The Cape Girardeau Democrat., 1896-07-11
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

Free Silver Leaders Hold Conference
on the Financial Plank Which Will be
the Dominating Feature of the Demo-
cratic Platform-There VIII be Other
PIanks, But, to All Appearances, They
Will be Only Secondary.
CHICAGO, July 6.-Free silver leaders
who have been selected by the re-
spective delegations as members of the
committee on resolutions, and others
who will uDdou btedly form part OF
that important organization, have
been conferring together with respect
to the text of the platform, and the
subjects that shall be mentioned there
in. Only upon the financial plank has
there been any definite agreement.
As heretofore stated in these dis
patches, this plank is to dominate the
whole platform, and all other matters
are to be second thereto. The exact
text has not been finally determined,
but that is a matter of detail that can
be easily arranged when the commit
tee gets together. That it will he
short, clear-cut, concise declaration
for the free and unlimited coinage of
SllNcE dU InC VI AZ W L 10 - AOAO
gone conclusion. Two short sem
tences are all that will be necessary
to construct this plank.
The indications are that those who
have hoped the platform would ignore
matters will be disappointed. Well
known men. among those in control
of convention matters, assert that the
tariff question must not be overlooked.
While there is diversity of opinion
as to the adyisability of coming out
in a hat-footed Endorsement of the
Wilson tariff act, that law, bearing
the stamp of democracy, will be incl
dentally indorsej, at least. If the
United States senators are permitted
to have their way, the platform will de-
clare that the present tariff law should
remain untouched until the eXigencies
of the occasion prove that its moiiti-
cation in absolutely necessary.
Whether the income tax, which was
declared to DC unconstitutional by >he
supreme court, shall be referred to, is
question upon which there is very
great difference of opinion. The ma
jority of the leaders, however, appear
to be in favor of recognizing the prin-
ciple which became part of the Will
son tariff act, and determined effort
is to be made by delegates from some
of the western and southern states to
secure an expression on the subject.
The administration will not be men,
toned in the platform Some of the
,-aAiaul nf thA silver
an emphatic condemnation of the
financial policy of President Cleveland
and Secretary Carlisle inserted in the
platform, but it is believed that while
| the administration will escape censure,
the convention will likewise refuse to
| commend it, and that any substitute
the gold men may offer will be voted
| down by the solid free silver men of
| the convention.
There was a great deal of talk yes
terday favorable to a plank that
smacks very largely of what is known
as jingoism. A delegate vino has
been selected as a member of the COM
mittee on resolutions, and who will,
in all proba ability, be its chairman,
said that the democratic party had al
ways been the American party, and it
was only during the administrations
of President Cleveland that the Amer
icanism of the party had been cast
aside. 1t is, therefore, quite likely
that the foreign policy of the present
administration will, by indirection at
least, be repudiated.
If the programme agreed upon by
these gentlemen does not go amiss,
the sympathy of the democratic party
will be expressed for suffering Cuba
and demand made for the recoEni-
ton of its independence. 1t is not i'm
possible that the desire TO ''ever
! things up with the administration
may lead to the adoption of IA plank OF
this subject that will be equally az
strong as that adopted at st. Louis.