Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-15

W
jackson declared that this power could
not be delegated to CORPORATIONS or
individuals. We therefore denounce
the Issuance of notes intended to cir
culate as money by national banks as
IN derogation of the Constitution, and
we demand that all paper which is
made legal tender for public and
private debts, and which is receivable
for dues to the United States, shall be
issued by the Government of the Uni
ted States, and shall be redeemable in
coin.
THE TARIFF.
We hold that tariff duties should be
levied for purposes of revenue, such
duties to be so adjusted as to oper-
ate equally throughout the country
and Lot discriminate between class or
section and that taxation should be
limited by the needs of the Govern
ment honestly and economically ad-
ministered. We denounce as disturb
ing to business the Republican threat
to restore the Mckinley law, which
has twice been condemned by the peo-
pie in national elections and which,
enacted under the false plea of protec
ton to home Industries, proved q
prolific breeder of trusts and monop
| olies, enriched the few at the expense
OF the many, restricted the trade and
deprived the producers of the great
American staples OF access to their
natural markets. Until the money
question is settled, we are opposed to
any agitation for further changes in
our tariff laws except such as are
necessary 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 deficit in the
revenue under the law passed by a
Democratic Congress in strict pursu-
ance of the uniform decisions OF that
Court for nearly one hundred years,
that Court having in that decision
sustained constitutional objections to
it's enactment which had previously
been overruled by the ablest judges
who have ever sat on that bench. We
declare that it is the duty of Congress
to use all the constitutional power
which remains after that decision or
which may come from its reversal by
the Court as it may hereafter be con-
stituted, so that the burdens of taxa
ton may be equally and impartially
laid to the end that wealth may bear
/
the Government.
| TO PROTECT AMERICAN LABOR.
| We hold that the most efficient way
of protecting American labor is to
prevent the importation of foreign
pauper labor to compete with it in the
home market, and that the value of
the home market to our American
farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by a vicious monetary system which
depresses the prices of their products
below the cost of production, and thus
deprives them of the means of pur-
chasing the products of our home
manufacturers, and as labor creates
the wealth of the country, we demand
the passage of such laws as may be
necessary to protect it in all its rights.
| INTERSTATE COMMERCE..
! We are in favor of the arbitration of
differences between employers engaged
in interstate commerce. and their
employees, and recommend such legis-
lation as is necessary to carry out this
| policy.
TRUSTS AND POOLS.
| The absorption of wealth by the few,
| the combination of our leading rail
road systems, and the formation of
trusts and pools REQ uire stricter con-
| troll by the Federal Government of
| those arteries Of commerce. We de
| mand the enlargement of the powers
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
| sion and such restrictions and guar
antees in the control of railroads as
will protect the people from robbery
and oppression.
OPPRESSIVE TAXATION.
We denounce the profigate waste of
the money wrung from the people by
oppressive taxation and the lavish
appropriations of recent 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 pro
ductiOn.
We demand a return to that SIMPLE
Ity and economy which BELTS
Democratic Government and a reduc-
ton in the number of useless Offices,
the salaries of which drain the sub
stance of the people.
FEDERAL INTERFERENCE IN LOCAL
AFFAIRS.
We denOunce arbitrary interference
by Federal authorities in local affairs
as violation of the Constitution of
the United States and a crime against
free institutions, and we especially
object to government by injunction as
a new and highly dangerous form of
oppression by which Federal judges,
in contempt OF the laws of the State
and rights of citizens, become at once
legislators, judges and executioners,
and we approve the bill passed at the
last session of the United States Sen
ate and now pending in the House of
Representatives relative to contempt
in Federal courts and providing trials
by jury in certain cases of contempt.
NO DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR oP
DEBTORS.
No discrimination should be indulg-
ed by the Government of the United
States in favor of any of it's debtors. |
We approve of the refusal of the Fifty
third Congress to pass the Pacific Rail |
road Funding bill and denounce the
efforts of the present Republican Con
gress to enact similar measure.
PENSIONS.
Recognizing the just claims of deserv-
ing Union soldiers we heartily endorse |
the rule.of the present Commissioner
of Pensions that no names shall be ar |
bitrarily dropped from the pension roll |
and the fact of enlistment and service |
should be deemed conclusive evidence
against disease and disability before
enlistment.
THE ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.
We favor the admission of the Ter
ritories of New Mexico and Arizona in
to the Union as States, and we favor
the early admission of all the Terri:
tories having the necessary population
and resources to entitle them to state
hood, and while they remain Territories
we hold that the officials appointed to
the government of any Ter
ritory, together with the District of
Columbia and Alaska, should be bona
ide residents of the Territory or dis
srict in which the duties are to be per-
formed.
HOME RULE
The Democratic party believes in
home rule and that all public lands of
5he United States should be appropri-
ited to the establishment of free homes
or American citizens.
Il ~ /