The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-27
IT HAS THE GENUINE RING
OF ROCK-R|BBED DEMOCRACY

The following is an abstract contain
ing the principal features of the plat
form adopted by the Massachusetts,
democratic state convention:
'As on every proper occasion since
the democratic national convention of
1896. the democrats of Massachusetts,
reaffirm and indorse in general, and in
particular, the principles of the plat
form adopted by that convention. We
pronounce that political code one writ
ten not for a. year or for a single cam
paign, but for all time, being made up
as it is of the fundamental principles of
democracy, upon the acceptance of and
enforcement Of which alone a free gov
eminent of, by and for the people can
be maintained.
Particularly do we reiterate our be-
lief in the financial plank Of the Chi
cago platform, and renew our demand
for the free and unlimited coinage of
both gold and silver at the ratio of 16
to /. Heavy and unexpected discover
les of gold, and of new processes for
extracting that metal, together with
the other supplies, have resulted, since
1896, in an increase in the volume of
money estimated at SAL, 100000 for the
IHlleu SldleS alOne.
THE immediate revival of prices and
trade accompanying this increase de-
monstrated the democratic contention
that the evils from which the nation
suffered SO gravely in the five years
prior to 1897 proceeded from a contract
ed currency, for which republican
financial legislation had provided no
form of relief.
But the benefits of a rise in the price
level under the gold standard are of
necessity unequally and unjustly distri-
buted. The farmers of the West and
South, being compelled to sell their
products in the worlds markets in
competition with silver using countries,
are condemned to low prices for what
they sell, while the rising scale of prices
at home, due partly to the increased
volume of money, and more to the in
PREVENTION of the trusts, results in the
exaction from them of higher prices for
all they have to buy.
THE prosperity of New England rests
upon the prosperity of her customers,
and Massachusetts, in pleading the
cause of the farmers of the West and
South, advances her own industrial in
terests, and no system which decreases
the income and increase the outgo OF
the farming community can afford
safe foundation for a sound commercial
fabric.
I'VE denounce unqualifedly the pur-
pose of the republican party to surren-
der to the banks the governmental
function of issuing paper money and
controlling it's volume. Such action
would create trust in comparison
with which all other monopoles would
be trivial.
To-day our trust magnates are our
bankers. They hold the bank stock
they sit ON the boards of directors, they
select the officials. and they will apply
TO their command over the supply Of
the nations money the same merciless
and extortionate methods which they
use In turning to their own profit their
present monopoies.
TO the war with Spain-a war right
~ waged in the cause of humanity.
and which was forced upon an unwill-
ing republican administration by the
lnsistence of the democrats in house
and senate-there has succeeded a war
or criminal aggression in the Philip
pines We hold that this war Is wan
ton and needless. 1t is in violation of
the principles of American constitu-
tlonal liberty, not only because il is
prosecuted by the administration with
out the congressional action which the
constitution prescribes, but because n
is denial of that right of seIf-sovern-
ment which from the day our FORE
fathers faced the British at Concord
erIuse mas been a cardinal precept of
American political philosophy.
1T Is a wasteful war in all its mate