Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-08-20
PLATFORM FOB FREE SILVER


TO those great essEntiAl principles Of justice
and liberty upon which or institutions are
founded and which the Democratic party has
advocated from isiersSn's time TO our own--
freedom Of speech, freedom Of the press, free
dom Of conscience. the preservation Of per
sonal rights, the equality Of all citizens before
the law, and the faithful observance of con
stitutionsl limitations
During all these years che Democratic 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 lies
Under its guidance and teachings the great
principle Of local self govei nment has found
its best expression in the maintenance of the
rights Of the states and its assertion Of the
necessity Of conhninR the general government
TO the exercise OF the powers granted BY the
constitution Of the United States
The constitution Of the United States guar
antees TO every citizen the rights OF civil and
religious liberty. The Democratic party has
always been the exponent OF political liberty
and Of religious fr eedom. and IL renews Its OBJ
legations and reaftrms the devotion to those
fundamental principles of the constitution
Recognizing that the money question is par
amount TO all others at this time, we invite
attention TO the fact that the federal constitu-
tlOO names SILVER anu BOlQ tO8cbnSN oS biio
money meta.s Of the United States. and that
the t1est coinage law passed by congress under
the constitution made the silver dollar the
monetary unit and admitted gold to free coin
age at a ratio based upon the silver unit
We are opposed TO the policy and practice
Of surrendering to the holders of the obligs-
tions OF the United States the option reserved
by law to the government of redeeming such
obligation in either silver coin or gold coin
We are opposed to the issuing Of interest
bearing bonds of the United States in times of
peace, and condemn the traficking with bank
ng syndicates which, in exchange for bonds
and enormous profit to themselves, supply thh
federal treasury with gold TO maintain the
policy Of gold monometallism
Congress alone has the power TO coin or Issue
money, .es President Jaskon declared that
this power could not be delegated to corpora
tions or individuals
We therefore denounce the issuance Of
notes intended to circulate as money by ma
tionai banks as in derogation of the consti-
tutionan we demand that all paper which is
made a legal tender for public and private
debts or which is receivable for dues to the
United States. shall be issued by the govern
ment of the United States and shall be re-
deemable in coin.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of revenue, such duties to be 30 ed.
justed as to operate equally throughout the
country, and not discriminate between class
or section, and that taxation should be limited
by the needs Of the government honestly and
economically administered We e~denounce 90
disturbing to business the Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law.
Until the money question 10 settled we are
opposed to any agitation for further changes
In our tariff laws, except such as are necss.
sary to meet the deficit in revenue caused by
the adverse decision Of the supreme court on
the income tax.
But for this decision by the supreme court
there would be no deiciti in the revenue under
the law passed by q democratic congress in
strict pursuance of the uniform decisions of
that court for nearly one hundred years, that
court having under that decision sustained
constitutional objections to, its enactment,
which have been overruled. by the ablest
Judges who have ever sat on that bench,
We declare that it is the dirty of congress to
use all the constitutional power which re-
mains after that decision, or which may come
from its reversal by the court as it may here.
after be constituted, so that the burdens Of
taxation may be equally and tmpartislly laid,
to the end that wealth may bear its due pro
portion OF the expenses Of the government
We hold that the most efficient way Of pro
tecting American labor is to prevent the i'm
portation of foreign psuper labor to compete
with lit in the home MARKET and that the value
OF the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans is greatly reduced by o vicious
monetary system which depresses the prices
of their products below the cost of production
and thus doprives them Of the means Of pu-
chasing tbs products Of our home manufacto
ries.
And as labor creates the wealth ofthe coun-
try>we demand the passage of such laws as
may be necessary to protect it in all its rights
ausorpuon OF wealth by tho few, the
consolidation of our leading railroad systems
49, fr-x a. .NE
stricter control by the federal government
of those arteries OF commerce We demand
the enlargemt 1T Of the powers of the inter
state commP zoe commits ssion, and such restFic
tions and qua raptees in the control of rail
roads as will protect the psor's from robbery
and oppression
We denounce the profiigate waste Of the
msHeY wrung from the people by oppressive
taxation and the lavish appropriations of re-
cent Republican congresses, which have kept
taxes high, while the labor that pays them is
unemployed, and the products Of the peoples
toll are depressed in price till they no longer
repay the cost of production.
We demand return to that simplicity and
economy which BELTS democratic govern
ment and reduction of the number Of use
less offices, the salaries of which drain the
substance Of the people.
We 6enounce arbitrary interference by fed
eral authorities in local affairs as q violation
of the constitution OF the United States and
crime against free institutions and we es
pecially object to government by, injunction
as . new and highly dangerous form of op-
preston by which federal judges, in contempt
Sf the laws Of the states and rights of citizens,
become at once legislators, judges and execu-
toners and we approve the bill passed at the
last session OF the United States senate and
now pending in the house of representatives
relative to conteinpts in federal courts and
nrSyidfips for trials by nrY cfses % ef fontsnt
the,government Of the United States in favor
Of its debtors We approve of the refusal of
the Fifty-third congress to pass the Pacific
railroad funding bill and denounce the effort
OF the present republican congress to enact
similar measure.
Recognizing the Just claims bf The deserving
Union soldiers we heartily endorse the rules
of the present commits AoneF of pensions, that
no names shall be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll, and the fact Of enlistment
and service should be deemed conclusive evi-
dence against disease and disability before en-
listment
We favor the admission of the territories of
New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arizona to the
union as states, and we favor the early
admission Of, all the territories to state
ho2d hS IAN ana while they remain territories We
ter the government Of any territory together
with the District Of Columbia and Alaska,
should be bona f1de residents of the territory
or district in which their duties are to be per-
formed
The democrtic party believe in home rule,
and that all public lands of the United States
should be appropriated to the establishment
OF free homes for American citizens.
We recommend that the territory of Alaska
begranted delegate in congress, and that
the general land and timber laws of the
United States be extended to said territory.
The. Monroe doctrine, as originally de-
clared and as interpreted by succeeding
presidents, is permanent part Of the foreign
policy, of the United States, and must at all
times be maintained
We extend our sympathy to the people Of
Cuba in their heroic struggle for liberty and
independence.
We are opposed to life tenure in public
service. We faver appointments based upon
merit, fixed terms Of office, and such an adj
ministration of the civil service laws as will
afford equal opportunities to all citizens of
ascertained fitness.
We declare it to be an unwritten law of
this republic. established by custom and
usage f10Oyears and sanctioned by the exam
pies of the greatest and Wisest of those who