The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-10-03
ADOPT FkEE SILVER.
u -MOCRATIC NATIONAL PLAT
FORM IN FULL.
Drc,areu for the Free and Unlimited cow
are of silver .t = Rati" Of 10 t" Or
poscd to Interest Nearing N"uds "" II
Issued by 'hc GcvPrnm"ut
Tho follow

The follow
ing is the PLATFORM adopted toy the
national Democratic convention;
We, the Democrats OF the United
States, In national convention assem-
bled, do reafllrm our allegiance TO those
great and essential principles OF JUS
lice and liberty upon which our insa-
buttons are founded and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
Jeifersons time to our own-freedom
OF speech, freedom of the press. free
dom Of conscience. the preservation OF
personal rights. the equality OF all per
sons before the law and the faithful OBJ
servance OF constitutional limitations.
During al thess years the Democrat
ic party has resisted the tendency OF
selfish interests. the Capitalization OF
governmental power and steadfasty
maintained the integrity Of the dual
scheme OF government established by
the founders OF this republic OF repub-
Nos. Under It's guidance the great prin-
dple OF local self-goverlment has
found Its best expression in the main
tenance Of the rights Of the states and
In dts assertion OF the necessity OF con.
fining the general government to the
exercise OF the powers granted by the
constitution OF the United States.
Recognizing that the money ques-
ton Is paramount to all Others at this
nS,e, We invite attention to 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 by congress under
tho constitution made the silver dO.-
lar the monetary unit and admitted
goh to Gree coinage at . ratio based
upon the silver unit.
We declare that the act OF 1873. de-
monetizing silver without the kncwl-
edge or approval OF the American peO-
pie, has resulted in the appreciation OF
god and a corresponding fall In the
prices OF commodities produced by the
people.
We are unalteahy opposed to the
nonometalllsm which has locked fast
the prosperity OF industrious people
IN the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
nono-metaVlism is . British policy, and
Its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
y not only un-Amerioan. but anti
American. and It can be fastened on the
United States only by the sitting OF
that spirit OF love OF liberty which pro-
claimed Our political Independence In
1776, and won 1t In the war OF the revo-
tuition.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage OF both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio Of 16 to /, without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender equally with god, for al
depts, public and private, and 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 and
practice OF surrendering to the holders
Of tho Obligations of the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov
eminent Of reeeming 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 poace, and condemn
the traflicking with banking syndicates
which, in exchange for bonds and at
an enormous profit to themselves, sup
ply the Feeral treasury with gold to
main the policy OF gold monometal.
Gsm
Congress alone has tho power to
coin and issue money, and President
Jackson declared that this power could
not be delegated to corporations or tn
dlMduals. We. therefore. demand thai
the power to issue notes to circulate al
money be taken from the national
banks, and that all paper money shall
be issued directly by the treasury de-
partment and be redeernabie in coin
and receivable Nor all debts, public an.
private.
We hold that the tariff duties shoult
be levied for purposes Of revenue, such
duties to be 50 adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country and no
discriminate between class or section
and that taxation should be limited b!
the needs Of tho government, honestl!
and economically administered. We de
nounce as disturbing to business thu
Republican threat to restore the Nc
Ktnley law, which has been twice con
demned by une people In national eec
tons and which, enacted under tn
false plea Of protection to home INDUS
try, proved prolific breeder OF tg -.
and monopolios, enriched the few a