The Penn's Grove record., 1896-07-31

The Democratic platform of 1892 on
which Mr.. Cleveland vas elected de-
clared as follows on the money ques-
ton:
eve hold to the use Of both gold and
silver as the standard money OF the
| country and to the coinage OF both gold
and silver without discriminating
against either metal or charge for mint.
age. but the dollar unit of coinage OF
| both metals must be Of equal intrinsic
| and eXChangeable value, or be adjusted
through international agreement or by
such safeguards of legislation as shail
insure the maintenance of the parity OF
the two metals and the equal power OF
every dollar at all times in the markets
and in payment of debts. We Insist
upon this policy as especially necessary
fer the protection of the farmers and
laboring classes, the first and most de,
| fenseless victims of unstable money Il
a ~nuctuating currency.
1t will be noticed that this and the
| Republican platform in 1892 intheneXt
column were exactly alike in substance,
the wording only being different Both
were a straddlP. Both declared for
gold and silver as standard money to
be coined without discrimination, the
intrinsic value to be adjusted by inter
national agreement, Mr.. Cleveland
never endeavored to procure an inter
national agreement. lie carried out
the last sentence of the platform only
by paying out gold only on demand as
final redemption money for the gold
monometallists claimed all the differ
ent kinds of currency could not he
maintained Of equal value if he did not.
The bimettalists claim he should have
paid out silver rather than sell bonds as
they are receivable on an equality with
gold and should be paid out the same
without discrimination. The Govern
ment has no law compelling any n to
pay it gold and as Il consequence had
to sell S2G2, 600, 600 of bonds to buy
gold with to give the bankers who ask.
ed for it. In other words the financial
policy of tie nation is to mortgage the
people when there are millions in tie
Treasury to satisfy foreign nations who
are boarding gold.
The following is the platform adopt
ed at Chicago by the Democrats:
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF
1896.
"'Reeognizing that the money ques-
ton is paramount to all others at this
time, we invite attention 10 the fact
that the Federal Constitution names
Silver and Gold together as the money
metals of the United States, and that
the first coinage law passed 10y Con.
gress under the Constitution made the
silver dollar the unit of value and adj
mitted gold to free coinage at a ratio
measured by the silyer.dollar unit.
1--WE declare that the act Of 1873, de.
monetizing silver without the knowl-
| edge or approval of the American peo-
pie, has resulted in the appreciation OF
gold and Il corresponding fall in the
| price of commodities produced by the
| people; a heavy increase in the burden
of taxation and of all debt, public and
private; tie enrichment Of the money
lender class at home and abroad; pros
tIatiOn of industry and impoverishment
of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mono
metallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrial people in the
paralysis of hard times. Gold Mono
metalIism is a British policy, and its
adoption has brought other nations in
to financial servitude to London. 1t is
not only un-AmeIican, bnt anti-Ameri-
can, and it can be fastened on the Uni
ted States only by the sitting of that
spirit of love and liberty which pro-
claimed our political independence in
117G, and won it i'll the war of the revo-
luton.
",Ve demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
| present legal ratio of 1G to /, without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be a full le-
gal tender, equally with gold, for all
debts, public and private, aud we favor
such legislation as will prevent for the
future the decentralization of any kind
of legal-tender money by private con
tract.
"We are opposed to the policy aud
| practice of surrendering to the holders
of the obligations Of the United States
the option reserved by law to the Gov
eminent of redeeming such obligations
in either silver coin or gold coin.
"We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest- bearing bonds of the United
States in time of peace, and condemn
the tratiicking with banking syndicates
which, in exchange for bonds and at an
enormous profit to themselves. supply
the Federal treasury with gold to main.
tain the policy of geld 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
d~iyiduals. We therefore demand that
the power to circulate as money be
taken from the national banks and that
all paper money shall be issued direct
ly by the treasury Department, be re.
deemable in coin, and receivable for all
debts, public and private"
In other words we will run our own
finances and not ask any European ma
ton what we shall do.
The Free Silver
party met in st. Louis last week and
endorsed Bryan and Sewall, the Demo
-.nLs- .-.-..--. l. IL lalnanl.o,