Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-10-06

Aooptec ~ the Democrats In Nationa
Convention.
The following i the full and com
plete platform as adopted by the
National Democratic convention;
We, the Democrats of the United
States III national convention asSemb.
led, do reat1irm our allegiance to those
lgreat essential principles of Justice
and liberty upon which our institIl.
tions are founded, and which the
| Democratic party has advocated from
lJeiferSOn'S time To our own-freedOm
lof speech, freedom of the press, free
dom OF conscience, the preservation of
personal rights, the equality of all
citizens before the law, and the faith
/ full observance Of constitutional limi-
tations.
During all these years the Demo-
cratic party has resisted the tendency
of selfish interests to the centraliZ-
alton of governmental power, and
| Steadfastly maintained the integrity
of the dual scheme of government
established by the founders of this
/ republic of republics. Under its
guidance and teachings the great
principle of local self-government has
| found its best expression in the main
tenance of the rights of the states
and in its assertion of the necessity
Of cOntining the general government
to the exercise of powers granted by
the constitution of the United States.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
The constitution of the United
States guarantees to every citizen the
rights of civil and religious liberty.
The democratic party has always been
the exponent of political liberty and
religious freedom and it renews its
obligations and reatirms its devotion
to these fundamental principles OF
the constitution.
FINANCE.
Recognizing that the money ques-
tiOn is paramount to all others at this
| time, we INVITE attention to the fact
that the constitution names silver
and gold together as the money metals
| of the United States, and that the
! first coinage law passed by congress
under the constitution made the sill
yer dollar the money unit, and adj
mitted gold to free coinage at a ratio
based upon the silver dollar unit.
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 a corresponding fall in
the price of commodities produced by
the people; heavy increase in the
burden of taxation and of all debts,
public and private; the enrichment of
the money lending class at home and
abroad, the prostratiOn of industry,
and impoverishment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
ometalliSm, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
paralysis of hard times, Gold mono
metallism is British policy, and its
adoption has brought other nations
into financial seryitude to London.
1t is not only un-Amerlcan, but anti
American, and it can be fastened on
the United States only by the sitting
of that spirit and love OF liberty |
which proclaimed our political inde-
pendence in 1776 and won in the war |
of the revolution.
FREE COINAGE.
We demand the free and unlimited |
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of 16 to l, 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 gold, for all
debts, 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 contract.
BONDS.
We are opposed TO the policy and
practice of surrendering to the hold
ers of the obligations, Of the United
States, the option reserved by law TO
the government OF redeeming such OBJ
legations in either silver coin or gold
coin.
We are opposed to the issuing OF in
bonds OF the United
States in time OF peace, and condemn
The trafiicking with banking syndi-
Gates which, In exchange Tor bonds
and at an enormous prott 10 Them
selves, supply the federal treasury
with gold TO maintain the policy OF
gold mOnOmetallism.
ISSUE OF MONEY.
Congress alone has the power to
coin and issue money, and Prerident
Jackson declared that this power
could not be delegated TO corporations
or indiyiduals. We therefore de-
nounce the Issuance OF notes intended
10 circulate as money by national
banks as ia derOgation OF the cOnsti-
tuition, and we demand that all paper
which is made a legal tender for
public and private debts or which Is
receivable for duties 10 the United
states shall be be issued by the gov
srnment OF the United States and
shall be redeemable In coin.
he.r-stft TABIFF.
We hold that tariff duties should be
evied for purpose OF revenue, such du-
lies TO be so adjusted as tO operate
equally throughout the country ana
not discriminate between kclass or sec-l