Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-24
PLATFORM AND ADDRESS TO PEOPLE
Ooubls Document Says Money Question
Is the Only Real Issue.
vvy,y AND sEwALL ENDORSED.
,r.x Arc 20 he Nominated, But EH-
nctIy How Has Not Yet Been oe-
,,,ea- congressnan Towne-
Mrs. Cougar-Mrs. Lease.


noon by adopting platform and an ad-
dress 10 the people, which had oeen pie-
cared By a subcommittee. The PLATFORM
and address are as follows:
The national silver party OF America
f., convention assembled, hereby adopts
the following declaration Of princip'es'
"rr,rst. the paramount issue at this time
,r the United States is indisputaoy
the money question. 1t is between 'he
rr,tisb gold standard, gold bonds. ana
,.,k currency. on the one side. ana the
hmetaliic standard, no bonds, govern
,,en, currency. and an American policy,
on the other.
aOn this issue we declare ourselves to
10 IN favor Of distinctvely American
enanclal system. We are unalterably op-
,ose5 20 the single gold standard, and
Ssmand the immediate return 70 the con-
s,i.utional standard OF gold and silver by
enc restoration by this government. in
dependently Of any foreign power, OF the
unrestricted coinage Of both gold and sill
ver into standard money at the ratio Of
IS 10 l. and upon terms Of exact equality,
es they existed prior to 1873; the silver
coin TO be OF full legal tender. equally
with gold. for all debts and dues. public
and private. and we demand such legis-
? iation as VIII prevent for the future the
destruction Of the legal-tender quality OF
any kind OF money by private contract.
I'VE hold that the power TO control and
regulate a paper currency is inseparable
from the power 10 coin money, and hence
that all currency intended TO circulate as
money should be ISSUED. and fits volume
controlled. by the General Government
only. and should be a legal-tender
BONDS IN TINE OF PEACE.
"We are unaltersbly opposed to the
issue by the United States OF interest
bearing bonds in time Of peace, and we
denOunCe as a blunder worse than a crime
the present Tre9suty policy, concurred
in by a Republican House, of plunging
the country into debt by hundreds of
millions. IN the vain attempt to maintain
the gold standard by borrowing gold; and
we demand the payment OF all coin obli-
cations Of the United States, as provided
hy existing laws, IN either gold or silver
coin at the option of the government,
and not al the option Of the creditor.
'The decentralization OF silver in 1873
enormously Increased the demand for
gold. enhancing its purchasing power and
lowering all prices measured by that
standard; and since that unjust and in
dcfensible act the prices OF American
products have fallen upon 81 AveraSe
nearly 90 per cent, carrying down with
them proportionately the money value OF
ail other forms OF property.
such fall of prices has destroyed the
profits Of legitimate industry. injuring
the producer for the benefit Of the non
81. 9 81 In
debtor. swelling the gains oi the creditor
paralyzing the productive energies of the
American people. relegating to idleness
vast numbers of willing workers, sending
The shadows Of despair into the home of
the honest tollers. filing the land with
tramps and paupers. and building UP CO.
lossal fortunes at the money centres.
Ii the effort TO maintain the gold
standard the country has within the last
two years. in time OF profound peace
and plenty. been loaded down with s262.-
10000 Of additional interest bearing debt,
under such circumstances as to allow a
syndicate Of native and foreign bankers
% realize a net proth OF millions on a
single deal.
THE GOLD STANDARD.
1T stands confessed that the gold
standard can only be upheld by so de-
pieting our paper currency as TO force the
prices Of our products below the price
OF production. OF even below the Asiatic
level, 10 enable us TO sell In foreign mar
kets, thus aggravating the very evils
OF which our people so bitterly complain,
degrading American labor, and striking
go The foundation of our civilization IL
self
The advocates OF the gold standard
perslstenuy claim that the cause of our
distress Is ver-production-that we have
produced so much that IL has made US
poor which implies that the true remedy
Is t1 close the factory. abandon the farm,
throw a multitude OF people out of en-
poyment' q doctrine that leaves US I'M
heWed and disheartened. and absolutely
without hope for the future.
We affirm IL TO be unquestioned that
iheEe can be no such economic paradox
as oFesproduction. and az the same time
tens OF thousands OF our fellow citizens
remaining haif-ciothed and haf-fed and
VINO are piteously clamoring for the COM
mon necessities OF life
over and above all other questions Of
policy we are In favor Of restoring 10
me people OF the United States the time
Aonoied money Of the Constitution--gold
ana .iiNtr. not one. but bOth--the money
o4 Washington and Hamilton. and Jeffer-
son ana Monroe. and Jackson and Lin
com TO the end that the American peo-
PIE may receive honest pay for an honest
product that the American debtor may
pay his just obligations In an honest
standard and not IN a dishonest and un-
sound standard, appreciated 100 per cent.
lh pnIchsing power, with no appreciation
lh uebt-paylng power: and to the end
iurther that silver standard countries
may pe deprived OF the unjust advantage
they now enjoy in the difference in ex-
change between gold and silyer-an ad-
vantage which tariff legislation cannot
overcome.
THE MONEY POWER.
We therefore confidently appeal 10 the
people Of the United States to hold In
aoeyance all other questions, however
important and even m0mentous they may
appear. 10 sunder If need be, ali former
party Ties and affiliations, aud unite in
one supreme effort 70 free themselves
nnd their children from the domination
OF The money power. power more de-
sractive than any which has ever been
fastened upon the civilized men OF any
race or IN any age. And Gpcn the con-
summation Of our desires and efforts
We evoke the aid Of all patriotic Ameri-
can citizens. and the gracious favor Of
Divine Providence.
BRYAN AND SEWALL
''Inasmuch as the patriotic majority OF
the Chicago convention embodied In the
financial plank OF It's platform the prin-
eiples onunciated In the platform Of the
American Eimetalllc party. promulgated
az washington, ID. c., January 22. 1896
and herein reiterated. which is not only
The paramount but Is the only real issue
IN the pending campaign. therefore. re-
eosnlzing that their. NOMINEES embody
these patriotic principles. We recommend
trat THIS convention nominate William