STATKS OF AMKKK'A. 





vidual consistent with pood government; to the preser- 

 vation of the Federal <;<'\'Tnmem in its constitutional 

 vigor, and to tin- support of tin- States in all their just 

 rL'ln- : iiy in the public expenditures : 



maintenance of the public faith ami sound money ; and 

 to paternalism and all .'inn.' 



The dri-laratii'iis "f ' 



convention attaek individual freedom, the right of pri- 

 vate eontraet. the independence of t he judiciary . and the 

 authority of the President to enfoive Federal laws. They 

 advocate a reckless attempt to increase the jn-iee of silver 

 Iiy legislation to the deliasement of our monetary stand- 

 ard, and threaten unlimited issues of paper money by the 

 Government. They abandon for Republican allies the 

 Democratic cause of tariti' reform to court the favor of 

 protectionists to their riscal In 



In view of these and other grave departures from Dem- 

 ocratic principles we can not support the Candida' 

 that convention nor be hound by its a.-ts. The Demo- 

 cratic party has survived many defeats, but could not 

 survive a victory won in behalf <>f the doctrine and pol- 

 icy it proclaimed in its name at Ch' 



Tin /,' The conditions, however, 



which make possible such utterances from a national 

 convention are the direct result of class legislation by the 

 Republican party. It still proclaims, as it has for years, 

 the power and duty of Government to raise and main- 

 tain prices by law. and it pr 'medy for exist- 

 ing evils except oppressive and unjust taxation. 



TarijF. The National Democracy here convened there- 

 fore renews its declaration of faith in Democratic princi- 

 ples, especially as applicable to the conditions of the times. 

 Taxation, tariff, excise or direct, is rightfully imposed 

 only for public purposes and not for private" gain. Its 

 amount is justly measured by public expenditures, which 

 should be limited by scrupulous economy. The sum de- 

 rived by the Treasury trom tariff and excise levies is 

 affected by the state of trade and volume of consumption. 

 The amount required by the Treasury is determined by 

 the appropriations made by C..n_' 



The demand of the Republican party for an increase in 

 tariff taxation lias its pretext in the deficiency of revenue, 

 which has its causes in the stagnation of trade and re- 

 duced consumption, due entirely to the loss of confidence 

 that has followed the Populist threat of free coinage and 

 depreciation of our money and the Republican practice 

 of extravagant appropriations beyond the needs of good 

 government. ^ e arraign and condemn the Popuh'stic 

 conventions of Chicago and St. Louis for their co-opera- 

 tion with the Republican party in creating these condi- 

 tions which are pleaded in justification of a heavy in- 

 crease of the burdens of the people by a further resort to 

 r ion. 



Protect i'f'ii. We therefore denounce protection and its 

 alh. free coinage of silver, as schemes for the personal 

 profit of a few at the expense of the masses, and oppose 

 the two parties which stand for these schemes as hostile 

 to the people of the republic, whose food and shelter, 

 comfort and prosperity, are attacked by higher taxes and 

 depreciated money ; in fine, we reaffirm the historic 

 Democratic doctrine of tariff for revenue only. 



Shipping. We demand that henceforth modern and 

 liberal policies toward American shipping shall take the 

 place of our imitation of the restricted statutes of the 

 eighteenth century, which have been abandoned by every 

 maritime power but the United States, and which, to the 

 nation's humiliation, have driven American capital and 

 enterprise to the use of alien flags and alien crews, have 

 made the stars and stripes an almost unknown emblem 

 in foreign ports, and have virtually extinguished the 

 race of American seamen. 



We oppose the pretense that discriminating duties will 

 promote shipping. That scheme is an invitation to com- 

 mercial warfare upon the United States. un-American in 

 the light of our great commercial treaties, ottering no 

 gain whatever to American shipping, while greatly in- 

 creasing ocean freights on our agricultural and manufac- 

 tured products. 



C>irrnic>/. The experience of mankind lias shown that, 

 by reason of their natural qualities, gold is the necessary 

 money of the large affairs of commerce and bu- 

 while silver is conveniently adapted to minor transac- 

 tions, and the most beneficial use of both together can be 

 insured on it by the adoption of the former as a standard 

 of monetary measure, and the maintenance of silver at a 

 parity with gold by its limited coinage under suitable 

 safeguards of law. 



