOllOwingis the minority report OF
the platform committee which was voted
down in the silver convention Thursday
night:
TO Hon. w. +. Ramsey, Chairman:
We. a minority of your committee, re-
spectfuly submit the following:
The Democracy in convention assem-
bled now proclaims to the people its en-
tire confidence in the wisdom and patrf-
Otism of the Democrats of the United
States and of Texas to give to all the peo.-
pie a wise, pure, economical ana good
government, and we declare:
First-That we reflect with pride upon
the achievements of our party in the past
| and believe that the people are indebted
to the Democratic party for all the lib
erty they now enjoy under this govern
ment
SecOnd-We view with alarm the fact
| that the Republican party is unable to
profit by the light of experience or obser-
walton and that by its recent platform
adopted at st. Louis it has shown that
! it is still in favor of carrying out all of
the pernicous policies so long practiced
| by it to the great detriment of the peo-
pie. and that the people can no longer
| hope for any relief by the supremacy
| VI thdt party.
Third-We look with horror upon the
tendency of some of the people to adopt
wild vagaries advocated by the Populist
| party.
| Fourth-We recognize in our Demo-
cratic president, Grover Cleveland, a
wise, courageous and patriotic citizen
and look upon him as true friend to all
the people. but especially as a friend
of the south. We regard his official acts
| and messages as exceptionally wise and
| just and heartily approve and indOrse the
same, feeling sure that in every instance
| he has done the best thing that could
| be done under existing circumstances;
| and we can not fail to condemn the dis
position manifested by some who claim
| to be Democrats to abuse and SANDER
him.
| Fifth-We believe that our country
should remain upon a safe, sound and
] stable currency basis and that gold is the
Lest possible standard and measure of
values.
We are in favor of the freest and
| fullest use of silver possible as legal
! tender money. consistent with its sta
bility and to the extent that its parity
with the best money in existence may be
maintained, which is in full accord with
our national administration. We be-
lieve in adopting a policy that will give
to our people as much money as it is
possible, so long as every dollar issued
can be kept equal in value and purchas-
ing power with every other dollar and
to any policy that may force upon the
people fluctuating and depreciating cur
rency. We believe that any deficiency
in the volume of our money of gold and
silver should be supplied with paper
money, issued by the government and re-
deemable in coin on demand, and that
the government should provide a sure
and certain means for its redemption, at
as little cost as is possible to the people.
We are opposed to the free and I'M
limited coinage of silver into legal tender
money by the United States alone at the
ratio of 16 to l. and feel sure that such
policy would result in debased and
fluctuating currency and would greatly
contract our supply of money, We p,
prove and endorse the views of Cleveland
and Carlisle upon the financial issue.
SiXth-We approve, endorse and recon-
mend our present state administration as
being patriotic, wise and economical ant
pledge our continued support of he same
Seventh-We believe that only Il sui
ficient amount of money should be col
lected from the people to economically
administer the affairs of the government
and that all laws intended to raise reve
|
with the single view to raise such reve
nues as are necessary to so conduct TIT
government, and we are unalterably OPP
. posed to the protective tariff system ant
, to all other forms of class legislation.
, Eighth-That we consider it beyond tn
power of the executive committee o
this state to direct the sover
eign Democratic voters of tn
several counties to select thei
delegates to state and district con
ventions in any particular manner, full
believing that such power rests with tn
voters of each particular county, an
: that the Democracy can confide to tn
2 wisdom and purity of the voters of eac
$ county the duty of selecting their def
gates. and believe that they will sen
7 only Democrats to Democratic CONVEX
t tons and will adopt method to obtai
t an honest expression of the people on a
: subjects submitted to them without di
: tation from any centralized source.
t Ninth-We believe that all difference
n of opinion upon political issues that ma
: exists among Democrats should be Sc
e tied within the party lines and we deploI
r the disposition of any Democrat to leay
the party because he may not agree wit
: the majority upon economic question
s and trust thatall Democrats will abando
n any such purpose and remain with l