The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-10-10
ADOPT FREE SILVER.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLAT
FORM IN FULL.
Declares for the Free and Unlimited Com
age of Silver ut Il Ratio OF 16 t" Up
posed to Interest Bearing Bonds lie II J;
Issued by the Government

Issued by the Government.
The follow !
inc is the platform adopted BY the
national Democratic convention:
We, the Democrats Of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bled, do reaflirm our allegiance TO those
great and essential principles OF JUS
tice and liberty upon which our lnsl-
buttons are founded and which tine
Democratic party has advocated from
Jefferson's time to our OWn-lreeuonl
OF speech, freedom Of the press, tree
dom Of conscience, the preservation OF
personal rights, the equality Of all per-
sons before the law and the faithful OBJ
seryance of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democrat
ic party has resisted the tendency OF
selfish interests, the Capitalization OF
governmental power and steadfasty
maintained the integrity of the dual
scheme of government established by
the founders of this republic OF repub-
lies. Under It's guidance the great pr!n-
ciple of local self-govelTment has
found it's best expression in the main
| tenance of the rights OF the states and
! in its assertion of the necessity OF con-
fining the general government to the
exercise of the powers granted by the
constitution of the United States.
Recognizing that the money ques-
ton is paramount to all Others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact that
the federal constitution names silver
and gold together as the money metals
Of the United States, and that the hr2t
coinage law passed by congress under
the constitution made the silver do.-
lar the monetary unit and admitted
gold to free coinage at ratio based
upon the silver unit.
We declare that the act of 1873, de-
monetizing silver without the knoWl-
edge or approval of the American peo-
ple, has resulted in the appreciation OF
gold and a corresponding fall in the
prices of commodities produced by the
people.
We are unaherab.y opposed to the
mon ON etallism which has locked fast
the prosperity Of industrious people
in the paralysis Of hard times. Cold
mono-metallism is a British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
Is not only un-American, but anti
t American, and 1t can be fastened on the
d limited States only by the sitting OF
g that spirit of love Of liberty which pro-
{ claimed our political independence IN
177e, and won it in the war OF the reVo-
tuition.
1 We demand the free and unlimited
I coinage of both gold and silver at the
: present legal ratio Of 16 to /, without
waiting for the aid CIR consent OF any
q other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be a full
legal tender equally with god, for a..
dents. public and private, and We favor
8 such legislation as will prevent fer TIT
- future the characterization OF any kline
!. CT legal tender money by private con
). tract.
a We are opposed to the policy ant
), practice of surrendering to the holder
&c of the Obligations Of the United State
~ the option reserved by law to the gov
eminent of reeenlins such obligation
in either silver coin Or gold coin.
! We are. opposed to the issuing of in
" terest- bearing bonds Of the unlte
,e States in time of poace. and condemn
8 the traf1cking with banking syndicate
y which, in exchange for bonds aid a
" an enormous profit to themselves, sup
,e nly the Feeral treasury with gold t
.. maintain the policy Of gold monometa,
" lism.
s, Congress alone has the power t
coin and issue money, and Presiden
Jackson declared that this power ooul
Is not be delegated to corporations or in
4, dividuals. We, therefore, demand thu
v the power to issue notes to circulate
ne money be taken from the nations
10 banks, and that all paper money sha
~ be issued directly by the treasury IL
er par.ment and be redeenabie in col
nj, and receivable for all debts, pubic an
W. private.
H. We hold that the tariff duties shou
:" be levied for purposes of revenue, sue
a. az Duties to be so adjusted as to opera
W. equally throughout the country and NJ
discriminate between class or sectio
and that taxation should be limited
80 the needs of the government, honest
.. and economically administered. We d
AN 's nounce as disturbing to business Il
49, Republican threat to restore the M
:; Kinley law, which has been twice CO
-, demned by the people in national e.e
r.. tons and which, enacted under {