in the election of 1896, democrats adopted a platform calling for the unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio of 16 ounces of silver to 1 ounce of gold, although the market value of silver to gold was closer to a 32 to 1 ratio. the democrats' stance appealed to indebted farmers in particular, for it meant that a farm mortgage in the amount of $1,000 might be paid back in deflated silver dollars that would be worth what?