Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-07-30
FOR FREE
The Convention Adopts n Platform
With hut One Pink


The delegates. as usual. came together
slowly for the afternoon session. Chairman
81. John raped for order and introduced
the Rev. Mr.. Hagsrty. who made the open
Ing prayer. AT the conclusion Of the inyo-
cation g.. w Baker was called upon for a
report from the conference committee. He
SAIL that the time was TOO short TO reach
a satisfactory conclusion. There were not
more than one hundred men In the confer
ence and only two hours In which TO dis
cuss the methods to be pursued. He read
the resolutions which were adopted at the
conference. ON motioa OF Mr.. Turner of
KANSAS the report was accepted and
adopted by a unanimous vote.
The report of the platform committee was
then mad. by Senator Jones of Nevada.
As he read The platform he was frequently
Interrupted by APPLAUSE. Tho platform
reads Us foilows:
The paramount Issue at thi. time In the
United States IL i~ndisputably the money
question. IL il between the gold standard.
gold bonds and hank currency on the one
side. and the simetai.r standard. no bonds
and government currency on the other.
Gu this Issue W. declare ourselves to be In
favor OF a distinctly American financial
system. We are u~naltecably opposed TO
.he single gold standard and demand the
Immediate return 10 the constitutional
standard of gold and silver, BY the
ttrtotNlHsu VI Nui> -ONeTnlleDL. INNPrenQ-
entity of any foreign power. of the gnre-
stricted coinage OF both gold ami silver into
standard money AZ the ratio of Is to 1.
and upon terms Of exact eqrakty as they
existed prior 10 ts73. the silver coin To
be a full legal tender equally with gold for
all aeots ard dues, public and private. and
we favor such legislation as viii prevent
for the future the demonstration OF any
kind OF legal tender money by private CON
tract. We hola that the power to control
and regulate a paper currency Is inseparable
from the power TO coin money, and hence
that all currency interded to circulate as
money should be issued and it's volume con-
trsfied by the general government only aud
should be legal tender We are unalterably
opposed 20 the issue by the United States
OF Understanding bonds in time Of peace
and we dcnsuace as a blunder worse than
a crime the present treasury policy con-
CURED in by a Republican house. of pIung-
ing the country In 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
by existing laws, In either gold or silver
coin, ar the option OF the government and
not at the option of the creditor.
The characterization OF silver In 1s-2
enormously increased the demand for gold
ehhat cling ITS purchasing power and low or
ing all prices measured by that standard.
and since that unjust and Indefensible ACT
the prices OF American products have fallen
III 81 an average nearlv so per cent. carry.
Ing Gown with them proportionally the
money value OF all other forms OF pronertv
Such fall of prices has destroyed the prodfs
OF legitimate Industry, i~njurlng the producer
for the benefit OF the non-producfiye in.
c~reasing the burden OF the debtor swell
ing the gains of the creditor, paralyzinr
the energies OF the American people. rele.
eating the idle vast numbers of willin,
workers, sending the shadows OF desnaIr
Into the home Of the honest toiler 6ling
the land With tramps aud paupers. and
building up colossal fortunes az me monav
c~enttrs. In the effort to maintain the eold
stancapi, the country has within the Iast
two years. In a time Of profound peace
and plenty. been leaded down with S2Go
000,O00 of additional nterest-bearsns deht
under such circumstances as to allow n svn.
dieate OF native and foreign bankers n
realize a net proht OF millions on n sInrla
deal. It stands confessed that the cola
standard can only be upheld by SO deplefins
our paper curreaey as TO force the ,,rie.s
or our products below the European and
even below the Asiata level, 10 enable us
TO sell In foreign markets. thus aggravn,,n
the very evils of which our people 90 hi.
teriy complain. degrading American labor