The Opelousas courier., 1896-07-25
The Democratic Platform.

great essential principles of justice and
libertysupOn which our institutions are
founded and which the Democratic par
ty has advocated from JetfersOn's time
to our own, freedom of speech, freedom
of the press, freedom q conscience, the
preservation of personal rights, the
equality OF all citizens before the law,
aud the faithful observance of consti-
tutional limitations.
During all these years the Democrat
ic party has resisted the tendency of
selfish interests to the Capitalization of
governmental power and steadfastly
maintained the integrity of the dual
scheme OF government established by
tho founders of this republic Of repub-
lies. Under its guidance the great prin-
ciple of local self.government has found
it's best expression in the maintenance
of the rights of the States and in its as
sertion of the necessity of combining the
general government to the exercise of
the powers granted by the Constitution
of the UCited States.
Recognizing that the money system is
paramount to all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the
Federal Constitution E~amesesilver and
the United States, aud that the first
coinage law passed by Congress under
the Constitution made the silver dollar
the monetary unit and admitted gold
to free coinage at IL ratio based upon the
silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act of 1873, de-
mOnetizing silver without the knOWl-
edge or approval of the American peo-
pie, has resulted in the appreciation of
gold and IL corresponding fall in the
prices Of commodities produced 10y the
people; Il heavy increase in the burden
of taxation and of all debts, public and
private; the enrichment Of the money
leading classes at home end abroad /;
prostration Of industry and impover-
ishment OF the people.
We are unalterably opposed to the
monometallism, which has locked fast
the prosperity of an industrial people
in the paralysis of hard times. Gold
recommendation is a British policy, and
it's adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
is not only nn-American, but anti-Am-
erican, 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 1776, and it 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 16 to 1. without
waiting for the aid OF consent of any
other nation. We demand that the
gal tender, equally with gold, for all
debts, public and private, and we ia
vor such legislation as will prevent for
the future the decentralization of any
kind of legal tender money by private
contract.
We ale opposed to the policy and
practice of s~urrendering to the holders
of the obligations Of tho United States
the option reserved 10y law to tie gov
eminent of redeeming such obligations
in either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest-bearing bonds of the United
States in the time of peace and condemn
the tratticking with banking syndicates
which, in exchange for bonds and at
an enormous profit TO themselves, sup
ply the Federal treasury with gold nom
ometalljsm.
Congress alone has the powersAco coin
and issue money, and President Jack
son declared that this power could not
be delegated to corporations or to in
dividuais. We therefore denounce the
issuance OF notes as money for national
banks as in violation of the COnstitu-
| ton, and we demand that all paper
which is made legal tender for public
and private debts, or which is receiv-
able for dues to the United States, shall
be issued by the government Of the
United States and shall be redeemable
in conn.
We hold that the 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 and section,
and that taxation should be limited by
the needs of the government, honestly
and economically administered. We
denounce as disturbing to business the
Republican threat to restore the Nc
Kinley law, which has twice been con-
demned by the people in national cleo
tons, and which, enacted under the
false plea of protection to home indus
try, proved a prolific breeder Of trusts
and monopoles, enriched the few at the
expense of the many, restricted trade
and deprived the producers OF the great
American staples OF access to their ma
tural markets.
Until the money question is settled
we are opipsed to any agitation for fur
Their changes in u tariff laws, except
such as are necessary to make up the
utuCfL Ill ltttltuc, CduStu ny LILO dU-
verse decision of the Supreme Court on
the income tax. But for this there
would be no deficit in Uuder
the law passed by a Democratic Con-
gress, in strict pursuance of the uni
form decisions of that court for nearly
one hundred years, that court having,
under that decision, sustained cOnsti-
tuti0nal objections to- its enactment,
which has been Overruled by the ablest
judges who have ever sat on that bench.
We declare that it is the duty Of Con-
gress to use all the constitutional pow
| er which remains after that decision or
| which may come from its reversal by
tho court as it may hereafter be consti-
tuted, so that the burdens of taxation
may be equally and impartially laid to
the end that ws..alth may bear it's due
proportionat Expenses of the govern
Ment.
We hold that the most efficient way
to protect American labor is to prevent
the importation OF foreign pauper la
market, and that the value Of the home
market to our farmers and artisans is
greatly reduced by a vicious monetary
system, which depresses the price Of
their products below the cost of produc-
ton, and thus deprives them Of the
means of purchasing the products of
our home manufacturers.
"The absorption of wealth by the few,
the consolidation Of our leading railway
systems and the formation Of trusts and
pools, require II stricter control by
the Federal government of those arte-
ries of commerce. VIZ demand the en-
largement of the powers of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and such