The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-10-23
The Platform.

convention assembled, TO affirm our allegionce
70 those great essentiel principles OF justice
and liberty upon which our institutions are
founded and which tho Democratic party has
advocated from Jefforsons time to our own
freedom Of speech, freedom Of the press, free
dom Of conscience. tho preservation of per-
Bonal rights, the equality Of all citizens before
the law, and the faithful observance OF CON
Btitutional limitations
During all these years tho Democratic party
has resisted tho tendency of selfish interests
to tho Capitalization OF governmental power
and steadfastly mantained tho integrity Of
the dual scheme Of government established by
| the founders OF This republic of republics.
Under its guidance and teachings the great
principle OF local solf government has found
its best expres sion in the IN mlintenanco Of tho
rights of tho states and It's assertion of the
necessity Of coniinlng the general government
to the exercise Of the powers granted by the
constitution OF tho United States.
The constitution of tho United States guar,
nntees to every citizen tho rights of civil and
religious liberty. The Democratic party has
! always boon ths exponent OF political liberty
| and of religious Freedom, aud 1T renaws It's OBJ
| legations and Ioaffirms the devotion to those
| fundamental principles Of the consti tuition.
! Recognizing that the money question is par,
| amount to oil others ut this time, we invite
attention to tho fact that tho federal constitu.
ton names silv " and gold together as the
money metals OF the United States, and that
| the ur5b COlnNH , law pi5SbCi Dy congress- unuer
the constitution made tho silvor dollar the
monetary unit and admitted gold to free coin.
| age Mt n ratio based upon the silver unit.
We are opposed to tho policy and practice
| OF surrendehng to the holders of the obliga-
tions of the United States the option reserved
| by law to the government of redeeming such
| obligation in either silver ooin or gold coin.
We arc opposed to the issuing of interest
bearing bonds Of tho Ulitcd States in times of
! poace, and condemn the traflickinR with bank
ing syndicates which, in exchange for bonds
and IN ,rinous Nroht to thomsolves, eupply the
| federal treasury with gold to maintain the
policy of gold mouometaliIm.
Congress 40 10 has the power to coin or issue
| money, as President jackson declared that
this power could not be ,legatel to corpora.
tions or individuals We therefore demand
| that the power to issue notes to circulate rs
money be taken from the national banks, ami
that all paper money shn bo issued directly
/ by the treasury department, be redeemable In
| coin and receivable for nll debts, public and
| private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revonre, such 1atios to be so adj
| justed as to operate equally throughout the
| country, and not discriminate between class
| or section. and that taxation shoull b limited
| by the needs of the government honestly and
| economically administered. We denounce 20
| disturbing to business the Republican threat
| to restore the Mckinley law, which has been
| elections and which, enacted under false pleas
| Of protection to hCme industry, proved pro.
! life breeder of trusts and monoroieS, an.
| rich sd the few mt the expense of tho many, ro
Btrictod trado al deprived the producers of
| tho great American staples Of access to their
| natural markets
! Until the money que ,tion Is settled we arc
opposed to any agitation for further changes
| in our tariff Avs except such rs are noceS.
sary to meet the dOflcit in revenue caused by
the adverse decision of tho supreme court on
the inoome tax. But for this decision by tho
supreme court there would he no defo in the
revenues unGe- the law passed by u Demo
cratic congress in strict pursuance Of tho uni
after be oonst.tutel, so tAnt tho bnioens Of
taxation may BIS equally and impartally laid,
to tho end that wealth may bear its due pro-
portion OF the expenses of the government,
We hold that the most efficient way Of p"o-
tecting American labor is t. prevent the i'm.
| portation of foreign pau or labor to compete
with it in the honD market, and that the value
OF the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans Is greatly reduced by vicious
monetary system which depresses the prices
of their products below the cost of production
and thus deprivtn them of the meals OF pur.
chasing tho products Of our homo manufacto-
ries.
The absorption of wealth by the few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
aud the formation OF trusts and pools require
stricser control by the federal government
Of those arteries of commerce. We demand
the enlargement Of the powers Of the inter-
state CONNIE 0 commission, nnd suoh reatric
tions and guarantees in the C ntrol OF rail-
roads as will protect the pooplo from robbery
and oppression
We denounce the prof gate waste OF the
money wrung FRO n the people by oppressive
tnxiltit n and III lavish appropriations OF re'
cent Republican con gre 1scs, which have kapt
sl,.,,,,
unemployed, and the products Of the peoples
toll are depressed in price till they no longer
repay the cost of production. We demand
return to that simplicity and economy VIII OF
BELTS Democratic government and rednC'
tion in the number Of useless offices. tho saia'
ries of which drain the substance of the people.
We denource arbitrary interference by teti'
sral authorities In local affairs rs q violation
Of the constitution OF the United Sta'oi and
crime against FREQ institutions, al d we al
pecally object to government by Injunction
~ q new and highly dangerous form OF OPP
preston by which federal judges, in contemp
Of the lava Of the states AMI rights OF citizens,
become at once legislators, judges and exenu'
toner's and we approve the bill passed at tho
last session OF the United States senate and
now pending in the house OF reprts intltives
relative TO contempts in federal courts and
rrovding for trials by jury cases OF oontompt.
No discrimination should be indulgtd by the
any of its debtors We approve Of the 10 'usal
Of the Fifty.third congress to pass the Pacific
railroad funding bill, and denounce the effort
Of the present Republican congress to enforce
similar measures.
Recognizing the just claims OF the deserving
Union soldiers we heartily enlo,se the rules
OF the IrJscnt comm sionor Of passions, that
NO names shll be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll and tho fact OF enlistment
and service should be deemed conclusive owl
dence against disease and disability before en-
iistment
wefavor the admission Of the territories of
New Mexico and Arizona into the Union as
stateS, and we favor the early admission OF
all tho territories having the necessary popu-
lation and resources To entltle them ~ stato-
hood and while they remain territories wc
hold that the officials appointed to administer
the government of any territory, together
with the DISTRICT Of Columbia, should he bona
hde reSidents OF tho territory or district in
which their duties are performed The Dem
ocratic party believes in home rule, AMI that
all public lands of the United States should bc
appropriated 20 the establi -hment OF -eo
homes for American citizons.
We recommend that the territory OF Alaska
he granted delegate in congress and that the
general land md timber laws OF tho United
,atcs be extended to sad territory.
We extend oar sympathy to the pro lie ct
Cuba in Their heroc struggle for liberty and
Independence.
We are oppo 'el TO life tenure in tho public
service We favor Appointments based ~ "a
merit, hxed terms of Office aud such an adnnr
istratiun of the civil service law as will aforl
equal opportunities to all citisuns of asoer-
tanned fitless.
We declare 1t to be the urwritten law of this