The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-08-26

on the United States only by the
sitting of that spirit and love OF
liberty which proclaimed our po'
litical independence in 1916, aud
won in the war of the revolution.
We demand the free and unlim
tied coinage of both silver and
gold at the present ratio of 1G to
/, without waiting for the aid or
consent of any other 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 legislation as will pre-
vent for the future the demoneti-
cation of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy
and practice of surrendering to the
holders of the obligations of the
United States the option reserved
by law to the government of re.
deeming such obligations in either
silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing
Of interest bearing bonds of the
United States in time of peace,
and condemn the trafflckirg with
banking syndlcates, which, in ex.
change for bonds at an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the
Federal treasury with gold to
maintain the policy of gold mono
metallism. Congress alone has
the power to coin and issue money,
and President Jackson declared
that this power could not be dele
gated to corporations or indiyidu
ais.
We, therefore, denounce the is.
suance of notes intended to circu.
late as money by national banks
as in derogation of the constitu-
ton, and we demand that all pa.
per, which is made a legal tender
for require stricter control by the
federal government of these arte-
ries of commerce.
We demand enlargement of the
power Of the interstate commerce
commission, and such restrictions
and guarantees in the control of
railroads as will protect the people
from robbery and oppression.
The money wruDg from the peo-
pie by oppressive taxation and the
lavish appropriation of the recent
republican congress, which have
kept taxes high while the labor
that pays them is unemployed, and
the products of the peoples toll
are depressed in price till they no
longer repay the cost Of product
ton. s..
We demand a return to that SIM
plicity and economy which BELTS
a democratic government, and a
reduction in the useless offices, the
salaries of which drain the sub
stance of the people.
We denounce the arbitrary in
reference by federal authority in
local affairs as a violation of the
constitution of the United States,
and crime against free institu-
tons, and we especially object to
government by injunction as a new
and highly dangerous form of op.
preston by which Federal Judges,
in contempt of the laws Of States
and rights of citizens, become at
once judges, legislatures and exc.
cutloners; and we approve the bill
passed at the last session of the
United States Senate, and now
pending in the House of Repre-.
sentatives, relative to contempt in
Federal Courts and providing tri-
ais by jury in certain cases of con.
tempt.
No discrimination should be in
dulged by the government in ia.
vor OF its debtors. We approve
of the refusal of the Fifty-Third
Congress to pass the Pacific rail
road FINDING bill, and denounce
the efforts efthe present republi.
can Congress to enact similar
measure.
Recognizing the just claims s.
deserving Union soldiers, we heart
lily endorse the rule Of the present
commissioner of pensions, that no
names shall be arbitrarily dropped
from the pension rolls and the fact
of enlistment and saruica shnnla