Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-07-10
THE CONVENTION.
WILLIAM j. BRYAN, OF NEBRASKA,
NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT.

NOMINA TED FOR PRESIDENT.
\ Brief Reference TO the Principal
Husiness-The Platform In Full
The Vote on ;he Nomination for
President.
The Chicago Convention has been
from start to finish the scene of de-
termined strife between the silver and
the gold factions The National Com
mittee, in accordance with precedent,
had prepared a report naming the
temporary officers of tine convention
with Senator Hill for Chairman pro
tenn, and when Chairman Harrity
stepped upon the platform and an
nounced this selection, it was greeted
with great applause from the gold
men. Clayton, member of the Ma
tional Committee from Arkansas, then
rose and submitted minority report
which substituted the name of John
w. Daniel, of Virginia, for that OF
David b. Hill. and the applause was
redoubled, from the advocates of silver
and he was elected by an overwhelm-
ing majority. Senator Daniel on as.
Stunning the gavel, delivered one OF the
best addresses ever made before de.
Lucrative body. 1t was mild, digni.
fled, conservative, and bresthed the
spirit of Cancellation and harmony.
The time of the convention the first
two days WAS consumed in committee
work, and nothing OF importance was
done in general session. Thursday q
permanent organization WAS effected
by the election of Senator White OIL
California Permanent Chairman and
Thomas J. Cogan, of Ohio, Secretary
This was done after the report OF the
Committee on Credentials had been
adopted, which seated four silver dis.
trict delegates from Michigan, which
changed the complexion of the delega.
ton from gold to silver.
The platform adopted was as fol.
lows:
We, the Democrats of the United States
i'll national convention assembled do re-
affirm our allegiance to those great es.
sential principles of justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded
and which the Democratic party has
advocated from Jetferson's time TO our
own: Freedom of speech, freedom of the
press, freedom of conscience, the preser-
walton of personal rig hts, the equality OF
all citizens before the law, and the faith
full observance of constitutional limita.
tons. During all these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the tendency oil
selfish interests to the Capitalization OF
governmental power and steadfastly
maintained the integrity of the dua
scheme of government as established
by the founders of this repub
lie OF republics. Under its guild
pie of local self-government has found its
best expressions i'll the maintenance OF
the rights of the States and its assertion
of the necessity of combining the general
government to the exercise of the powers
granted by the constitution of the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question il
paramount to all Others at this time. we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together AZ the money metals of the
United States. and that the first coinage
law passed 10y congress under the con
stitution made the silver dollar the
| m Irnif nd admitted 70 fro
coinage at a ratio based upon the silver
dollar unit. We declare that the act o
| 1873 demonetiZing silver without the
knowledge or approval of the American
people has resulted in the appreciation o
gold and II corresponding tall in the
prices of commodities produced by the
people. a heavy increase i'll the burden o
taxation and of all debts. public anC
private, the enrichment Of the money
lending GLASS at home and abroad, prostra
ton OF industry and impoverlshment o
the people. We are unaiterably oppose,
to mono metallism, which has lOckeC
last the prosperity of an Industrious peo
pie in the paralysis OF hard times. GoIC
mOno-netallism is a British policy, anC
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t :,
not only un-American, but anti-Ameri
can, and it can be fastened upon tn,
United States only by the sitting OF tina
spirit ana love of liberty which pro
claimed our polite independence il
l776 and won 1t i'll the war of the rev olu
ton.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver At tn,
present legal ratio of IL to l, withou
waiting for the aid or consent of an,
| other nation. We demand that tn,
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender. equally with gold, for al
debts, public and private, and we favo
such legislation AS will prevent tn
| characterization of any kind of lega
tender money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prac
tice of surrendering to the holders of OH
legations of the United States the option
reserved by law to the government of re
deening such obligations in silver.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest- bearing bonds of the United State
in times of peace. and condemn the traf
ticking with banking syndicates which il
exchange tor bonds at an enormous prof
to themselves supply the Federal treas
ury with gold TO maintain the policy O
x old mono-metallism.
Congress alone has the power to coli
and issue money, and President jackson
declared that this power could not b
delegated to corporations or individuals
We therefore denounce the issue of note
as money by national banks as in deroga
that all paper which is made legal tende
tor public and private debts or which i
receivable for dues to the United State
shall be issued by the government of tn
United States aud be redeemlable in coin
We hold that tariff duties should b
levied for the purpose OF revenue. sucl
duties TO be readiusted so as TO o2erat
equally throughout the country and no
discriminate between class or section, an,
that taxation should be limited by tn,
needs Ofs the government honestl,
and economically administered. VI
denOunce as disturbing to bushes
the Republican threat TO restore tn
Mckinley law, which has been twic
condemued by the people in nationa
elections, and which, enacted unde
the false plea of protection to hom
industry, proved a prolific breeder O
trusts and nionopolies, enriching the few
at the expense of the many, restricted
trade and deprived the producers of tn
great American staples OF access to thei
natural markets. Until the money ques
ton is settled We are opposed to any agita
ton for further changes in our tariff laws
except sucn rs are necessary to make u,
the deficit in revenue caused by the adj
verse decision Of the supreme court OF
the income tax.
But for this decision by the suprem,
court there would be no deficit in tn,
revenue under the law passed by Dem