Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-07-14

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
Following is the platform adopted BY
the national Democratic convention at
Chicago:
We, the Democrats of the United States,
IN national convention assembled, do re-
affirm our allegiance to those great essen
t1al principles of Justice and liberty upon
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has main
talned from Jeferson's time to our own,
freedom OF speech. freedom of press, free
dom OF conscience. the preservation of
personal rights, the equality of all citizens
before the law, and the faithful obsery-
ance Of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
parly has resisted the tendency of selfish
interest toward the Capitalization of gov
ernmental power and steadfastly main
tanned the integrity of the dual scheme of
government established by the founders
OF this republic of republics. Un-
der its guidance and teachings the
great principle of local self-government
| has found its best expression in the main
tenance of the rights of the states and in
the assertion of the necessity of confining
! the general government to the exercise of
! the powers granted by the constitution of
| the United States
The constitution of the United States
! guarantees to every citizen the rights of
| civil and religious liberty. The Demo
| cratic party has always been the exponent
| Of political liberty and religious freedom,
and 1t renews its obligations and reaffirms
| Its devotion to these fundamental princi-
| pies of the constitution.
Recognizing that the money question is
paramount to all others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the fed
eral constitution names silver and gold
together as the money metals of the
United States, and that the first coinage
law passed by congress under the consti-
tuition made the silver dollar the none
tary unit and admitted gold to free coin
age at ratio based upon the silver dollar
unit
| Result Of Demonetizatiou.
We declare that the act of 1873, demone-
tizing silver without the knowledge or
approval of the American people has re-
suited in the appreciation of gold and a
corresponding fall in the prices of com
modities produced by the people; a heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and OF
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment of the money lending class at home
and abroad: paralysis of industry and
impoverishment of the people
We are unalterably opposed to mono
metallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity Of an industrious people in the
paralysis Of hard times, Gold monomet.
allism- is a British policy, founded upon
British greed for gain and power: and its
general adoption has brought other na
lions into financial seryitude to London
It is not only un-American but anti
American, and 1t can be fastened upon the
United States only by the sitting of that
spirit and love of liberty which proclaimed
our political independence and won it in
the war of the Revolution.
Demand Immediate Resto, alton.
We demand the immediate restoration
of the free and unlimited coinage of gold
and silver at the present legal ratio Of Il
to l, without waiting for the aid or con
sent of any other nation. We demand
that the standard silver dollar shall be q
full legal tender, equally with gold, fo,
all debts, public and private, and we favol
such legislation as will prevent for the
future the demonetizatioa of any kind OF
legal tender money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prae
tice of surrendering to the holders Of thu
obligations Of the United States the option
reserved By law to the government o1
redeeming such obligations in either silver
coin or gold coin.
Oppose Bond Issues.
We are opposed to the issuing of inter
est bearing bonds of the United States in
times of peace, and condemn the traffick
ing with banking syndicates which. il
exchange for bonds and at an enormous
profit to themselves, supply the federal
treasury with gold to maintain the policy
of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has power to coin ant
issue money and President Jackson de
clared that this power could not be dele
gated to corporations or to individuals
We. therefore, denounce the issuance O.
notes as money for national hanks us il
.derogation of the constitution, and we de
mand that all paper which is made lega
| EcnucT 1UE 6tuu pAANoLC uCDeS VI
which is receivable for dues to the Cnitee
States shall be issued by the govern,nen
Of the g nited States and shall be redeem
able in coin:
Tariff For Revenue Only.
We hold that tariff duties should b
levied solely for purposes of revenue
Such duties to be so adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country and no
discriminate between class or section
and that taxation should be limited by tn
needs of the government honestly ant
economically administered. We denounc
as disturbing to business the Republican
threat to restore the Mckinley law, whicl
has been twice condemned by the peopl
in national elections, and which, enacte,
under the false plea of protection to hom
industry, proved a prolific breeder of trust
and monopoies, enriched the few at tn
expense Of the many, restricted trade an,
: deprived the producers Of the great Amer
ican staples Of access to their natural MAJ
kets. Until tho money question is settle;
We are opposed to any agitation for ful
ther changes in the tariff l,ws,except sue
r as are necessary to mako up the deficit il
), revenue caused by the adverse decision q
the supreme court on the income tax. =,
;, Favor an Income Tax. z= IS
& But for this decision Of the suprem
+ court there would be no deficit in the r:y
enue under the law passed By n Demo
cratic congress, in strict pursuance Of th
uniform decisions Of that court for nearl
100 years that court having under that d.
j Ecision sustained constitutional objection
. to its enactment which have been Owe
Iruled BY the abiest judges who have ere
sat on that bench. s3zs
We declare that it is the duty Of COZ
: Rress to use all the constitut ional ppwe
i which remains aftM that decision, G
S I'm