The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-07-11
The Main Portion of the Demo.
cratic Platform Will Be q
PrOnunciamentO
Setting Forth the Free Coinage
Doctrine in Ringing
Terms.
Tariff Plank Causing Trouble,
and Will Likely Not Be Very
Pronounced.

CHICAGO, July notwithstanding
the convention is still unorganized,
there are almost continuous conferences
among those who expect to be called
upon to make the platform, when it is
made. They consist largely of the free
silver leaders, who are located at the
Sherman House. Their plans all look
to preparing a document which, while
it will cover various other questions of
Democratic faith, will give the place of
prominence to the financial declaration.
1t is indeed now expected that the plat
form will be q silver pronunciamento,
setting forth the free coinage doctrine in
the form of a ringing address, which
will appeal to the support of all silver
advocates Of whatever party. The gist
of the plank will, however. be
An U%nequivocal Declaration
for the free and unlimited coinage Of
silver at the ratio of 16 to /, without
awaiting the action of any other natisn.
The tariff plank is really giving the
silver majority more concern than the
financial declaration. They consider
this a very important plank. The silver
question is recognized by all as the par.
amount issue, but the Democracy has
been so persistent in it's declarations on
the tariff, and the Republicans made it
so prominent in their platform, that
they recognize the im~possibility of ig.
noring it. This they would gladly
do if they could for this one time, be.
canse Of the effect that a declaration
leaning too pronouncedly towards free
trade would have upon the Republican
silver men and Populists whose votes
they hope to secur with a free silver
candidate. So far as there has been an
exchange of opinion, the tendency 10
decidedly towardsa
Very Brief and . Not Worry Pronounced
declaration on this point. The leaders
feel that the financial question Is n
requiring q declaration Of principle, but
that the tariff is q proper subject to play
politics. They will probably announce
adherence to Democratic traditions on
this subject, though IN very general
terms, and announce the belief that
with the mintage Of silver the present
tariff will produce sufficient revenue for
the needs Of the government. There
may be a declaration for a more euuita.
bic adjustment than that contained in
the present law, with the hope of recon.
Cling the different elements. The plank
may contain an implied reconcilement
to protection in words indicating that
any tariff. even though for revenue
only, is q protection to labor.
The idea Of Judge Powers.
Judge Powers of the Utah delegation
has submitted from that delegation the
following draft Of a tariff plank:
1--WE favor the imposition of duties to
meet the demands of the government
for revenues. such duties to be 80 ad.
justed as to operate equally throughout
the country. and not to discriminate
against classes or sections"
Judge Powers expresses the opinion
that a declaration Of this charac-
ter will be satisfactory to the
West, and also that it would meet all
demands of the situation, and of Demo.
cratic faith. It was taken substantially
from a report made by Secretary
Walker and embodied the principles on
which the Walker tariff was based.