Show democratic PLATFORM we the democrats of alie united state in national convention assembled do renira our allegiance to those great essential principles of justice and liberty upon which our institutions are founded and which the democratic party hag advocated from jeffersons time to our own freedom of speech freedom oi the press freed ol 01 conscience the preservation of personal lights the equality of all citizens before the law and the faithful observance of constitutional limitations during all these years the democratic party has resisted the tendency of selfish interests to the centralization of governmental power and steadfastly main stained the integrity of the dual scheme of the government established by abe founders of this republic of republics under its guidance and teachings alie areat principle of local self government has found its best expression in the maintenance of the rights of the states and in its assertion of the necessity 0 confining the general government to alie exercise of power granted by the constitution ution of abe united states MOSEY MAIN ISSUE recognizing that abe money question i paramount to all others at this time we invite attention to the fact that abe federal constitution names silver and gold together as the money metals ef llin united states and that the first law passed by congress under the constitution made the abe monetary unit and admitted gold to free coinage nt a ratio based upon abe silver dollar unit we declare that the act of 1873 l silver without the knowledge or approval of the american people resulted in taft appreciation of gold and 1 fall in the prices 01 produced by the people ahtty ty increase in the burden of taxation and all debts public and private the enrichment ot the money lending at h me and abroad the prostration of industry and impoverishment of abe people we are unalterably opposed to which has locked fast the prosperity of an people in the paralysis of bard times gold mono is a british policy and lie adoption has brought other nations into financial servitude in london it is not only American but anti american and it can be fastened on the united states only by the stifling of that spirit and love of liberty which proclaimed our political independence in 1776 and won it in the war of the revolution THE we demand the free and unlimited coinage of both cold and silver at the present legal ratio of 10 to 1 without waiting for the aid or consent of any other nation we demand that the standard silver dollar shall be a full legal tender equally with gold tor all debts public and private and we favor such legislation as will prevent in the future the of any kind of legal tender money by private contract we are opposed to the policy and practice of surrendering to the bolders of the obligations of abe united states the options reserved by law to the government of redeeming such obligations in either silver coin or gold coin XO BONDS IX TIME OF PEACE we are opposed to the issuing of in terest bearing bonds of the united slates in lime f peace and condemn abe taj nicking with banking syndicates with and in exchange for bonds at an enormous profit to themselves to supply the federal treasury with gold to maintain the policy of gold CONGRESS TO ISSUE congress alone has the power to issue money and president jackcon declared that this power could not be delegated to corporations or individuals we therefore demand that the power to issue notes to circulate aa money be taken from the national banks and that all paper money shall be issued directly by abe treasury department and be redeemable dee mable in coin and for all debts public and private TUE AND TAX we anid that the tariff duties should be levied for kupses pup ses of revenue such duties to be so adjusted as to operate cooperate co equally the country and not discriminate between class or ejection and that taxation should bo limited by the needs of the government honestly and economically administered wede bounce as disturbing to busi cesa the republican threat to restore the me kinley law which has been twice condemned by alio people in national elections and which enacted under the falee plea of protection to home industry proved a prolific breeder of trusts and monopolies enriching the few at the many restricted and deprived abe of the great american staples of access to their natural markets until the money question ie fettled we are opposed to any agitation for further changes in our tariff laws except such as are necessary to meet abe deficit in revenue caused by the adverse decision by the supreme court on the income tax but for this decision by the court there would be no deficit in the revenue in the law passed by a democratic congress in strict pursuance of the uniform decisions of that court lor nearly years that court lias in that decision sustained constitutional objections to its enactment which had previously been overruled by the best judges who have ever set on that bench we declare that it is the duty of con gross to use all the constitutional power which remans after that decision or which may come of its by the court as it acay hereafter be constituted EO that abe burdens of taxation may be equally and impartially laid to the end that wealth may bear its due proportion of the expense of the government we hold that the most efficient way of protecting tec ting american interests is to prevent the importation of foreign pauper labor to complete with it in the homo market and that the value of the home market to farmers aud artisans is greatly reduced bv the monetary system which depresses the prices of their products below abo cost of production and thus deprives them of the means of purchasing the products of our facture rs the absorption 0 wealth by the few the consolidation of our leading systems and the formation of our trusts and pools requires et control bv the federal government of these arteries of commerce we demand the enlargement of the powers of the interstate commerce corn mission and such restrictions and guarantees in the control of railroads as will protect the people from robbery and oppression WASTE OF MONEY we denounce the profligate waste of the money wrung from alie people by oppressive taxation taxi tion and the favish appropriation of recent republican congresses gr esses which leave kept taxes high while the laborer that pays them ia unemployed products of the peoples toil are depressed in price till they no longer repay the cost of production we demand a return to that simplicity and economy which befits a democratic government and reduction in the number of useless offices the salaries ol 01 which draw the substance ot the country IN LOCAL AFFAIRS we denounce arbitrary by federal authorities in local affairs as a violation of alie constitution of the united states and a crime against free institutions and we respectfully object to government by injunction as a new and highly dangerous form ot oppression by which federal bud getsin contempt of the lawe of the states and the rights of citizens become at once legislators judges and executioner sand we approve the bill passed at the last session of the united states senate and now pending in the representatives relative lo 10 contempt jn federal courts and providing for trials by fury in certain cases of contempt PACIFIC coads ANU BILLS no discrimination should be indulged by the government ortho united states in favor of any of its debtors we approve of the refusal of the fifty third congress to pass the pacific railroad funding bill and denounce the efforts of the present republican congress to enact a similar measure JUST PENSION LAWS recognizing abe just claims of deserving union soldiers we heartily indorse the rule of the commissioner of pensions that no names shall be arbitrarily dropped from the pension rolls ard the fact of enlistment and service should be deemed conclusive evidence I disease and disability before enlistment OF territories we favor the ad mission of the territories of new mexico and arizoca into the as stales and we favor the early admission cf all the territories having the necessary population and resources to entitle them to statehood I 1 and while they remain territories we hold that the officials appointed to administer the of any teni tory the ground with the district Di of columbia and alaski should be bona fide residents of alie or district in which the duties are to be performed the democratic party believes in home rule and that all public lands of the united states should be app to abe establishment of free for american Amb rican citizens we recommend that alaska be granted a delegate in congress and that the general land and timber laws ot the united states be extended to said territory FOR CUBA we extend our sympathy to alie people of cuba in their struggle for liberty and independence CIVIL SERVICE NO TERM we are opposed to life tenure in the public we favor menta baaed upon merit fixed terms of office and such an of the civil service laws ns will afford equal opportunities tuni ties to all citizens cf ascertained fit feea we declare it to be the unwritten law of this republic by custom and usage of one hundred years and sanctioned by alio examples of abe great state and abe wisest of those who founded it that no man ehwald be eligible tor a third term WATERWAY improvements the federal government should care for and improve the mississippi river and other areat waterways water rays of tha republic so as to lecure for abe interior slates easy and clieaf transportation to tide water when any waterway of the republic is of sufficient importance to demand aid of the government such aid should be extended apon a ie finito plan of continuous work until permanent improvement pro iff secured confiding in the justice ot our cause and the necessity of its success at the polls we submit the foregoing declaration of principles and purposes llie considerable judgment of the american people we invite the support cf all citizens who approve them and ft ho de to have them through legislation for the relief of the peonie and the restoration of the prosperity |