The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-07-18
The Chicago Convention.

| Auc OnicdSO convention
At the National Democratic
Nominating Convention which met
at Chicago last week the Hon.
VIM. j. Brian, of Nebraska, was
nominated on the fifth ballot as the
candidate for President, and Mr..
Arthur Sewall, of Maine, was man,
ed as his running mate for the
Vice Presidency.
We are not able at this time to
give an account of the two men,
but will do it at an early date.
Suffice it to say they have been
nominated on free silver platform,
and will run on that issue. We
regard this as grievous mistake
on the part of the convention,
which, in the selection of its can
didates oscillated all the way from
Teller, the free silver Republican,
to Brian, the free silver Populist,
and seemed 10th to consider the
claims of any man of well known
and pronounced Democratic prin-
ciples.
AS Democrat we feel bound to
the candidates named. We of
course regret the action of the con-
vention, but shall support its NOM
inees, for the reason that we be-
lieve a season of depression
brought on by free silver will be
less hurtful to the American peo-
pie than McKinleyism and high
protective tariff. Besides this, we
do not believe Mr.. Brian can or
will carry out the absurd PROPOSE
tions of the extreme silverites, but
that he will be guided by reason
and right when it comes to admin
istering national affairs. He may
be ever so extreme in his express
sions and flights of oratorical elo-
quence, but the safeguards thrown
around Congress altogether forbid
that he shall exercise any power in
changing existing conditions, other
than such as may be expressly dele
gated to him by Congress in legis-
lation enacted, and his power then
only consists in approving what
Congress has done, or opposing it
by the exercise of his privilege to
veto.
THE PLATFORM.
We, the Democrats of the United
States, in National Convention assembled,
do reaffirm our allegiancd to those great
essential principles of justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democratic party has ad-
vocated from Jefferson's time to our own
freedom of speech, freedom of the press,
freedom of conscience, the preservation
Of personal rights, the equality of all citi-
zens before the law and the faithful OBJ
servance of constitutional limitations.
During all these yearsthe Democratic
party has resisted the tendency of selfish
interests to the Capitalization of govern
mental power, and steadfastly maintain
ed the integrity of the dual system of
government established by the founders
of this Republic OF Republics. Uuder its
guidance and teachings the great princi-
pie OF local self-government has found it's
best expression in the maintenance of the
rights of the States and in its assertion
of the necessity of combining the general
to the exercise of the powers
granted by the Constitution of the Unit
ed States.
Recognizing that the money question
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 first coinage |
law passed by Congress under the Con-
made the silver dollar the unit |
Of value and admitted gold to free coin
age at ratio measured by the silver dol |
lar unit.
We declare that the act of 1878, de- J
silver without the knowledge |
or approval of the American people has |,
in the appreciation Of gold and |
a corresponding fall in the price of CON-
modities produced by the people; a
heavy increase in the burden of taxation
and of all debts, public and private; the
OF the money-lender class at |
home and abroad; prostration of indus |
try and impoverishment of the people.
We are unalterable opposed to mono
which has locked fast the |
of an industrial PEOPLE in the
paralysis of hard times. Gold monomet-
allism is British policy, and its adoption |!
has brought other nations into financial |