The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-05-15

BULLOCK, Eli i. MOTHS ana j. +.
Bennett were chosen.
The roll was then called for dis
trict committeeman and district
delegates. For this, the Seventh
Congressional district, Geo. H. Arm
stead of Williamson was elected to
serve on the State Executive Com
mittee, and N. b. Cheairs of Maury,
and Frank Boyd of Wayne, cleo
ted delegates. Alternates, w. L..
Grigsby of Dickson, and J. B. Will
Jams of Lawrence. Elector f. E.
Eslick of Giles.
The Platform.
e. w. Carmack then appeared
with the report of the platform Com
mittee. The report is as follows:
THE Democratic party of Tennessee, as
sembled in convention, declares its abiding
faith in the great fundamental principles
that gave 1t birth.
~. rigid restriction of the Federal
| power within the written limitations of the
| Federal Constitution.
-. The largest measure of individual
| freedom consistent with the general good.
-. The jealous preservation OF the right
| of local self-government and constant OPP
position to the encroachments of the Gen
! eral Government upon the reserved rights
| of the people or the States.
II. We hold that it is the high duty and
honor of the Democratic party to call back
the Government to the old paths, to restore
purity and virtue, and to root out all the
perniciOus influences that have corrupted
its legislation and the administration OF its
laws. AS II first and most necessary step
to this end, we demand the restoration. of
the money of the Constitution by a law
providing for the free and unlimited coin
| M nc
tender money ut the ratio of 10 to |, regard
less of the action of any other nation.
rs. We demand the enactment of laws,
both State and national, making both gold
and silver legal tender for all debts, and
prohibiting in contracts thereafter made
any discrimination for or against either.
20. We oppose the increase of the public
debt by the issuance of nterest-bearing
bonds TO sustain the gold standard.
~. We demand that all obligations of the
United States shall be honestly discharged
according TO the terms of the contract in
either gold or silver, ut the option and con-
gold alone, at the option of the creditor
-. We demand the repeal of the uncon-
stitutiOnal 10 per cent tax on the issues OF
State banks, and the abolition at the earli-
est possible time of the national banking
| system.
-. We demand that all Federal taxation
shall be strictly and only for revenue fol-
the support OF an economically admins
tered Government, and we condemn the
policy OF the Republican party in prosti-
tuting the taxing power to enrich the few
at the expense OF the many.
40. We demand the enactment of laws
taxing incomes in order that those who en-.
joy the largest measure of Government
protection shall be required to bear theil
Just share of the public burdens.
III. We hold that the interests oflabor, o.
the toiler in the field and in the factory
demands the consideration of the lawmakel
rather than the greed and avarice of mo-
nopoly.
"i2. We hold that the laborers Of the
country should be paid their wages in law
full money, and not in script by means o.
which their nominal wages are scaled by
exorbitant charges at the company store,
and that the country, in all its legislation
both State and national, shall be always
attentive to the just demands of labor
whether in the factory or in the field.
lib. We favor an equitable adjustment o
our system of taxation in order that the
burdens may fall equally and justly upor
all classes alike, and the enactment of sucl
laws as will reach hidden wealth that ha
hitherto escaped the tax assessor.
IA. We demand the enactment of law
that will reduce the heavy cost to STATE
and county of criminal prosecutions and 1
reduction OF the burdens of litigation.
"l5. We favor the enactment of laws tC
simplify the collection of taxes, to reduc,
the cost OF their collection and the numbe
OF tax gatherers. We favor such Legislation
as Will give the regular tax collector full
thereby obviate the necessity for specin
officers to collect delinquent taxes.
"l6. We favor honesty and economy in thu
administration of the state government.
III. We favor liberal and efficient pub
! lie school system for the education of TIN
youth of the country, and IA strict super
, vision of the collection and disbursement o
the public school fund. The charitable in
situations OF the STATE should always b
carefully fOstered and supported.
"lS. We favor an efficient public road sys
tenn, and the utilization in the counties o
convict labor for that purpose.
40. We indorse the action of the last Leg
islature in preserving the integrity of GU
election laws, and purging the poll of al
votes unlawfully cast in the preceding cleo
ton; and we demand in future a rigid com
pliance with the wholesome laws enacted
by the Democratic party to preserve tn
purity of the ballot. We heartily indOrs
the administration of Gov. Peter Turney
whom we regard as an honest, able ant
faithful public servant, and we extend t.
him in his present painful Illness the sym
pathy and best wishes of the Democrats
Hparty.
I'VE hereby instruct the delegation Sc
lected by this convention to vote as uni
on all questions coming before the nation
al convention; to vote in accordance witt
the principles embodied in this platform
and especially to vote for n platform decla
ration in favor of the free, unlimited am
independent coinage of both gold and stlve
as full legal tender money at the ratio of |
: to and we recommend to this convention
that 1t choose delegates from the State a
large and from each Congressional district
who are in sympathy with this policy.
1--WE indorse the course and conduct q
our distinguished Senators, Isham G.. HaT
ris and VIM. b. Bate, and the majority O
our Democratic Representatives in Con
gress for their brave stand in favor of tn
Constitution and Of the people.
re. w. CARMACK, Chairman.
. Nv. NJ. BRANDON, Secretary"
The foregoing was signed by ever,
; member of the committee. Their
were also some other provision
signed by portions of the committee
which were as follows:
1--WE recognize the necessity of leg
islation to protect the people of thi
! State from unjust Determinations il
railroad rates; and,
"WHEREAs, every State around us
from Maine to Texas, from the Atlanti
2 to the Pacific, every state except i'm
poverished Florida, barren Montana an
sparsely settled Washington, have raj
, road commissions to fix freight rates o.
the products of the farm, mine an
! factory, and protect their citizens fror
railroad eXtortiOn and arbitrary freigh
rates; and,
4 WHEREAS, the wealth of our pee
g pie consists of the products of the tielC
= Forests and mines, live stock and cal
: tie d; and,
"WHEREAs, it is a well-known fac
, that our beloved State is in a deplor
able condition from the need of bette