The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-10-02
The Platform.

| convention n hi5rmblrd, 20 hfl1rm our nllegianco
| to those great csseniiel principles OF Justice
and liberty upon which onr institutions are
founde and which ths Democratic party has
! advocated from JHTersons time to our own
! freedom OF speech, freedom Of the press, froe
dom of conscience tho preservation of por-
eonal rights, tho equality Of all citizens before
the law, and tho faithful observance Of con
| stitutional limitations.
| During oil these years tho Democratic party
| has resisted the tendency OF selfish interests
| TO the Capitalization Of governmental power
and stoadfastly maintained tho integrity OF
| the dual sohen Of government established By
| tho founders OF this republic of republica.
| Under its Ruidanoe and teachings the great
| principie OF lUcsl self government has found
| It's best expires don In the maintenance OF tho
| rights OF the statos and its MS ,ertion OF tho
| neorss!ty OF cnnhnlng the general governments
to the exercise OF tho powers granted by tho
| ors.ituton OF tho United States
| Tao constitution OF tho United States guar
antces to every citizen tho rights of civil and
| religious liberty. The Democratic party has
always buen tn, exponent OF political liberty
/ and OF religions freedom, ard 10 renews its OBJ
| ligntions and reaflirm, the devotion to those
fundamental principles OF the constitution.
| Recognizing that the money question is par
| amount TO all others ut this time, we invite
attention to the fact that tho federal constitu.
ton names sllv 3r and gold to ;otheI ~ the
| money metals OF the United States, and that
| the first coinr q law passed by congress under
| the constitution m 1te tho silver dollar tho
monetary unit and admitted gold to free coin
ago at ratio based upon the silver unit
We are opposed to the pol cy and practice
Of surrendoriu- to the holders OF the obliga-
tions of the Uiised States the option reserved
| by law TO the government of redeeminy such
obligation in either silver coin gold coin
| We aro opposed to the issuing Of interest
| bearing bonds OF the United States in times of
! peace, and condemn the tra1clSing nth bank
| ing syndcates which, in exchange for bonds
and ,rinous Nrodt to themselves, supply the
| federal treasury with gold 10 m .intsin the
policy of gold recommendation.
| Congress u one has the power to coz or issue
money, as President jackson declared that
this power could not hn ilegstol to corpora
tions or individuals. We therefore demand
| that the power to issue notes to circulate
money be taken from the national banks, and
| that all papor money sha be issued directly
! by the trensury department, be redeem. bio in
| coin anil receivable for ull debts, public and
| private
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
for purposes of rovonus, ,such duties to be so al.
| justed ~ to operate equally throughout tho
| country, and not discriminate between cass
| or section and that taxation shoull b limited
| by tho needs Of the government honestly and
| economically administered. Wo denounGe Q
| disturb bpg TO busin.s, tho Republican threat
| to restore .he Mckinley law, which has been
| twice condemned by tho people in national
| elections and which, enacted under false pleas
| Of protection TO home industry, proved u pro-
| life breeder eof trusts and monopolies EN-
| riched the few at the expense OF tie many, re-
| stricted trade AID deprived the producers Of
| the great American staples Of access to their
natural markets.
Until tho money que 'tion Ia settled we are
| opposed TO any agitation for further changes
In Cur tariff laws, except such are neces.
sary IN meot the deficit In rovenuo caussl by
tho adverse decision OF tho supreme court on
the income tax. But for this decision by the
Supreme court there would be no def o t In the
revenues undo the law passed by u Demo
cratic congress in strict pursuance of tho uni
after be constituted, 40 That ths burdcns Of
tszation may bo equally and impartlally laid,
TO the ond that wealth may boar its duo pro-
portion OF the expenses of the government
We hold that the most Efficient way of p-o
tecting American labor Is t. prevent tho I'M
portation OF foreign pauper labor to compete
with IL in the home market, and that the value
of the home market to our American farmers
aud artisans Is greatly reduced by vicious
monetary system which dcpressoS the prices
OF their products below the cost Of production
and thus dopriv,s them of the means OF pur.
chasing the products of our home nianufacto-
rie5.
The absorption OF wealth by tho few, the
consolidation OF our leading railroad systems
And the formation OF trusts and pools require
OF those arteries of commerce. We demand
the enlargement OF the powers OF the inter
state CONNER commission, AMI such restric'
tions and guarantees in the ntrol of rail
roads as will protect the people from robbery
and oppression.
Wo denounce the prohlgat waste OF tho
msney wrung from tho people by oppressive
taxati, II and II lavish appropriations or re.
cent Republican congresses. which have kcpt
tnxes 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 tho cost of production. We demand
return to that simplicity and economy VIII Oh
BELTS u Democratic government and reduc
tion in tho number Of useless Offices, tho sna' |
rles OF which drain tho substance Of tha people |
We dcnounoe arbitrary interference by fed |
eral authorities In local affairs as u violation |
Of the constitution OF the United Sta'o' aud |
crime against froo institutions, AID wo o.
pccially object to government by injunction |
as new aud highly dangerous form OF OPP
Irsssion by which federal judges, in contemp |
of tho laws of the states and rights OF citizens,
become at once legislators, judges aud cxecu- |
TONERS, and we approve the bill passed at the |
last session OF the United States senate and |
now pending in the house of repr, intatlves |
relative to contempts in federal courts and |
providing for trials by jury CO ic4 Of con tcnpt.
No discrimination shoull be indug I'd by the |
government of the United States in favor of
any Of its debtors. We approve OF tho o 'uSa!
f'the Fifty-third congress To pass tho Pacitc |
railroad funding bill, and denounce the effort
Of tho present Republican congress to enforce
similar measures.
Recognizing tho just claims Of the deserving
Union soldiers we heartily endorss the rules
of the Eresent comm snoncr of pensions, that
no names shl.l be arbitrarily dropped from
the pension roll, and the fact of enlistment
and service should be doomed conclusive evi'
dence against seaso and disability before en-
listment.
Wefavor the admission OF the territories OF
Now Mexico and Arizona into tho Union Gs
stato+, and we favor the early admission OF
all tn, territories having the necessary pOpu'
lntion and resources TO ent,tle them to state
hood, and while they remain territories wo
hold that tho officials appointed to q minister
tho government OF any territory, together
with tho Di,trlct of Columbia, should be bona
Ado residents of the territory or district in
which their duties arc performed The Dem.
ocratic party believes in home rule anl tnat
all public lands Of the United States snouli be
appropriutei TO the establLihmeut of fee
homes for American citizcas
We recommend thai tho territory of Alaska
be granted q delegate in congress ind that the
general land And timber laws OF the United
Stares be extended to Said territory,
We extend our sympathy to the pcone Of
Cuba In thor heroic struggle for liberty and
Independence
We are oppo-ei to life tenure in the public
service We favor appoint tments basG3 up1n
merlt, fxed terms Of office and such an adinin'
istration OF tho civil service law as will AFFORD
equal opportunities TO all citizens of ascer
tanned ftaess