The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-08-18
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Adopted at the State Conven-
ton at Springfield Last
Week.

The democrats of Missouri, IL
state convention assembled, rein
dorse the democratic national plat
form adopted at Chicago in 1896, and
especially do we renew our demand
for the free and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold at the present le-
gal ratio of Is to l, without waiting
for the consent of any other nation,
and this demand we especially en-
phasizs at this time by reassertlng
our belief that the money question
is and will remain the most import
ant of all political questions affect,
ing the prosperity and happiness
of our people until it is finally set
tied by the restoration of bImetalic
coinage in accordance with our de-
mand.
We hereby declare our confidence
in the ability, integrity, statesman
ship and patriotism Of William j.
Bryan, eur great democratic leader
and choice of the Missouri democra
cy for president in 1900.
Absolutely confident that the free
and unrestricted use Of gold and sill
yer as standard money for all the
American republics would promote
national prosperity in all of them
and result in making America the
most prosperous and powerful quar-
ter on the globe, we would invite
the co operation of our sister repub
lies in establishing bimetalsm as the
American monetary system, IN con-
tradistinction to the European mon
etary system, monometalism. We
would oppose America with bimetal
ism against Europe with monomet
alism in commercial competition and
industrial development.
While we believe the American re
publics should break away from Eu
ropean dictation and combine in es
tablishing distinct monetary sys
tenn OF their own, and while we
should strive to secure the cooper
alton of our sister republics in &C
complishing that great object and in
promoting American commerce, we
nevertheless demand the immediate
restoration of both gold and silver
coinage at the ratio by our govern
ment without waiting for the aid or
consent of any other nation
We call attention to the fact that
the republican party has failed to en-
force the antitrust laws. The 1000
men said by statisticians to control
over BALI of the wealth of the coun
try have taken complete control of
the republican organization and are
using it as political machine, re
gardless of the welfare or the rights
OF the people. Regarding trusts
and combinations in restraint of |
trade and evils of the greatest mag
nitude, and as organizations of this
nature not only continue to exist,
but multiply in numbers in defiance
of the law and public sentiment, we
demand that such laws, both state
and national, be enacted as will GER
tainly result in suppressing them
We assert that the declaration of
war against Spain was justified by
the causes which called it forth
We direct attention to the fact that
the national republican administra-
ton. backed by the republican ma
jority in congress, was opposed to
war and yielded only after long de
lay to strong public sentiment,
aroused by the first and persistent i
demands of Democratic senators {
and representatives., foremost among s
whom were those from Missouri; |
aud for their part 10 forcing the re,
publican president aud congress to t
defend the rights of our country We t
extend them our hearty congratula
ton. I
Confident that the war could have (
been prosecuted to . successful and
speedy end without increasing the !
nterest-bearing debt of the people, '
We denounce the issue of millions of I
bonds SIS both unwise and uuneces- c
sary, as the expense ST the war could a
have been met by the coinage of t