The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-09-10
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, July, 1896.

OOuV0uG1Ouj dG OhAOo6O' y uAJj AOOO'
We. the Democrats of the United
States, in national convention assembled,
do reat1irm our allegiance to those great
essential principles of justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democratic party has ad-
vocated from JeferSOn'S time to our own
freedom of speech freedom of press,
freedom of conscience, the preservation
of personal rights, the equality of all citi-
zens before the law, and the faithful OBJ
servation of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies OF selfish
interests to the centriliZatiOn of govern
mental power. and steadtastly maintain
ed the integrity of the dual scheme of
of government established by the found
ers of this republic of republics. Under
it's guidance and teachings the great prin-
ciple of local government has found
its best expression in the maintenance of
the rights of the States and its assertion
of the neceSs ty of cOnGning the general
government to the exercise OF the powers
granted by the constitution of the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount to all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together as the money metals of the Unit
ed States, and that the tir,t coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
made the silver dollar the unit of value
and admitted gold to free coinage at a
ratio measured by the free silver dollar
unit.
We declare that the act of 1873 demOne
tiZing silver without the knowledge or
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation of gold and a
corresponding fall in the prices of com
modities produced by the people; heavy
increase in the burden Of taxation and Of
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment of the money lending class at
home and abroad; prOstratlOn of industry
and impoverishmen of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mono
metallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrious people in the
paralysis of hard times. cold monomet-
allism is British policy, and its adop-
tion has brought other nations into linan-
cia serVitude to London, II is not only
un- American, but anti American, and 1t
can he fastened on the United States only
by the sitting of that ind0mtable spirit
and love of liberty which proclaimed our
political independence in l716, and won IL
In the war of the revolution
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of l6 to |, without
waiting for the consent or aid of any 9TH
er 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 legisIa-
ton as will prevent for the future the de-
moneti2atlon Of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract,
We are opposed to the policy and prac-
tcc of surrcnderng TO the holders Of the
obligations Of the United States the opin-
ion reserved by law to the. Government of
redeeming such obligations In either sill
yer coin or gold coin,
We are opposed to the Issuing OF inter
est. bearing bonds Of the United States In
time of peace and condemn the tralicing
withdrawing syndicateS whichln exchange
for bonds and az an enormous profit to
themselves, supply the Federal Treasury
with gold 60 maintain the policy OF gold
monometalllsm,
Congress alone has the power to coin
aud issue mon " and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be del
egatcd TO corporations or individual, We
therefore demand that the power TO issue
notes 70 circulate as money be taken from
the national banks and that all paper
money shall be issued directly by The
Treasury Department, be redecmnblo IN
coin and received for all debts public aud
private
We hold that tariff duties should be lev
led for purposes Of revenue, such duties
TO be so adjusted OS to operate equally
throughout the country and not dlsGrlnlI.
nate between class or section, and that
taxation should be limited by thO needs Of
the Government honestly and economic
ally administered We donouncp as dis
turbIng TO business the Republican threat
TO restore the Mckinley law which has
boon twice condemned BY zoe people In
national olectlous and which, enacted
under the false plea OF protection 90 homo
industry proved u prolific breeder Of
trusts and monopOIes, enriched the few
at the expense Oi the mAny restricted
trade and deprived the producers of the
great American staples Of u1Cess TO their
natural markets.
Until the money question is settled we
are opposed 10 any agitation for further
changes IN our tariff laws, except such rs
Oro necessary 10 make up The deficit In
the revenue caused by the adverse dcclA.
Ion OF the supreme Court on the Income
tax, hut for this decision by the Su.
prcme Court there would be- no dOrcIt In
the revenue under the law passed by
Democratic Congress IN strict pursuance
Of the uniform decisions OF that court for
nearly one hundred years, that court
having sustained constitutional ohiee
tl0ne 20 lte enactment, which have becn
oyerWled byltho Oblest Judges who have
ever sNt upon the bench, We declare
that II Is the duty OF Congress 70 use nj
the con tllutl0nOl power which remains
after that decision, Or which may como
from "a reversal by the court ~ Il may