The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-22
The South Carolina Convention
Takes a Recess.
MAY MEET AGAIN LATER
Determined to Have Free Coin.
age or to Bolt.
BEN. TlLLMAN FOR PRESIDENT
The. Platform Adopted Denounces
Everything in General and De-
clares for Free Coinage
of Silver.

of Silver.
Columbia, S. c., May 21.-At an early
hour this morning the State Demo,
cratic convention took a recess until
September 1. 1t viii be called together
earlier or not at all, in the discretion
of the chairman. The idea is that If
the delegation bolts the Chicago con
vention it will come home for fresh in
structions from the State convention.
Resolutions endorsing Senator Till
man as a Presidential candidate were
adopted with but four dissenting votes.
Senator Tilman, chairman Of the
committee on platform, presented the
following rs the report OF the COM
mjttee:
I. The Democratic party of South
Carolina re-at1irms it's allegiance to the
principles enunciated by Jefferson,
Monroe and jackson, and followed by
their successors in office, and pledges
itself to stand by these principles as
our creed of political faith.
?. We denounce the administration
of President Cleveland as undemo-
cratic and tyrannicaI, and as a depart
ure from those principles which used
to thwart the will Of the people as
expressed by their representatives in
Congress. The appointive power has
been used to subsidize the press, to
debauch Congress and to oyerawe and
control citizens in the free exercise of
their constitutional rights as voters.
4 plutocratic despotism is thus sought
IL
Republic We repudiate the construc-
ton placed on the financial plank of
the last Democratic National conven-
tion by President Cleveland and Secre-
tary Carlisle as contrary to the plain
meaning of English words, ard as
being am act of bad faith, de-
serving of severest censure. The issue
OF bonds in time of peace with which to
buy gold to redeem coin obligations
payable in silver or gold, at the option
Of the government, and the use of the
proceeds to defray the ordinary eX-
penses of the government are both un-
lawful and usurpations of authority
decerving Impeachment.
3. We believe the power and usur-
pations of the Federal courts, as now
organized, to be dangerous to the Re-
public. The American people have lost
confidence in life tenure of offices in
any department of government, and
we repeat here the warning of Jeffer-
son against the tendency and effect of
the constitution of the Federal judi
ciaIy, which he STYLES an "irresponsi-
bic body working like gravity by night
and day, gaining a little to-day and a
little tomorrow and advancing its
noiseless steps like a thief over the
field Of jurisdiction until all shall be
usurped from the States and the gov
ernment of all be consolidated in one"
The sudden reversal of the decision in
the income tax cases has never been
satisfactorily explained to the Ameri-
can people and the court has lost the
respect and confidence of the people as
a natural result. To restore conf
dence in the judiciary and make the
courts the bulwarl of liberty rather
than the apparenlt tools of the ''sordid
despotism of wealth." to protect the
people against the brood of vampires
in the shape of monopolies, trusts and
combines which have grown up under
vicious laws badly administered; to
provide for the election of Senators
and of the high governments officials
by the people so as to reduce the
dangers of Federal patronage in the
hands of unscrupulous Presidents; to
restore government of the people. by
the people and for the people, we de-
mand the calling of a constitutional
convention to form an organic law
suitable to the changed conditions and
to the growth of the county.
4. We demand a more economical ad- |
ministration of our national affairs |
and that taxes shall be levied so as to |
H. I'll
classes. Labor should be lightly bur
dened and by a graduated income tax
wealth be made to pay for it's own
protection.
5. A sound and just system of fl
nance is the most potent factor in a
nations prosperity and we demand
the restoration of the money of the
Constitution by giving silver the same
rights and privileges given to gold.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at a ratio of Is TO ].
regardless of the action of any and all
other nations and that such coinage
be legal tender for all debts, public |
and private. Congress alone has the |
power to coin and issue money and
President Jackson declared that this |
power could not be delegated to a cor |
pOration, therefore, we demand that |
the national banking system be abol- |
ished.
6. The absorption of wealth by few |
the consolidation of our leading rail |
road system and the formation of |
trusts and pools require stricter con-
troll by the Federal government of |
these arteries of commerce, therefore, |
we demand the enlargement of the |
powers of the Interstate Commerce |
Commission under constitutional in /
structions and guarantees which will |