VOL. xxxvi. 49 A 



Ti.'i- the 



world, which constitutes the only practi Jullie 



currency, assimiiL' the mosl 



eially the best and sir ;'.,r all wh" 



livelihood l,y labor ,,r the produce of liusban-. 



can not sutler when paid in tin- 



man. but are the peculiar an- 



-d and fluctuating cum n.-\. whicl 'inual 



profits to the money changer at tin ' 



Realizing the truths demonstrated b\ long and public 

 inconvenience and loss, the Democratic party, in ti 

 terests of the masses and of equal justice to all. pra> ' 

 ly established by the \ and 1 v. 



gold standard of monetary mea- 



entirely divorced the Government from bankiinr and 

 currency i-- 



Gold. To this long-established Democratic policy we 

 adhere, and insist upon the maintenance of tic 

 standard and of the parity therewith of every dollar is- 

 sued by the Government, and are lirmlv opposed to the 

 free and unlimited coinage of silver and to the eoi.ipul- 

 sory purchase of silver bullion. 



Banking. But we denounce also the further mainte- 

 nance of the present patchwork system of national ; 

 currency as a constant source of injury and peril. We 

 assert the necessity of such intelligent currency reform 

 as will confine the Government to its legitimate functions, 

 completely separated from the banking business, and 

 afford to all sections of our country a uniform, safe, and 

 elastic bank currency under governmental supen 

 measured in volume by the needs of bus' 



Ai/i/ii/ii'xf ri.it i'.'ii. The fidelity, patriotism, and 

 courage with which President Cleveland has fulfilled 

 his great public trust, the high character of his Admin- 

 istration, its wisdom and energy in the maintenance of 

 civil order and the enforcement of the laws, its equal re- 

 gard for the rights of every class and every section, its 

 firm and dignified conduct of foreign affairs, and its 

 sturdy in upholding the credit and honor of 



the nation, are fully recognized by the Democratic party, 

 and will secure to him a place in history beside the 

 fathers of the republic. 



.'form. We also commend the Admin- 

 istration for the great progress made in the reform of the 

 public service, and we indorse its effort to extend the 

 merit system still further. We demand that no back- 

 ward step be taken, but that the reform be supported 

 and advanced until the undemocratic spoils system of 

 appointments shall be eradicated. 



EJ'I \\'e demand strict economy in the ap- 



propriations and in the administration of the Govern- 

 ment. 



Arbitration. We favor arbitration for the settlement 

 of international disputes. 



Pi >i*i<jnx. We favor a liberal policy of pensions to de- 

 serving soldiers and sailors of the United States. 



'.The Supreme Court of the United 

 was wisely established by the framers of our Con- 

 stitution as one of the three co-ordinate branches of the 

 Government. Its independence and authority to inter- 

 pret the law of the land without fear or favor must be 

 maintained. 



We condemn all efforts to degrade that tribunal or im- 



Eair the confidence and respect which it has deservedly 

 eld. 



Public Order. The Democratic party ever has main- 

 tained, and ever will maintain, the supremacy of law, 

 the independence of its judicial administration, the in- 

 violability of contract, and the obligations of all good 

 citizens to resist every illegal trust, combination, or at- 

 tempt against the just rights of property and the good 

 order of society, in which are bound up the peace and 

 happiness of our people. 



Believing these principles to be essential to the well- 

 being of the republic, we submit them to the considera- 

 tion of the American people. 



Mr. Lemuel L. Kilburn, of Michigan, presented 

 the name of Gen. John M. Palmer, of Illim>;- 

 presidential nominee. Mr. Barr W. Jones named 

 Gen. Edward S. Bragg, of Wisconsin. The official 

 vote announced 7694 for Palmer, 118i for Bragg. 

 On motion of the latter the vote for Palmer was 

 made unanimous. Gen. Buckner, of Kentucky, 

 was enthusiastically nominated for second place. 



