Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-08-14
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

time to our own--frecdom OF speech freedom
OF the pres. freedom OF conscience. the
preservation OF personal rights. the equality
OF All citizens before the Law and the faithful
observance OF constitutional limitations.
During all these years the democratic party
has resisted the tendency o. selfish interests
TO the ccntraliz ,tion of governmental power
and steadtastly maintained the fltcgrit; of
the du i scheme OF government established by
the founders OF this republic OF republics
Under its guidance and teachings the grc,t
principal of local self-government has found
>ts best expression in the maintenance of the
rights OF the states and in It's assertion OF the
necessity of combining the general government
to the exercises of the powers granted by the
constitution OF The United States
Tho constitution OF the United States
guarantees 10 every citizen the right OF civil
and religious liberty. The democratic purity
has always been the exponent of political lib
erty and religious freedom. md Is renews its
ooiigntions = nd rec nirms its devotion to these
fundamental principles of the constitution
Recognizing that the money Question Is par
amount to all others ut this time NC invits
attention to the fact that the federal consti.
tuition names silver and gold togo thor as tho
money metals OF the United Statcs, and that
the first coinncc law parsed by congress undcr
the constitution mndc the silver dollar tho
monetary unit OF value and admitted gold TO
FREQ coinage ut n ratio measured By the silver
dollar unit
We declare that tho net OF 1879 dcmonotizIug
silver without the knowled 20 OF approval Of
She American people has resulted in the an.
probation OF gold and corresponding fall in
inc pricos OF commodities produced by tho
people: n heavy increase in the burden OF tux
alton and OF all debts public and private; the
enrichment OF the money-lending class ut
home and abroad: postration OF Industry aud
impovcrishmcnt OF the pooplc.
We are unnltcra bly, opposed TO the SINGLE
gold standard which has locked fast thc nros.
perity of an industrial people in the paralysis
OF nara times Gold monometallIsm Is q
British policy and its adoption has brought
other nnttons into financial servitudc to Lon
oon lis not only un-Amcricnn but anti
Amssfcun and It can be fastened on tho United
States only by the sitting of that ipdomitnblo
spirit and love of liberty which proclaimed
our political independence In 1878 and won IL
In the war OF the revolution
We demand the free and unlimited coinnge
OF both silver and gold the present legal rntio
OF l0to !. without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full legal ten
der, equally with gold for nll debts M bile and
private, and VIC favor such lerisla ton {. S Will
prevent the dcmonetiz tion OF any kind of lc-
Bal tender money BY private contract
We are opposed to the policy and practice
OF guaranteeing to the holders OF the oblgi-
tions of the United States the option reserved
by law to the govcrnu ent OF redo eminy such
obligations in either silver coin or gold coin
We are opposed TO the issuing OF interest
bearing bonds OF the United States in time of
BtbSt. anu cpuutIllu the tTaIlcklng with bank
ing syndicnteS which. In exchange for bonds
and at nn enormous profit themselves sup
ply the federal treasury with gold TO maintain
the policy OF gold monomctallism
Congress alone has the power TO coin and
issue money. and President Jackson declared
that this power could not be delegated to cor
poraiions or individuals.
We therefore dcnouncc the issuance OF
notes intended to circulate as money b. ma
tional inks n in derogation of tho corsti,u-
MI hot al ..1.t.t
made a legal tender for public and private
debts or which IS receivable for dues to the
United States, shall be issued by the goycrh-
mcnt of tho United States and shall he rc-
dcemabc in coin
We hod that tariff duties should ,,o loy.o,,
for purposes OF revenue. should also be adj
justcd so MS to operate equally throughout
the country. and not discriminate between
class section, and that tax ton
should be limited by the needs OF the govern
ment homes tly and economically administered
We denounce rs disturbing to business tho
republican threat TO restore the Mckinley
law which has been twice condemn. by the
people IN the national elections and
which enacted under the false plea of
protection to home industry. proved a prolific
breeder OF trusts and monopolics enriched
tho few mt the expense of the many. restricted
trade and deprived the producers of the great
American staples OF access to their natural
markets Until the money question Ia
ton Tor further changes In our tariff
laws except such rs urc necessary to meet
Inc uciicit In revenue caused by the adverse
accession OF the supreme court on tho Income
taN- There would be no deficit la the revenue
out Tor tue annulmcnt bY the supreme court
OF u law passed bv . democratic congress I'm
strict pursuance Of the uniform decisions of
that court Tor ncnrly one hundred years that
court havin" in that decision sus-
t'tncd constitutional objections TO its en-
lCttnCDt which has
ruled by the ablcst judges who had ever sat
on that bench. We declare that II il the duty
OF congress 10 use all the constitutional power
winch remains after that decision. or which
may come from It's reversal by the court as II
may hereafter be constituted. SO that the bur
ocns OF taxation may be equally and tmDir-
TALLY laid In the end that wealth may bear It's
due proportion Of the expenses OF government
we hold that the most efficient way OF pro-
tccthg American labor Is to prevent the i'm
iortation OF FOREIGN piuror labor To compete
Win 1t IN the home mark I. and with the value
ana artisans Is greatly reduced by vicious
monetary system which dcpresscs the prices
OF their products b1low the cost of production
ana thus dcrrivcS them OF the means OF pur-
chasing the products OF our home manufac-
tories and rs labor creates the wealth of the
country. we demand the passage of such laws
as may be necessary to protect IL IN all its
rights
VIC arc III iiNor OF tnc arbitration OF differ
enccs between employers engaged in Interstate
commerce and their employees. and recon-
mend such legislation as Is necessary TO carry
out this principle
The absorption of wealth by the few. the
consolidation OF our leading raiiro1d systems,
ana the form" tion of trusts and pools reouir.
n strictcr control by the federal government
OF those arteries of commerce. We demand
inc enlargement OF the Interstate commerce
commission and such restrictions and guar
nhtccs In the control OF railways as will pro-
tect the people from robbery and oppression
we denouncc the pronigatc waste of the
money wr"ns rom the people b. oppressive
taxation and the lavish appropriations OF re-
rent republican congresses. which have kent
taxes high. while tho labor that pays them is
unemployed and the product OF the peoples
toll hrc depressed TIL thcy no longer repay The
cost OF production We demand n return to
that simplicity and economy which bchts
democratic government and n reduction In
The number OF useless officers. tho salaries OF
which drain the substance of the people
We denouncc the arbitrary Interference by
federal authorities in local affairs MS q vioit-
lion OF the constitution OF the United States
ana crime against FREQ institutions and we
especially object to government b. Injunction
as new and highly dangerous form OF on
preston by which federal judges. in contempt
"a fN 1as.e e,s..