The Daily Texarkanian., 1896-10-20
THE PLATFORM
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention. at Chicago, July, 1896.

OOuVCublOllj CIV NhAOo6oi " NAJt ASoN
We. the Democrats of the United
States, in national convention assembled
do reatfirm our allegiance to those great
essential principles Of Justice and liberty
upon which our institutions are founded
and which the Democratic party has ad
vocated from Jefferson's time to our owl
freedom of speech, freedom of press
freedom Of conscience, the preservation
Of personal rights, the equality OF all citi
zens before the law, and the faithful OBJ
servation of constitutional limitations.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendencies OF sellisf
interests to the centrilization OF govern
mental power, and steadfastly maintaln
ed the integrity of the dual scheme O
OF government established by the found
ers Of this republic Of republics Under
its guidance and teachings the great prin
cipe of local self government has fount
its best expression in the maintenance o
| the rights OF the States and its assertion
of the necessity OF coniining the genera
government TO the exercise OF the powers
granted by the constitution Of the Unltet
| States.
Recognizing that the money question IL
paramount TO all others at this time, We
invite attention TO the fact that the Fed
eral constitution names silver and g0lC
together as the money metals OF the Unit
ed States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the constitution
| made the silver dollar the unit Of value
and admitted gold TO free coinage at
| ratio measured by the free silver d0llal
unit.
We declare that the act Of 1873 dem0nc
| tizing silver without the knowledge ol
approval OF the American people has re
suited in the appreciation Of gold and
corresponding fall IN the prices OF com
modities produced by the people; heavy
increase in the burden Of taxation and 0
all debts, public and private; the enrich
ment Of the money-lendlng class q
| home and abrOad prostratOn OF industry
| and mpoyerlshment Of the people.
We are unaterably opposed TO mono
metalIism, which has locked fast th,
| prosperity of an Industrious people in tn,
| pnralysls Of hard times. Gold m0nomot
| allism IN British policy, aud It's ad0p
| tlon has brought other nations into llnan
| cinl serytudO to London. ~ ls not only
| un-AmerIcan, bnt anti American, aud i
can he fastened ON the United States only
by the sitting of that indomitable spiri
and love OF liberty which proclaimed on
polItical Independence In l776, aud won i
| In the war of the revolution.
We demand the free and Unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at th,
present legal ratio Of IL 70 /, wlth0u
waiting for the consent or aid OF any 9th
or nation We demand that the standnrt
silver dollar shall be o full legal tender
equally with gold, for all debts, pnbll'
and private, aud we favor such leglsla
tIon as will prevent for the future thode
J monetizati0n OF any KIND OF loRal tendo
money by private contract
We are opposed TO the policy aud prac
tlce Of surrondoring 10 the holders Of th'
obligations OF the United States the Opln
ion reserved by law 10 the Government Q
rodoemlng such obligations IN either sll
yer coin or gold coin,
Weare opposed TO The Issuing 0f inter
est bearing bonds Of the United States II
time Of peace and condemn the traliclnj
withdrawing syndlcates whichln eXchang
for bonds and at an enormous profit u
themselves, supply the Federal Tre0snr!
with gold 20 maintain the policy OF gol'
mon0metallsm.
Congress alone has the power 20 coli
aud issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power could not be DEL
ogatod 20 corporations or lndlvldunls, w
therefore demand tbOt the power TO ssu'
notes 10 circulate NJ money be taken iron
the national banks aud that all pdpe
money shall b6 issued directly by th,
Treasury Department., be- redoemObe II
coin and received for all debts, puble0
| private,
We hold that tariff duties should be ley
| iod for purposes Of revenue, such dutle
TO be so adjusted as 10 operate equal
throughout the country and not dlscrlml
nate between class or section, and thu