The American guide., 1896-08-01
soLlp lNa sILvEa.
Platform Of ~ J, oa.i s'-n...l'. r.'.
" Adopted - ~ National silver ces'
vsntion at n Lju3 July ~, 1900.

Platform ss ~ y Honsi ui-ssssi,s Par
" Adopted - ~ National silver Cea'
vsntion st ~ Ldu2 Juiy ~, 1soe.
The atform.
Ths National silve{party in convention as
sembled makes tGi3 the declaration Of Its
principles:
First-The parsnoppt issue at this time in
the United States ir ihdisputably the money
| question. It 10 f<tteen the gold standard,
gold bonds and bank currency on the one side.
and the bimstailis standard. no bonds and
government eurrsacy on the other.
On this issue va declare ourselves to oe IN
| favor OF a distinotivejs American system. We
are unalteyably opposed to the singlc gold
standard and demand Immediate return to the
constitutional standard Of gold and silver. oy
restoration by this government. Independently
Of any foreign power. Of the unrestricted coin.
age Of both Eold and silver Into standard
money, a. the ratio Of ieto !, and upon Esms ,.
Of exact equality. ss they existed prior to 1873;
the silver coin V be full legal tender equally
with gold for all debts and dues, public and
private. and we favor such legislation as VIII
prevent for the future the demonstration o.
any kind Of legal tender money By private con-
tract
We hold that the power to control and
regulate paper currency Is inseparable from
| tut power " totu lluntls aht hNheo, sAes -.s
currency Intended to circulate as money should
| be issued and its volume controlled by the gem
erai government only and should be legal
| tender.
We are unaiterably opposed to the issue by
| the United States Of interest-bearing bonds IN
time Of peace, and we denounce as blunder
worse than crime the present treasury
policy. concurred h BY republican house, OF
| plunging tho county, In debt by hundreds OF
millions In tho vain attempt TO maintain ths
gold standard by borrowing gold. and We de-
mand the payment q all cola obligations OF the
United States. as provided by existing laws, In
either gold or silver coin. at the option Of
the government, yi not at tho option Of the
| creditor.
Tho Crime of '1s.
The demonstration OF gold In 1879 cnor-
| mously increased the demand for gold, en-
hancins Its purchasing power and lowering all
| prices measured by that standard. And since
that unjust and indeienslble act the prices OF
American products have fallen, upon an aver
age. nearly 20 per cent. carrying down with
proportionately thv money value OF all other
forms OF property.
Such fall Of prioes has destroyed the profits
Of legitimate industry, injurlng the producer
for the benefit Of u non n-producer, Increasing
the burden Of tho 1ebtor. swelling tho gains Of
the creditor, paraiyfing the productive encr-
| Eies OF the American people. relegatina to
idiencss vast numbers Of willing workers.
sending the shadows Of despair Into the home
Of the honest toker. hllins the land with
trnmps and paupcls and building up colossal
fortunes nt The mdey centers.
In the effort TO maintain tho gold standard
the country has within tho last two years, In
time OF pence as p,saty. been loaded down
with S.os o)o.0 0 of}additfsnal interest-bcarlng
debt under such circumstances ns to allow q
syndicate Of natito and foreign bankers to
realize net prontof millions on single deal
1t stands confcssst that the gold standard can
| only be upheld byfo depicting our paper cur
rency as to force d prices Of our products be-
| low tho European land even below the Aslato
level. TO enable us TO sell In foreign markets.
thus aggravatinstthe very evils of which our
people so bitterly compla degrading Amer
lean labor and st4king ut the foundations Of
our civilization it4lf.
The advocates d. the gold standard persis-
| tcnty claim that The caAse OF our distress is
overproduction-t,at we have produced so
much that II has ,de us poor-whlch implies
that tho true re4 ~ is TO close the factory.
abandon tho farmland throw tho multitude of
people out OF employment A doctrine that
leaves US unnervd and dlsheartcnoi and abso.
lutely without hote for the future We con-
arm 1t to be unq,t>stioned that there can be no
such economic pafadox as overproductlon and
Of the same timo Pms Of thousands OF our fell
low citizens remaining half clad and half fed
and who sre pitcbusly clamoring for the COM
mon necessities = lie
Money d the Constitution.
Over md Abovd oil other questions Of policy.
We are In 4. restoring 10 tho people Of
United 81 me-honorcd money Of the
| ConstltY te. but both. tho money Of
| WasI milton, and jefferson, and
t-Afs@svorvys s<..i ..as~nd Lincoln, u the end
that tho Anier peoble may receive honest
pay for an hones god6ct; that tho American
debtor may pay Just obligations In any one
standard. and Al In . standard that has np-
preciatcd ion n cent nbove oil the great
staples Of our coI|htry; and 10 the end further
that silver siand4Id countries mny be deprived
OF the unjust advantage they now enjoy In tho
difference In exchange between gold and silver.
an advantage which tariff legislation nlone can
not overcome.
We, therefore. confidently appeal TO the
people Of tho United States 70 leave In aocy-
Anse for tho momsnt ali other questions, how
ever Important. and oven moinentous, they
may appear, To sunder. II need be, all former
party ties md Affiliations. and unite In one su-
preme effort to free themselves and their chill
dren from the domination Of the money power,
power more destructive than any which has
ever been fastlaed upon the civilized men OF
any race or any age And upon the consuin-
nation Of our desireS and efforts. we involts
the gracious favor " Divine providence
Inasmuch ~ the patriotic majority OF the
Chicago convention embodied In the financial
plank OF Its platform the principle emu unclatcd
In the platfonn Of the American bimctallio
party, promulgated ~ Washington, D. G.. jan
uary 81, isD6 and herein reinstgted. which 10
not only paramount, but the only real issue In
the pending campaign. therefore recognizing
that their nomincua smbody those patriotic
principles, we roeoinmsnd that this convention
nominate WIN. ptynn. Of Nebraska, for
president and Arthur Scwali, OF Maine, for
vice president
Finally the following resolution was edopteds
R,soirsd. That II 10 the sense Of this confer
encc committee that union OF all the forces.
including the peopls's party, silver men and
frec-silver democratic. II expedicnt. and should
be effected At once for tho purpose Of achlcv-
In November
A Generous 7lvey IN tho Cause