The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-08-22
I'D DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

Wnlcn our INSTITUTIONS are Ounue anu
which the Democratic party has adv0cat-
ed from Jefferson's time to our own. free.
xlom of speech. freedom of the press, free
Stom of conscience, the preservation OF
personal rights the equality of all c~itizeus
1,eforc the law, and the faithful observ-
Since of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency of selfish
interests to the Capitalization of govern
mental power and steadfastly maintained
the integrity of the dua scheme of gov
vrnment established by the founders OF
this republic of republics. Under It's
guidance the great principle of local self
government has found it's best expression
in the maintenance of the rights of the
States and in it's assertion OF the necessl-
ty of combining the general government to
the exercise of the powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
Recognizing that the money system is
paramount to all others at this time, We
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
cral Constitution names SILVER and gold
together as the money metals OF the Unit
cd States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the Constltu-
ton made the silver dollar the monetary
unit and admitted gold the free coinage at
"A ratio based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act OF 1879, de-
monetizing silver without the knowledge
or approval of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation OF gold and
u corresponding fall imthe prices OF COM
modities produced by the people; a heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and
of all debts, public and private; the en-
richment of the money lending class at
home and abroad; prostration OF industry
and impoverishment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to the
monometalIism, which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrial people In the
paralysis of hard times. Gold mOnomet-
yallism is a. British policy, and It's adoption
has brought other nations into hnancla
servitude to London. 1t is not only un-
American, but anti-American, and 1T can
be fastened on the United States only. BY
the sitting of that spirit and love OF llb.
erry which proclaimed our political nde
of the Revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold n silver at the
present legal ratio of l6 to l., without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any 9th,
,er nation. We demand that the standard
.silver dollar shall be q full legal tender
equally with gold. for all debts, public.
and private, and we favor such legisla-
ton as will prevent for the future the de-
monetization of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
Wei are fOpposed to the policy n prac.
tice Of surrendering to the holders of the
obligations of the United States the OPP
tor reserved by law to the government
-of redeeming such obligations in either
silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing OF inter-
est-bearing bonds of the United States in
time OF peace and condemn the trafficking
with banking syndicates which. in Z
change for bonds n as an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the Federal
treasury with gold to maintain the policy
sof gold m0nOmetalIism,.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be del
gated to corporations or individuals. We
therefore demand that the power to issue
notes to circulate as money pc taken from
-ey shall be issued directly by the
Treasury Department, redeemable in coin
and receivable for all debts, public. and
private, III
be levied for purposes OF revenue, U
duties to be so adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country, and not
discriminate between class n section,
and that taxation should be limited BY
the needs of the government, honestly
nounce as disturbing to business the he
publican threat to restore the mckinley
law. which has twice been condemned by
the people in national elections, and
which, enacted under false plea of pro-
lection tohome industry, proved a prolific
UIG6ttGE u j. . II IlVhOPOlAScs \
ed the few at the expense of the many,
restricted trade n deprived the produ-
GERS of the great American staples OF &C
cesst to their natural markets.
Until the money question is settled we
are opposed to any agitation for further
changes in our tariff laws, except such as
are necessary to make up the deficit in
revenue, caused by the adverse decision
by the supeme court on the income tax.
But for this there would be mo deficit in
revenue Under the law passed by a
Democratic Congress, in strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions of that court
having that decision sustained, constitu-
tiOnal objection to its enactment, which
has been overruled by the ablest judges
VINO ever sat on that bench. We declare
that it is the duty of Congress to all the
constitutional power which remains after
that decision or which may come from its
reversal by the court as it may hereafter
be constituted, so that the burdens of
taxation may be equally and impartially
laid to the end that wealth may bear it's
due proportionate expenses of the govern
ment.
We hold that the most efficient way to
protect American labor is to prevent the
Importation of foreign pauper labor to
compete with it in the home market, and
that the value of the home market to our
farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by a~vicious monetary system, which de-
presses the price of their products below
the cost of production, and thus deprives
them of the means of purchasing the pro-
ducts of our home manufacturers,
The absorption of wealth by the few.
the consolidation of our leading railway
systems and the formation of trusts and
pools, require a stricter control by the
Federal Government of those arteries of
We demand the enlargement
of the powers of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and such restrictions and
guarantees in the control of railroads as
will protect the people from robbery and
oppression.