The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-08-07
The Platform.

TO those great cssontcl principles Of Justice
and liberty upon which our Institutions are
founded and which tho Democratic party has
advocated from Joferson's time to our own
freedom Of speech, freedom of the press, froo.
dom Of conscience the preservation of per-
Honnl rights, the equality Of all citizens before
the law, and tho faithful observance OF con.
stitutional limitations,
During all those years tho Democratic party
has resisted the tendency of selfish interests
TO the Capitalization of governmental power
and stcadfastly maintained the integrity OF
the dual schoms of government established by
the founders of this republic of republics
Under its guidance aud teachings the great
principle of local self government has found
It's best expires 3ion in the maintenance of the
rights OF the states and its assertion of tho
necessity OF confining the general government
to the exercise OF the powers granted by the
! constitution of tho United States
| The constitution OF tho United States guar.
nntcos to every citizen the rights OF civil and
| religious liberty. Tho Democratic party has
always been th9 exponent OF political liberty
| and Of religious freedom, and IL ronews its OBJ
| legations and IeaifirmS the devotion TO those
! Fundamental principles Of the constitution.
Recognizing TINT the money question is par
amount TO all others Mt this time, we invite
attention to tho fact that the federal consttu-
tion namos silver and gold together the
money metals Ut the United States and that
the first coinag law passed by congress under
the constitution made tho silver dollar the
monetary unit and admitted gold TO free coin
age at a ratio based upon the silver unit
We are opposed to the policy and practice
of surrendering to tho holders Of the obliga-
tions of the United States the option reserved
by law to the government of redeeming such
obligation in either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of interest
bearing bonds of the United States in times Of
peace, and condemn the trafIicking with bank
ing syndicatos which, in exchange for bonds
and II Jrmous nroit TO themselves supply the
federal treasury with gold to maintain the
policy of gold monomotallism.
Congress a.ole has the power to coin or issue
money, as President jackson declared that
this power could not be d dslogated to corpora
tions or individuals. We therefore demand
that the power to issue notes to circulate as
money bo taken from the national banks, and
that all paper money sha be issued directly
by the treasury department, be redeemable in
coin and receivable for ali debts, public and
private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revenue, such dutt~I to be so adj
justcd as to operate equally throughout the
country, and not discriminate between class
or section, aud that taxation should b limited
by the needs of the government honestly and
economically administered. We denounce re
disturbing to business tho Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law, which has been
twice condemned by the people in national
elections and which, enacted under false pleas
of protection h. hCmc industry, proved n pro.
life breeder of trusts and monopolies, en-
richie the few at the expense of tho many, ro
strictcd trade ard deprived the producers of
the great American staples Of access 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 sro neces.
sary to meet the deficit In revenue caused by
the adverse decision of the supreme court on
the income tax. But for this decision by the
supreme court there would be no deficit iu the
revenues under the law passed by Demo
cratic congress In strict pursuance OF the uni
after be const Euted, so That the burdens of
taxation may be equally aud impartially laid,
to the end that wealth may bear its due pro-
portion of the expenses of the government
We hold that the most efficient way Of pro.
tectng American labor is to prevent tho i'm
portation of foreign pauper labor TO compete
with IL in the home market, and that the value
Of the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans Is greatly reduced by vicious
monetary system which depresses the prices
Of their products below the cost Of production
and thus deprivcs them of the means of pur.
chasing the products of our home manufncto-
ries.
The absorption of wealth by tho few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
anu lne Ot trusts anu pOOlS TcQulTc
o strioter control by the federal government
of those arteries of commerce. We demand
the enlargement of the powers of the inter |
state commel o. commission, and such restric |
tions and guarantees in the control of rail
roads as will protect the people from robbery |
and oppression
We denounce the pro1igato waste of the |
money wrung from the people by oppressive |
taxation and III lavish appropriations of re-
cent Republican congresses, which have Kept |
taxes high while the labor that pays them is |
unemployed, and the products Of the peoples
toll are depressed in price till they no longer
repay the cost Of production We demand n |
return to that simplicity and economy which
BELTS Democratic government and reduo-
tlon in the number Of useless offices, the sala.
RIGS of which drain the substance OF the people. |
We denounce arbitrary Interference by fed'
oral authorities In local affairs as violation |
Of the constitution of the United States and
crime against free institutions AID VIC o..
peclally object to government by injunction
as now and highly dangerous form of OPP
| r1ssion by which federal judges, in contemp
OF the laws of tho states and rights OF citizens,
become at once legislators judges and execu-
TONERS, and we approve tho bill passed at the
last session OF the United States senate and
now pending in the house of roprts ntatives
relative TO contempts in federal courts and
for trials by Jury cases of contempt.
No discrimination should be indulg I'd by the
government of the United States in favor OF
any Of its debtors. We approve of the refusal
of the Fifty third congress to pass the Pacific
railroad funding bill, and denounce the effort
of the!present Republican congress to enforce
similar measures.
Recjgnizing tho Just claims Of the deserving
Union soldiers we heartily endorse the rulos
of the Present comm 3ioncr of pensions, that
no names shall be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll, und the fact Of enlistment
Il. 81
dcnce against disease and disability before en-
listlnent
Wcfavor the admission Of the territories OF
New Mexico and Arizona into the Union as
states and we favor the carly admission Of
all tho territories having the necessary popu'
lation and resources 10 enttle them to state
hood, and while they remain territories we
hold that the officials appointed to administer
the goYemmeht Of am" territory, together
with the District OF Columbia should bo bona
fide residents of the territory or district in
which their duties arc performed. The Dem
ocratic party believes in home rule. and that
all public lands of the United States should be
appropriated to the establishment OF free
homes for American citizens.
We recommend that the territory of Alaska
be granted a delegate in congress and that tho
gonerat land nnd timber laws of the United
States be extended to said territory.
Ws.eXtchd our sympathy TO the people Of
Duba ip ther heroic struggle for liberty and
We are opposea TO life tcnuretn the public
service We favor appointments basod upon
merit hxed terms Of office and such an admin.
stratiOn of the civil service law as will afford
equal opportunities to nll citizens of ascer-
aimed ftness
We declare II to be the unwrltten law Of this
republic, established by custom and the usage
II 100 years and sanctioned by the exampl OF
.he greatest aud wiseit of those who founded