The Progress., 1896-09-03
ADOPT FkEE SILVER.
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLAT
FORM IN FULL.

Declares for the Free and Unlimited Coin
ago Of Silver as Ratio of l6 to Opp
posed to Interest Bearing Bonds lie n;
Issued by tie Government.
The follow
ing is the platform adopted by the
national Democratic conventions;
We, the Democrats Of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bled, do reafflrm our allegiance to those
great and essential principles OF JUS
uce and liberty upon which our lnstl-
buttons are founded and which the
Democratic party has advocated from
Jefferson's time to cur own-freedom
Of speech, freedom Of the press, free
dom OF conscience, the preservation OF
personal rights, the equality OF all per-
sons before the law and the faithful OBJ
seryance Of constitutional limitations
During all thess years the Democrat
ic party has resisted the tendency Oh
selfish interests, the CONTEMPLATION Oh
governmental power and steadfast-y
maintained the integrity OF the duai
scheme OF government established by
the founders OF this republic OF repup-
Tics. Under It's guidance the great prln-
oiple of local self-goverrmens mas
found its best expression In the main
tenance of the rights OF the states ano
In its assertion OF the necessity OF con-
fnlng the general government to the
exercise Of the powers granted ny Tue
constitution OF the United States.
Recognizing that the money ques'
ton is paramount to all Others ct thl!
rsae. we invite attention to the fact that
the federal constitution names sllVe'
and gold together as the money meta!
| Of the United States, and that the frs
coinage Law passed by congress unde
the constitution made the silver do-
lar the monetary unit and ADMITTED
gold to free coinage at 4 ratio base'
upon the silver unit.
We declare that the act OF 1S73' de
mon etizing silver without the knowl
edge or approval Of the American PEG
ple has resulted in the appreciation Q
rod and a corresponding fall IN IN
nrices of commodities produced by tn
people. =,
We are unalterahy opposed to IN
mouometallism which has locked 1as
the prosperity of industrious Poop
IN the paralysis OF hard times. COZ
recommendation is q British policy, an
,ts adoption has brought other nation
into financial servitude to London.
"a not only un-Amer!can, but ant
American, and 1t can be fastened on Tn
United States only by the stitllns
that spirit Of love Of liberty which pr
claimed our political independence
ITS, and won it In the war OF the reV(
tuition.
We demand the free and unlimite
coinage of both gold and silver at til
nresent legal ratio Of Is to /, wltho'
waiting for the aid or consent OF an
other nation. We demand that II
standard silver dollar shall be III
legal tender equally with gold, for
dents, public and private, and We fav'
such legislation as will prevent for II
future the decentralization OF any XII
Q NJ 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 law to the &c
errment of reeemfng such o5ligatlo
IN either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing OF
: terest-bearing bonds Of the Unit
Z States in time Of peace, and conde1
the ,rafticking with banking syndlca1
which in exchange for bonds and
an enormous profit to themselves, ST
,,v the Feeral treasury with gold
. maintain the policy Of gold monomet
ism.
Congress alone has tho power
coin and issue money, and PRESIDE
Jackson declared that this power col
not be delegated to corporations or
divIduals. We, therefore, demand Il
10 the mower to issue notes to circulate
- money be taken from the natlol
ranks and that all paper money 81
he issued directly by the treasury
narbment and be redeemable in G.
and receivable for all debts. pubic
70 private.
We hold that the tariff duties shc
y he levied for purposes OF revenue 81
- d,,tties to be so adjusted as to oper
- EQUALLY throughout the country and
discriminate between class or sectl
- ond that taxation should be limited
tbe needs of the government, none!
and economically administered. we
nounce as disturbing to business
8 pemtbllcan threat to restore the
-..,;op, Aoa hoan twice C