The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-07-15
THE PLATFORM
ADOPTED SY The NATIONAL DEMO-
CRATIC CONVENTION.

, IL is UncompromisinsIy for the Free and
! Unlimited Coinage Of Silver at a Ratio OF
Sixteen to One.
The following is the full text of the
platform adopted by the Democratic
National Convention at Chicago last
week:
THE PLATFORM.
The following is the platform, as fin
ally agreed upon by the committee on
resolutions, to be submitted to the con-
vention when the report is called for:
We, the Democrats OF the United
States in national convention assem-
bled. do reaffirm our allegiance TO
these great essential principles of JUS
tice and liberty upon which our instl-
tutions are founded, and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
Jetferson's time to our own-freedon
of speech, freedom of the press, free
dom of conscience, the preservation
of personal rigats, the equality Of all
citizens before the law and the faithful
observance of constitutional liberties.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency Of sell
fish interests TO the Capitalization OF
government power and steadfastly
maintained the integrity OF the dual
scheme Of government established by
the founders of this republic Of repub.
lies. Under its guidance and teach
ings the great principle Of local self
government has found its best expires
sion in the maintenance of rights Of
the States ard in its assertion Of the
necessity of contining the general
government to the exercise of the pow
ers granted by the Constitution OF the
United States.
Recognizing thai the money ques
ton 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 Slate, and tnat
the first coinage law passed oy congress
under the Constitution made the silver
dollar the monetary unit and admitted
gold to free coinage at q ratio based
upon the silver dollar unit. We de-
clare that the act of 1873 demonetiZing
silver without the knowledge or ap
proval Of the American people, has re-
suited ID the appreciation Of gold and
corresponding fall in the prices Of
commodities produced hy the people;
heavy increase in the burden of tax
alton and OF all debts, public and pri-
vate; the enrichment of the money
lending class at home and abroad; the
prostration of industry and the impov-
erishment Of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mo-
nometalism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
monometalism is British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. II
is not only un-American, but anti
American, 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 won it ia the war Of the
| Revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio OF 16 20 / without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender equally with all gold for
all debts, public aud private, and we
favor such legislation as will prevent
for the future the demonetiz alton OF
any kind OF legal tender money by
private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice Of surrendering to the holders
OF the obligations OF the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov
ernment of redeeming such obligations
in either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing OF Ia,
terest bearing bonds Of the United
States in time of peace, and condemn
i the trafficing with banking syndicates,
which, in exchange for bonds and at
an enormous profit to themselves, sup
ply the Federal treasury with gold to
maintain the policy OF gold monomet-
alism.
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. Wetherefore demand
that the power to issue notes TO clrcu-
late as money be taken from the ma
t;onal banks and that all paper money
Shall be issued by the treasury depart
ment, and be redeemab!e IN coin and
receivable for ali debts, public and
private.
We hold that tariff dulles should be
levied for purposes Of revenue, such
duties to be so adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country aud
not discriminate between class or sec.
ton and that taxation should be llmi,
ted by the needs OF the government
honestly and economically admins,
tered. We denounce as dis uroing to
business the Republican threat 10 re
store the Mckinley law which has
twice been condemn by The people
in national elections. and which en-
acted under the false plea Of protection
to home industries, proved a prolific
breeder OF trusts and monopolieS, en-
riched the few at the expense of the
many, restricted trade and deprived
the producers OF the great American
staples Of access 10 their natural mark.
cts. Until the money question is set
tied we are opposed 10 any agitation
for further changes in our tariff laws
except such as are necessary to meet
the deficit in revenue caused by the
adverse decision Of the supreme court
on the income tax. But for this de-
ciSion hy the supreme court, there
would be no deficit in the revenue un-
der the law passed by a Democratic
congress in strict pursuance of the unl
form decisions OF that court for nearly
one hundred years; that court in that
decision sustained constitutional OBJ
iections TO its enactment which had