The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-07-30
ADOPT FREE. SILVER.
. 3MGCRATiC NATIONAL PLAT
FORM IN FULL.
Declares for the Free and Unlimited Coin
age of Silver as a Ratio OF I6 TO Opp
poseG to Interest Bearing Bonds lie II !,
Issued by the Government

CHICAGO, H., July 15.-Thc follow
ing is the platform adopted By the
national Democratic convention:
We, the Democrats Of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bled, do re2ffirm our allegiance to those
great and essential principles Of JUS
tice and liberty upon which our instr
buttons are founded and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
JeffersOn's time to our OWn-freed0m
CT speech, freedom OF the press, free
dom Of conscience, the preservation Of
personal rights, the equality Of all per-
sons before the law and the faithful OBJ
seryance of constitutional limitations.
During al these years the Democrat
ic party has res, Sted the tendency or
selfish interests, the GENERALIZATION or
governmental pNwer and steadfast-y
maintained the integrity Of the dual
scheme Of government established by
the founders OF this republic Of repub-
Mcs Under it's guidance the great prin-
ciple of local sef;goyernment has
found its best expression in the main
tenance of the rights Of the states and
in dts assertion OF the necessity OF con-
fning the general government to the
exercise Of the powers granted by the
constitution OF the United States.
Recognizing that the money cues
tion is paramount to all Others at this
stsle, We invite attention to the fact that
the federal constitution names silver
and gold together as the money metals
Of the United States, and that the first
coinage law passed by congress under
the constitution made the silver do,'
lar the monetary unit and admitted
gold to free coinage at ratio based
upon the silver unit.
We declare that the act OF 1873, de-
monctizing silver without the knowl'
edge or approval of the American PEG
pie, has resulted in the appreciation Of
god and corresponding fall an the
prices OF commodities produced by the
! people.
We are unalterab.y opposed to tht
monometallism which has locked fas
the prosperity OF industrious people
in the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
mono-metallism is o British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nation;
; into financial servitude to London. II
Is not only un-Amerioan, but anti
American, and it can be fastened on the
United States only by the sitting Of
that spirit of love OF liberty which pro
claimed our political independence II
ITS, and won it In the war OF the reVo'
tuition.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage OF both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio Of Is to l, without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other naticn. We demand that thu
standard silver dollar shall be a full
legal tender equally with gold, for al
Gepts, public and private, and We favo
such legislation as will prevent fer tn
future the decentralization OF any kline
of legal tender money by private con
tract.
We are opposed to the policy ant
practice of surrendering to the holder
of the obligations OF the United State
the option reserved by law to the gov
eminent of reeeming such obligation
in either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
terest- bearing bonds Of the Unite
States in time of peace. and condem
the trafficking with banking syndicate
which, in exchange for bonds and a
an enormous profit to themselves, SUI
ply the Feeral treasury with gold t
maintain the policy Of gold monometa
lsm.
Congress alone has the power t
coin and issue money, and Presider
Jackson declared that this power coul
not be delegated to corporations or II
divlduals. We, therefore, demand thu
the power to issue notes &c circulate 8
money be taken from the nationi
banks. and that all paper money sha
be issued directly by the treasury d.
parbment and be redeemable IN coi
and receivable for all debts. public an
private.
We hold that the tariff duties shouI
be levied for purposes OF revenue, sue
duties to be 50 adjusted as to opera
equally throughout the country and NJ
discriminate between class or sectio
and that taxation should be limited
the needs of the government, honest
and economically administered. We q
. nounce as disturbing to business tt
Republican threat to restore the M
Kinley law, which has been twice COZ
demned by rne people in national e,e