Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-10-24
a MODEL PLArroRM.
Adopted by tie Democrats II Na,;o,

N10p'ee by tie Democrats l., National
Convention.
The following the fnll and cam.
plete platform As adopted by ,,p
National Demcratip cor.vcntion.
IL, We, the Democrats ~ The United
TIa1es IN national convention asscml,-
iCu' 40 reaifirH our allegiance TO those
great essential principles nf iustice
anu llbeity upon which our iIlstiiu.
lions are founded, and which the
penocratic party has advocated from
JeuersOn tine to our ogn--freedom
VI speech, freedom of the press. free
uoIn OF conscience, the preservation of
personal rights, the equality of all
cltlzenS before the law, and the faith
tatiOnS. ''''''"' mum
During all these years the Demo-
cratic party has resisted the tendency
OF selfish interests to the centraliz-
atlon of governmental Dower. and
Steadfastly maintained the integrity
OF the dual scheme of government
established by the founders of this
republic of republics. Under its
guidance and teachings the great
principle of local self-governnent has
found its best expression la the ,nuin-
tenance of the rights of the states
and in its assertion of the necessity
VI cuhtining the general government
10 the exercise of powers granted by
the constitution of the United States.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
The constitution of the United
States guarantees to every citizen the
rights Of civil and religious liberty.
The democratic party has always been
the exponent of political liberty and
religious freedom and it renews its
obligations and reatirms its devotion
10 these fundamental principles of
the constitution.
q FINANCE.
E-tRecognizing that the money ques-
tion is paramount to all Others at this
time, we invite attention to the fact
That the constitution names silver
and gold together as the money meta
OF the United States, and that the
first coinage law passed by congress
under the constitution made the sill
yer dollar the money unit, and ad-
mitted gold to free coinage at ratio
based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that the act of 1873 de-
monetizing silver without the knOwl-
edge or approval of the American peo-
pie has resulted in the appreciation
OF gold, and corresponding fall in
the price 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, the prostration of industry,
and impovershment of the people.
We are unalterably opposed to mon
ometallism, which has locked fast the
prosperity of an industrial people in
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
American, and it can be fastened on
the United States only by the sitting
of that spirit and love of liberty
which proclaimed our political inde- |
pendence in 1776 and won in the war
of the revolution.
FREE COINAGE.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of l6 to /, without
waiting for the aid or consent of any
other 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
for the future the demOnetiZation of |
any kind of legal tender money by
private contract.
BONDS.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice of surrendering to the hold |
ers of the obligations, of the United
States, the option reserved by law to
the government of redeeming such OBJ |
legations in either silver coin or gold |
coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of in
bonds of the United |
States in time Of peace, and condemn
the trafficking with. banking syndi-
Gates which, in exchange for bonds
and at an enormous profit to them
selves, supply the federal treasury |
with gold to maintain the policy of
gold monOmetallism.
ISSUE OF MONEY.
Congress alone has the power to
coin and issue money, and Prerident
TacksOn declared that this mower