The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-07-16

The DemOcratic-POpu Men,
ace.
This is the gist OF the Populist- Demo.
cratic platform:
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage OF both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio of 16 to 1, without
waiting tor the aid OK consent OF any
other nation. We demand that the
standard SILVER dollar shall be iull
legal tender equally with gold tor all
debts, public and private. and we favor
such legislation as will prevent for the
future the decentralization 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 secured by law to the GOV
eminent of redeeming 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 trafhck-
ing with banking syndicates, which, IN
exchange tor bonds, and at an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the federal
treasury with gold to maintain their
gold monomet allism.
In these resolutions the Populist fac
ton OF the Democratic party serves
notice upon the financial world and
upon all holders of the Obligations OF the
United States, that in the event OF their
success in the elections they propose TO
pay their obligations in silver worth So
cents on the dollar-and to cause all
commercial obligations to be paid In the
it is proclamation that the election OF
a Democratic president and congress
this fall means the reputation of nearly
halt all outstanding debts, public and
private, including about eighteen bill
lions OF dollars which is owned by saw.
ings, national, state and private banks,
trust and insurance companies, and
other financial institutions, to the labor
ing men and people OF small means
throughout the United States.
Now, if the persons holding these obi
cations, certificates OF deposit and other
evidences of indebtedness, believed IN
the probability or even in the possibility
OF Democratic victory this fall, what
would they turally do as matter OF
ordinary business prudence? Our for
eign creditors would at once return to
this country all government bonds,
railroad stocks and bonds, or other
American securities held by them, for
immediate liquidation. All of our own
citizens having outstanding obligations
would at once insist upon their prompt
payment on maturity. All gold would
be withdrawn from the United States
treasury and, as tar as possible, from all
banks and boarded against the day OF
Populist-Democratic triumph, when a
gold dollar would command premium
of nearly 100 per cent in the market.
Every bank in the country would pro-
baby 90 down before the tremendous
tornado of panic and bankruptcy. All
trade would be paraIyzed, thousands OF
factories closed and millions of unem-
ployed laboring men would curse the
day when they were beguiled by the
treacherous song OF the silver siren. The
sun IS not surer to rise tomorrow
morning than that this food of over
whelming disaster would sweep over
the country if there was any serious
doubt that the forces of free silver an
the contest to which they have chal-
leneed the intelligence and the honesty
OF the American people. Fortunately
for the country, there is no serious doubt
of that. For on the side of sound money
are enlisted not Only the conscience and
common sense of the people, but the
palpable material interests of every man,
woman and child in America. The poor
est laboring manis as virtually interest
ed as the richest capitalist in conserving
uni1npaired the money standard on
which rests the whole vast fabric OF
private and public credit and the entire
machinery of trade. and industrial pro-
duction. All that is needed to arrav
them in solid mass against this glgan-
tic swindle for the benefit of the silver
kings is that they shall understand the
facts involved in the questions at issue.
That is to he the work of the campaign
now before us.-PIoneer Press.
On silver platform the democrats
will not carry state north ut the Po-
tomac and Ohio Rivers or east OF the
Mississippi. West of the Mississippi.
the Republicans will carry Minnesota.
Iowa, California, Oregon and Wasbino-
ton, and possibly Missouri. South OF
the Potomac and Ohio, the republicans
will carry West Virginia, with good
fighting chance for Kentucky and Ten