The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-07-16
Platform.

We, the Democrats of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bied, do reailirm our allegiance to
those great essential principles of JUS
tice and liberty upon which our insti-
tutionS are founded, and which the
Democratic party advocated from JEFF
fersOn's time to our OWn-freedOm of
speech, freedom of the press, freedom
of conscience, the preservation of per-
sonal rights, and equality of all citi-
zens before the law and the faithful
observance of constitutional limita-
tions. During all these years the
Democratic party has resisted the ten
dency of selfish interests toward the
Capitalization of governmental power,
and stolidly maintained integrity of
the dual rights of government estab-
lished by the founders of this republic
of republics. Under its guidance and
teaching the great principle of local
government has found its best ex-
preston in the maintenance of the
rights of the States, and in its asser
tion of the necessity of conlining the
general government to the exercise Of
the powers granted by the Constitu-
tiOn of the United States.
"The Constitution of the United
right of civil and religious liberty.
The Democratic party has always been
the exponent of political liberty aud
religious freedom, and it renews its
obligations and reafiirms its devotion
to the fundamental principles of the
Constitution"
MONEY QUESTION.
"Recognizing that the money ques-
tiOn 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 States, and that
the first coinage law passed by Con
gress under the Constitution made
the silver dollar the monetary unit
and admitted gold to free coinage a,
ratio based upon the silver dollar
unit.
ave declare that the act Of 1873 de
monetizing silver without the knOwl
edge or approval of the American peo
pie has resulted in the appreciation o
gold and corresponding fall in tn
prices OF commodities produced by tn
people; heavy increase in the bur
den of taxation, and of all debts, pull
lie and private; the enrichment of tn
mOney-lending class at home an
abroad; the prostration of industr,
and the impOverishment of the poor.
1--WE are unalterably opposed to m'
nometalism, which has locked fast I'll
prosperity of an industrious people
the paralysis of hard times. Go
monometalism is British polio
and its adoption has brought oth'
nations into financial servitude
London. 1t is not only un-America
but anti-American, and it can be ia
tened upon the United States only b
the sitting of that spirit and love
liberty which proclaimed our pOlitic
Independence in 1776, and won it
the war of the Revolution.
FREE COINAGE AT 16 TO /.
"We demand the free and unlimitt
coinage of both silver and gold at I'll
present legal ratio of 16 to ] witho
waiting for the aid or consent of al
other nation. We demand that Il
standard silver dollar shall be of fU
legal-tender, equally with gold, for 8
debts, public and private, and we fav
such legislation as will prevent for t
future the decentralization of any xii
of legal-tender money by private co
tract.
"We are opposed to the policy al
practice of surrendering to the hOlde
of the obligations of the United Stat
the option reserved by the COVER
ment of redeeming such obligations
either silver coin or gold coin.
I'VE are opposed to the issuing
Understanding bonds of the Unit
states in time of peace, and conder
the trafiicking with banking syn'
Gates, which, in exchange for bon
nj nrnfit N
selves, supply the Federal Treasu
with gold to maintain the policy
gold monometallism.