Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-09-18

|
people has resulted in the appreciation of
gold and corresponding fall in the
prices of commodities produced by the
people, heavy increase in the burden of
taxation and of all debts, public and
private, the enrichment of the money
| lending class at home and abroad, prOstra-
ton OF industry and impOverishment of
| the people. We are unalterably opposed
to mono-metallism, which has locked
fast the prosperity of an Industrious peO-
pie in the paralysis OF hard times. Gold
mOno-metallism is British policy, and
its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t is
not only un-American, but anti-Ameri.
can, and it can be fastened upon the
United States only by the sitting of that
spirit and love of liberty which pro-
claimed our political independence in
| l776 and Won 1t i'll the war of the revolu.
! ton.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage Of both gold and silver al the
present legal ratio of IL to l. without
waiting for the aid or consent of any
DINER 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 prevent the
decentralization of any kind of legal
tender money 10y private contract.
| We are opposed % the policy and prac-
tice of surrendering to the holders of OBJ
legations of the United States the option
reserved by law to the government of re-.
deeming such obligations in silver.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
te 'est-bearing bonds of the u nited States
in times of peace, and condemn the traf-
ticking with banking syndicates which in
exchange for bonds at an enormous profit
to themselves supply the Federal treas
ury 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
delegated to corporations OF individuals
We therefore denOunce the issue of notes
as money by national banks as in deroga.
ton of the constitution, and we demand
that all paper which Is made legal tender
for public and private debts or which is
receivable for dues to the United States
shall be issued by the government of the
United States aud be redeemable in coin
We hold that tariff duties should be
levied for the purpose of revenue, such
duties TO be readjusted so as to operate
equally throughout the country and not
discriminate between class or section, and
that taxation should be limited by the
needs ofs the government honestly
and economically administered. We
the Republican threat to restore the
Mckinley law, which has been twice
condemned by the people in national
elections, and which, enacted under
the false plea of protection to home
industry, proved prolific breeder of
trusts and mOnopolies, enriching the few
at the expense of the many, restricted
trade and deprived the producers of the
great American staples OF access to their
natural markets. Until the money ques.
| ton Is settled we are opposed to any agita-
ton for further changes in our tariff laws
nv q Y q n tn L. ~,
| the deficit in revenue caused by the ad-
verse decision OF the supreme cour. on
the income tax.
But for this decision by the supreme
court there would be no deficit in the
revenue under the law passed by DEM
ocratic Congress-, in strict pursuance of
the uniform decisions of that court for
nearly 100 years, that court having und er
that decision sustained constitutional OBJ.
iectiOnS to its enactment which had been
overruled by the ATTEST judges who have
ever sat on that bench. We declare that
it is the duty OF Congress to use all the
constitutional power which remains after
that decision, or which may come from
its reversal by the court as it may here
after be constituted, so that the burdens
OF taxation may equally and impartially
be levied, to the end that wealth may
bear its due proportion OF the expenses of
the government.
protecting American labor is to prevent
the importation of foreign pauper labor
to complete with 1t in the home market,
and that the value of the home market
to our American farmers and artisans Is
greatly reduced by q viciors monetary
system which depreSses the prices of
their products below the cost of produc-
ton aud thus deprives them of the means
of purchasing the products OF our home
manufactures.
The absorption of wealth by the few,
the consolidation of our leading railway
pools require stricter control by the
Federal government Of those arteries of
commerce. We demand the enlarge
ment of the powers Of the interstate COM
merce commission, and such restrictions
and guara ntees in the control Of railroads
as will project the people from robbery
and oppression.
We denounce the profiigate waste of
the money wrung from the people by OPP
pressive taxation and the lavish apprO-
pristions OF recent Republican Congresses
which have kept taxes high, while the
labor that pays them is unemployed and
the products of the peoples toll are de-
pressed in price until they no longer re.
pay the cost of production. We demand
q return to that simplicity and economy
which BELTS Democratic government
and a reduction in the number of useless
| Offices, Ln0 SALARIES Oh WHICH Qra1Q the
substance of the people.
We denounce the arbitrary interference
by Federal authorities in local affairs as
a violation Ofthe constitution of the Unit
ed States, and q crime against free in
situations, and we especially object to
government interference by Injunction as
new and highly dangerous form of op-
preston by which Federal Judges. IN
contempt of the laws of the States and
the rights of citizens, become at once
Legislators, judges and executioners, and
we apprOvethe bill passed at the last ses-
sion of the United States Senate, and now
pending in the House of Representatives
relative to contempts in Federal courts,
and providing for trial by jury in certain
cases of contempt.
No discrimination should be in
dulged in by the government of the
United States in favor of any of its debtors.
We approve of the refusal of the Fifty
third Congress to pass the Pacific railroad
funding bill. and denounce the effort of
the present Congress to enact similar
measure.
Recognizing the just claims of deserving
Union soldiers. we heartily indorse the
rule of the present commissioner of PEN
sions that no name shall be arbitrarily
dropped from the pension rolls. and that
the fact OF enlistment and serving shall
be deemed conclusive evidence against
disea se and disability before enlistment.
We favor the ADMISSION of the terri
tories of New Mexico and Arizona into
the Union as States, and we favor the
early admission of all the territories hav.
ing the necessary population and re-
sources to entitle them 10 statehood, and
while they remain territories we hold
mat officials appointed TO administer the
government of any territory together
with the District OF Columbia and Alaska,
should he bona fide residents of the terri
tory or district in which their duties are
to be performed.
rule. and that all public lands of the
U nited States should be appropriated to