The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1896-10-24

DEHIOCRATECE PLATFORM
We the Democrats of the United States
in national convention assembled, do re-
affirm our allegiance to those great essen
tial principles Of Justice and liberty upon
which our institutions are founded and
which the Democratic party has adVoeat-
I'd from JetfersOn'S time TO Onf own. free
dom OF speech, freedom OF the press, free
! dom Of conscience, the preservation of
personal rights the equality OF all cltlzeus
before the law, and tie faithful observ-
ance of constitutional limitations.
DuIing eli these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency OF seIhSn
interests 10 the Capitalization OF govern
mental power aud steadIastly maintained
the integrity OF the dual scheme OF gov
ernment established by the founders of
this Feplbhc Of republics. Under its
guidaoce the great principle of local self
government has found It's best expression
in tile maintenance OF the tights Oh oha
States and i'll It's assertion OF the necessl-
ty of coDining the general government TO
! the exercise OF Une powers granted by the
Constitution of the United States.
'tRecognizing th2t the money system is
paramount TO all others at this time. We
invite attention to thef fact that the Fed
eral Constitution names sllyef.tand gold
together as the money metals Oh the Unit
ed States, and that the first coinage law
passed by Congress under the ConStitu-
ton made the silver dollar the monetary
unit and admitted go!dthe free coinage at
q ratio based upon the silver dollar unit.
We declare that The act OF 1875, de-
monetizing silver without the knowledge
or approval Of the American people, has
resulted in the appreciation OF gold II
a corresponding fall i'll the prices Of COM
modities produced by the people; 2 heavy
increase in the burden of taxation and
of all debts, public and private; the en-
richmeht of the money lending class at
home and abroad; pr~ostration Of industry
and impoverishment OF the people,
We are unalterably opposed to the
recommendation, which has loekedfast the
prosperity Of an industrial people in the
paralysis of bard times. Gold monOmet-
! allisiD is a British policy, and its adoption
has brought other nations into financial
servitude to London. 1t is not only I'M
american, but anti-American, and it can
be fastened on the United States only by
the sitting of that spirit and love of lib"
cry which proclaimed our political indie
pendence in 1T76. and won 1T III the war
of the Revolution.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
present legal ratio Of 16 TO l., without
waiting for the aid or consent Of any 9th
er nation. We demand that the standard
silver dollar shall be ~ full legal tander
| SuUallN Will SU1S. lOL gu Opto PN-pLlS
and private, and we favor such leglsla-
tioa aswiu prevent for the future the de-
monetization Of any kind of legal tender
money by private contract.
We are opposed to the policy and prac
tice of surrenj aring TO b holders of the
obligations Of the UnlteG States the OF.
ton reserved by law TO the government
of redeeIniug such obligations in either
silver coin OF gold oil.
We are opposed TO che issuing of inter
est-bearing bonds OF the United States III
time OF peace and condemn the ~tl:shicking
with banking syndicates which, IN eN-
change for bonds and as an enormons
profit TO themselves. supply the Fede.a al
treasury with gold to MAINTAIN the pollcy
of gold ulonometalllsm,
Congress alone has the power to coin
and issue money, and President Jackson
declared that this power corld not be = /
gated to corporations or i~ndlVldUaIS. We
therefore demand that the power to issue
notes to circulate as money be taken fiom
national banks and that I'll PAPER mon
ey snail be issued directly by The
Treasury Department, redeemable IN coin
and receivable for all debts. public ane
private. :,
We lold that the tariff duties should
be levied for purposes OF revenue, srch
duties to be so adjusted as to operate
equally throughout the country, and not
discri inmate between Glass n section,
} and that taxation should be limited by
the needs OF the government, honestly
!, and e~conomicaIy administered. We de
) nounce as disturbing to business the lee
J publican threat to restore the Mckinley
/, law. which has twice been condemned by
the people in national elections, ano
J which. enacted under false plea of pro,
! tecuion tohome industry, proved q promo
> breeder of truss and m~onopolles, eallch-
J ed the few at the expense OF tne lmaly,
!, restricted trade and deprived the produ.
> GERS of the great American staples OF ac-
! cess to their natural markets.
! Until the money question is settled we
are opposed to any agitation for inrthel
J changes in our tariff laws, except srch az
/ are necessary to make sllp the deficit II
, revenue, caused by the adverse decision
J by the supeme court on the income tax
But for this there would be no deficit IL
revenue. Under the law passed by {
J Democratic Congress, in strict pursuance
of the uniform decisions OF that c0urj
having that decision sustained, constitu
J tionaI objection to It's enactment, hic
has been overrrled by the ablest iudgeI
VINO ever sat IN that bench. We declare
that it is the duty of Congress to all the
constitutional Iowef which remains ate
that decision or which m?y come from 1t
reversal hv the corrt as it may hereafter
DE constituted, so that the burdens o.
taxation NAV be equally and impartially
land to the end that wealth NAV bear 1T
due proportionate expenses OF tle govern
, ment.
We hold that the most efficient way tt
protect American labor is to prevent tht
importation of foreign paHper labor t.
compete with it in the home market, ms
that the value of the home market to oul
, farmers and artisans is greatly reduced
by avicious monetary system, which de
I~resses the price of their products below
the cost of production, and thus deprlvei
49,, ~ +In, n, IN ~ G of mn rph a EIO Or tEp nPD.
ducts of our home manufacturers,
The aksnrntion of wealth by the few