The Meeker herald., 1896-07-18
is AS PLAIN AS DAY.
WANT FREE COINAGE AT ONCE.

WANT FREE COINAGE AT ONCE.
The Democratic Platform Goes to the
Point on the Money Question.-Favors
Lower Tariff and Public Economy.
Chicago, Ju'y 9.-The platform adopt
ed by the Democratic convention to-
day reads as follows:
] We, the Democrats OF the United
States. in national convention assem-
bled, do reafiirm our allegiance to these
great essential principles of justice and
liberty upon which our institutions are
founded, and which the Democratic
party has advocated from Jefferson's
time to our own: Freedom Of speech,
freedom Of the press, freedom of con-
science. the preservation of personal
rights, the equality of all citizens be-
fore the law and the faithful observ-
ance Of constitutional limitations
During all these years the Demo
cratic party has resisted the tendency
Of selfish interests TO the Capitalization
OF governmental power and steadfastly
maintained the integrity of the dual
scheme of government established by
the founders of This republic of repub-
hes. Under its guidance and teachings
the great principle of local self-goyern.
ment has found It's best expression in
the maintenance of the rights of the
states and in its assertion OF the .neces-
sity Of confining the general goveren-
ment 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
Democratic party has always been the
exponent of political liberty and re
hgious freedom and it renews Its obli-
cations and reafiirms its devotion to
these fundamental principles of the
constitution.
Recognizing that the money question
is paramount to all others at this time,
we invite attention to the fact that the
federal 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 constitution made the silver dollar
the monetary unit and admitted gold to
free coinage at n ratio based upon the
silver dollar unit We declare that the
oct Of 1873 demonetizing silver without
the knowledge or approval Of the
American people has resulted in the ap-
probation Of gold and corresponding
fall in the prices of commodities pro-
duced by the peop.e, 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; the prostration of in
dustry and 1mpoverishment of the peo-
pie. We are unalterably opposed to
monometallism, which has locked fast
the prosperity Of an Industrial people
In the paralysis Of hard times. Gold
monometallism 10 q British policy, and
Its adoption has brought other nations
into financial servitude to London. 1t
Is not only un-American but anti-Amer-
Scan, and 1t can be fastened on the
United States only by the sitting of
that spirit of love Of liberty which pro-
claimed our political independence In
1776 and won 1t in the war Of the revo-
luton.
| We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of 16 to 1. without
waiting for the aid or consent of any
other nation. We demand that the
standard silver dollar shall be full
legal tender, equally with gold, for all
debts, public or private, and we favor
such legislation as will prevent in the
future the demonetizatlon of any kind
Of legal tender money by private CON
tract.
We are opposed to the policy and
practice OF surrendering to the holders
of the obligations of the United States
the option reserved by law to the gov
ernment of redeeming such obligations
in either silver coin or gold coin.
We are opposed to the issuing Of in
terest-bearing bonds Of the United
States in time of peace. and condemn
the traficking with banking syndicates.
which, in exchange for bonds and at an
enormous profit to themselves, supply
the federal treasury with gold to main
tain the policy Of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money. and President Jack
son declared that this power could not
be delegaeted TO corporations or indi-
viduals. We therefore denounce the is
suance of notes intended to circulate as
money by national banks as in deroga-
I tion of the constitution. and we demand
that all paper which ID 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 and
shall be redeenable In coin.