New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-27
National Labor Conventi0n - Candid ates
and Platform.


and Platform.
The National Labor Convention held at
Columbus, Ohio, on the twenty-second
| instant, nominated David Davis, OF H.
linois, for President of the United States,
| and Joel NJ. Parker, of New Jersey, for Wee
| President.
The following resolutions reported by
the committee on platform were taken up
seria.im and adopted:
| The preamble declares as follows: we
| hold that all political power is inherent IN
| the people, and that free government is
| founded on their authority and established
for their benefit: that all citizens are equal
| in pOlitical rights, and entitled to the
largest religious and political liberty COM
| natible with the good order OF society, as
| also the use and enjoyment OF the fruits. OF
| their labor and talents, and that no man or
| set of men are entitled to exclusive sepa-
rate emOluments and privileges from the
| government but in consideration OF public
| Services. and any laws destructive of these
| fundamental principles are without moral
| binding force, and should be repealed; and
| believe that all the evils resulting from
unjust legislation now affecting the indus
| trial classes can be removed by the adop-
ton OF the principles contained in the fol-
lowing declaration. The resolutions de-
| clare
| First-That it is the duty of the govern
ment to establish just standard OF distri
button Of capital and labor by providing a
purely national circulating medium, based
| on the faith and resources of the nation, is
sued directly to the people. without the III
| tervention of any system OF banking corpO-
rations, which money shall be legal tender
| in payment of all debts, public and private,
| into chnp a
| holder, for government bonds bearing rate
of interest not to exceed three and three
fourths per cent, subject to future legislation
| by Congress.
| Second-That the national debt should be
paid in good faith, according to the original
contract at the earliest option of the gov
| eminent, without mortgaging the property
of the people and the future earnings of Ia
Dor to enrich "a few capitalists at home and
| abroad.
| Third-That justice demands that the
burdens of government should be so adj
| iusted as to bear equally on all classes and
interests: and that exemption from the
| taxation of government bonds bearing ex-
tortionate rates of interest is violation of
all Just principles of the revenue laws.
| Fourth-That the public lands of the
United States belong to the people, and
| should not be sold to Individuals nor to
corporations, but should be held for the
| benefit of landless settlers in amounts not
exceeding l6O acres.
Fifth-That Congress should modify the
| tariff so as to admit free such articles of
| common use as we can neither produce nor
| grow. and lay duties fOr revenue mainly
upon articles Of luxury and upon such
| articles of manufacture as we, having the
| raw material in abundance, will assist i'll
further developing the resources of the
| country.
Sixth-That the importation Of Chinese
| as labOrers is an evil, anG should be pro-
hibited by legislation.
| Seventh-Calls for the enactment of "a
| law bv which mechanics and labOrers EN-
ployed by government contractors and
Municipalities shall not be compelled to
| perform more than eight hours labor per
| day
Eighth-Demands the abolition of con-
| tract labor in prisons.
Niuth-Declares in favor of assessing and
| collecting war taxes during the progress of
| war, instead OF levying the debt ON pos
| terity
Tenth-Calls for congressional legislation
| to prevent exorbitant charges by railroads
and telegraphs.
Observation-Disclosures in favor of the one
| term principle.
Twelfth-Favors general amnesty and
| the equality of rights and privileges to all.
After the report of the committee on plat
| form was disposed of, Mr.. Elliott, Of New
| York, offered the following resolution:
| WHEREAS, Capitalists and mOnopOliZers
| of products of industry can by cnncentra-
| ton of action withdraw their patronage
| from many branches of industry and there
| by subject them to privation and want, thus
compelling them from necessity TO accept
| lust such terms as they may choose to die
| tate therefore,
| ReSOlred, That our system OF government
| be so amended as to empower the govern
ment to institute branches of industry and
| furnish employment to all idle people in the
| community at equitable terms of time and
compensation, and to prevent our repre-
| sentatives and legislators from assuming
| the character of masters instead of servants
! of the people. and that we establish the
principle of the referendum, by which the
people may retain the sovereign power and
| NAV convene semi annually to ratity or re-
| ject the acts of their public servants.
j. T. Elliott, secretary of the lnternation-
| al Society of America. spoke in favor OF the
resolution, and II. III. Day. of New York,
| also supported the resolution: the latter said
| the people demanded this action.
| Alexander Troup, of Connecticut, spoke
| in favor of the referendum portion OF the
| resolution. He argued that the veto power
| should be in the hands of the people. The
| resolution was then referred to the COM
| mittee ON PLATFORM who soon reported it
back, with the report that they considered
| it inexpedient to indorse the spirit of the
resolution. The report of the committee
| was agreed tO-0S to a.
The platform as whole was then agreed
to.
Horatio Day, of New York, offered the
following resolution:
Resotted That the true labor reformer
to-day knows no difference between the
race, color, sex or nationality; and We
believe in equal rights and equal suffrage
for all.
The resolution was laid on the table by
heavy vote.
Mr.. Schell. of Pennsylvania, offered a
resolution recommending that the several
State conventions appoint State commit
tees, with authority to confer with other
political parties that may adopt the nomi-
nees of this convention, and to arrange a
fair apportiOnment Of elections among all
said organizations. This resolution was
also laid on the table.
The committee on platform reported the
following additional planks for the plat
form:
Resoired, That we demand the subsection
of the military to the civil authorities, and
the confinement of its operations to national
purposes alone.
Resolred, That we deem it expedient for
Congress to supervise the patent laws so as
to give labor more fully the benefit of its
own inventions.
Resofred, That fitness, and not political
or personal considerations. should be the
only recommendation TO personal Office,
either appOintive or elective, and any and all
laws looking to the establishment of this
principle are heartily approved.
These resolutions were adopted without
debate.