The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-07-11
Bryan Nominated.
THE PLATFORM.
Free Silver and Anarchy Are the Lead
ing PlankS.

IlSS SllNSl hhoi WY 49, 'A> -~s>N
ing Planks.
We. the Den. ocrats OF the United States, in
national convention assembled. do reatlirm
our allegiance to those great essential prlnci-
pies of Justice and liberty upon which our
institutions are founded. and which the
Democratic party has advocated from Jeirer
sons time to our own-freedom OF speech.
freedom of the press. freedom of conscience.
the preservation OF personal right. 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 of selfish in
terests to the Capitalization Of governmental
power, and steadfastly maintained the in
.egrity OF the dual scheme of government
established by the founders Of this republic
of republics. Under its guidance and teach
ings the great principle of local self-govern-
ment has found its best expression in the
maintenance o, the rights OF the States and
in its assertion OF the necessity Of coniining
the general government to the exercise of
the powers granted by the Constitution Of the
United States.
Recognizing that the money system is para
mount TO all others ut this time, We invite
attention to the fact that the Federal Consti
tuition names silver and gold together as the
money metals Of the United States, and that
the first coinage law passed by congress un-
der the Constitution made the silver dollar
the monetary unit and admitted gold to free
coinage at a ratio based unon the silver dol
lar unit.
We declare that the act OF 1873 demonetiz-
silver without the knowledge or approval of
the American people has resulted in
the appreciation Of gold and cores
ponding fall in the prices of commodities pro-
duced by the peoples a heavy increase in the
burden OF taxation and of all debts public and
private; the enrichment of the money lending
class at home and abroad; protection of in
dustry, and improyishment of the people.
We are Unalterably opposed to monometal-
lism, which has locked fast the property of
of an industrial people in the paralysis of
hard times. Gold monometalism is a British
policy and its adoption has brought other
nations into financial servitude to London.
1t is not only un-American but auti-Amer-
can, and it can be fastened on the United
States only by the sitting Of that spirit and
love Of liberty which proclaimed our political
independence in l77G and won it in the war of
the Revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited coinage
OF both gold and silver at the present legal
ratio of lG to l. without waiting for the aid
or consent of any other nation. We demand
that the standard silver dollar shall be a full
legal tender, equally with gold, for all debts,
public and private, and we favor such legis-
lation as will prevent for the future the dem
onetization Of any kind of legal tender money
by private contract
We are opposed to the policy and practice
OF surrendering TO the holders of obligations
of the United States the option reserved by
law TO the government of redeemny 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
peace, and condemn the traffcking with
banking syndcates which. in exchange for
bonds. and at an enormous profit to them
selves, supply the Federal Treasury with gold
to maintain the policy of gold monometal-
lism.
Congress alone has the power to coin and
issue money and President Jackson declared
that this power could not be delegated to
corporations or individuals. We therefore
demand that the power to issue notes to
circulate money be taken from the national
banks and that all paper money shall be
issued directly by the Treasury Department
and be redeemable in coin and receivable
for all debts. public and private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revenue, such duties to be so
adjusted as to operate equally throughout
the country and not discriminate between
class or section, and that taxation should be
limited by the needs of the government
honestly and economically administered We
denounce as disturbing to business the Re-
publican threat to restore the Mckinley law,
which has been twice condemned by the
people ia national elections, and which, en-
acted under the false plea Of protection to
home industry, proved a prolific breeder of
trusts and monopolies, enriched the few at
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 is settled
we are opposed to any agitation for further
change in our tariff laws, except such as are
necessary to make up the deficit in revenue
caused by the adverse decision Of the Supreme
Court on the income tax. But for this decis-
ion by the Supreme Court, there would be no
deficit in the revenues under the law passed
by Democratic Congress in strict pursu-