The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-08-17
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention, at Chicago, July, 1896.


We. the Democrats of the United
/ States, in national convention assembled,
| do raattrm our allegiance to those great
Essential principles of justice and liberty
|1DOu which our institutions are founded,
and which the Democratic party has ad-
vOcatpd from JetferSOn's time to our own
freedom of speech, freedom OF press.
| freedom of conscience. the preservation
| of persona rights, the equality OF all cltl-
Zeus before the law. and the faithful OBJ
servatiOn of constitutional limitations.
| During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies OF SeItlsh
interests to the ceuriliZatiOn OF govern
| mental power. and stead lastly maintain
/ ed the integrity Of the dual scheme OF
| of government established by the found
/ ers of this republic of republics. Under
| its guidance and teachings the great prin-
/ cipIe of local selt-gOvenment has found
| its best expression in the maintenance OF
| the rights of the States and its assertion
| of the necess ty of cOnfning the general
government to the exercise OF the powers
granted by the constitution OF the United
States.
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount TO all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together as the money metals Of the Unit
ed States, and that the ir,t coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
made the silver dollar the unit of value
and admitted gold to free coinage at a
ratio measured by the free silver dollar
unit.
We declare that the act of 1873 demOne
tiZing silver without the knowledge or
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation Of gold and a
SpOnding fall in the prices OF com
mOdities produced by the people; heavy
increase in the burden Of taxation and Of
all debts. public and private; the enrich
ment Of the mOney-leuding class at
home and abroad: pTOstration Of industry
and impOvershment Of the people.
We are unaItprabIy opposed to mono
metallism. which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrious people in the
Daralv-is Of hard times. cold mOnOmet-
aIlism is a British policy, and its adOp-
| tiOn has brought other nations into IMAM
cfal servftude to London. 1t is not only
un-Americau, but anti-American, and it
can fastened on the United States only
| by the sitting Of that indomitable spirit
and love Of Iibert which proclaimed our
political independence in l776, and won it
| i'm the war Of the revolution.
I we utIldIll bIlt lHf anu AIl I'M b'Al
coinage of both god and silver at the
present legal ratio of l6 to /, without
waiting for the consent or aid Of any 9TH
/ er nation We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be a full legal tender,
| equally with gold for all debts, public
| and private. and we favor such legisla-
| tiOn as will prevent for the future the de-
= mOnetizatiOn of any kind Of legal tender
money by private contract.
| We are opposed to the policy and prac-
| tice of surrendering to the holders Of the
| obligations Of the United States the opin-
| ion reserved by law to the Government OF
redeeming such obligations in either sill
yer coin or gold coin.
| Weare opposed to the issuing Of inter
est bearing bonds Of the United states in
| time Of peace and condemn the traticing
| withdrawing syndicates whiChin exchange
| for bonds and 40 an enormous profit 10
| themselves, supply the Federal Treasury
| with gold to maintain the policy Of gold
! mOnOm talIism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
aud issu mon y, and President jackson
| declared that this power could not be del
egated to corporations or individual we
! therefore demand that the power TO issue
notes to circulate as money be taken from
! the natiOnrl banks and that all pei
money shall be issued directly by the
| Treasury Department, be redeomabIe II
coin and received for all debts, public and
| private.
We hold that tariff duties should be lev
led for purposes Of revenue, such dutie,
TO be so adjusted as TO operate equally
throughout the country and not discrimi-
mate between class or section, and that
taxation should be limited by the needs Of
the Government honestly and economic
Ially administered We denounce as dis
turbing TO business the Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law which has
been twice condemned by tie people IN