The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-08-06

o .WQCRATiC NATIONAL. PLAT
FORM IN FULL.
DvrlnreG Tor The Free aud Unlimited coin.
ago Of silver rs a Uati" Of 80 tot or
posed +" Interest Hearing E"n,,, lie u
Issued by the HOvcrument

tmCAco, IL, JuIy -. lhr follow
ing /, the platform adopted by the
national Democratic convention:
Wa, tho Democrats Of tho United
States, in national convention aggrm
b'ed, do reanlrm our allegiance to those
great and essential principles nf Jus
lice and liberty upon which our ns,i-
buttons are founded aad whloh the
Democratic party has advocated from
Jefersrn's time TO our own Freedom
OF speech, Freedom OF the press, free,
dom OF conscience. the preservation OF
personal rights, tho equality Of all per
sons before the law and The faithful oh
s"rvancs OF constitutional Limitations.
During all thss, years the Democrat
!c party has res stcd the tendency OF
selfish interests, the Capitalization OF
governmental power and stradfastry
maintained tho Integrity OF the dual
scheme OF government essabiishc by
the founders OF this republic Of rewlb-
los Under It's guidance tho great u,in-
dp'e OF local self government has
hound It's best expression In tho main
tenance OF the rights OF tho states and
IN dtS assertion OF tho necessity OF con-
hning the genera. government to the
exercise of tho powers granted by the
constitution OF the United States.
nedogn1ing thai the money ques-
ton Is paramount to all others ri this
tEYe. we invite attention to tho fact that
tho federal constitution names silver
and gold together as the money Meals
OF the United States. and that Tho first
coinage law passed by congress under
the constitution made the silver do,-
lar the monetary unit and admitted
gold to free coinage ct . ratio based
upon tho stlver unit,
We declare that the act OF 1878. de-
monetizing oliver without the knowl-
edge or approval OF the American pco-
pie, has resulted in the appreciation Of
gold and q corresponding fall in the
prices Of commodities produced by tho
people,
We are unalterab,y opposed to tho
monometalls m which has locked fast
the prosperity of Industrious people
in the paralysis U hard times. Gold
mono -metallism is a British policy. and
It's adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. II
Is not only un-American. but anti
and 1t can be fastened on tho
United States only by the Sitting OF
that spirit Of love OF liberty which pro-
claimed Our political Independence In
1915 and won It In thu war OF the revo-
tuition.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage OF both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of ~ to !, without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any
other naticn, We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender equally with gold. for all
depts. public and private. and we favor
such legislation as will prevent for the
future the characterization OF any kind
Of legal tender money by private con-
tract
We are opposed to tho policy and
practice of surrendering to the holders
OF the obligations OF the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov ,
of reeemilng such obligations
in either silver CO'u or gold coin,
We are opposed to the issuing fin
terest bearing bonds OF the United
States In time Of peace. and condemn
the trafncking with banking syndic$tes
which. in exchange for bonds and at
an enormous profit to themselves, dup
ply the Feeral treasury with gold to
maintain the policy Of gold monomeI ai-
ism
Congress alone has tho power to
coin and issue money. and President
Jackson declared that this power cOlld |
not be delegated to corporations or In
dluiduals. We, therefore, demand tat |
the power to issue notes to circulated as |
money be taken from the natinal
banks. and that all paper money shll |
be issued directly by the treasury ae-
partmeut and be redeemable in din |
and receivable for all debts. public md
private.
We hold that The tarlh duties shnld |
be levied for purposes OF revenue, sth !
duties to be so adjusted as to opette
equally throughout the country and lot
discriminate between class or sectbn.
and that taxation should be limitedby |
the needs Of the government honesty
and economically administered. We e
nounce as disturbing to business he
Republican threat to restore tho E-
Kinley law, which has been twice GU
demned ~ the people In national enc
tons and which, enacted under he
false plea of protection to home inds-
try. proved q prolific breeder OF tr IS
and monopoli9s, enriched the few at