The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-06-17
Iuaepeuden. state Platform.


to enter into competition with existing
parties, it is meet that we should give
to the world our reasons as we'll as
the remedies we propose for the
wrongs of which We complain: Start
ing then with the maxim that our
Government is founded on. the sover-
eighty. and consent Of the governed,
and its purpose to protect property
and enforce natural rights, We ac-
knowledge the broad principles that
difference of opinion is no crime, and
hold that progress toward truth is
made by difference Of opinion, while
the fault lies in bitterness of contro-
versy. We desire a proper equality,
equity and firmness, protection for the
weak, restraint upon the strong; in
short, justly distributed burdens and
jus tly distributed powers. These are
American ideas, the very essence of
American independence, and to advO-
cate the contrary is unworthy of the
sons and daughters Of an American
republic. For our business interests
We desire to bring producers and con-
sumers, farmers and manufacturers,
into the most direct and friendly re-
lations possible We wage no agrees
sive warfare against any other inter-
est whatever; on the contrary, all our
acts and all our efforts, SO far as busi-
ness is concerned, are not only for the
benefit of the producer and the con-.
sumner, but also for all other legitimate
interests that tends to bring these two
parties into speedy and economical
contact. Hence, we hold that trans
portation companies of every kind are
necessary to our success, that their
interest are intimately connected with
our interests, and harmonious action
| is mutually advantageous. We shall,
therefore advocate for every State the
increase i'll every possible way, Of all
facilities for transporting cheaply to
| the seaboard, or between home pro-
| ducers and consumers, all the pro-
auctions Of our country. We adopt
1t as our fixed purpose to open out
the channels in nature great arteries,
that the life blood of commerce may
flow freely. We are not enemies OF
railroads, navigable and irrigating
canals, nor any corporation that will
advance our industrial interests. We
are friendly to all laboring classes;
but We hold that all class legislation,
whereby these original and COM
mon elements, or the proceeds of
the same enhanced by intelligent la
Dor, are perverted from their original
design and made to enure to the bene
fits OF non producers, and to the lnju-
~ of producers, is wrong and subver-
sive OF the purposes Of good govern
ment; that all able bodied, intelligent
persons should contribute to the COM
mon stock by useful industry, sum
or quantity equal to their own support
and legislation should tend, as far as
possible, to the equitable distribution
of the surplus products.
If these propositions are true, our
Government is wholly perverted from
its design, and the sacred names
Democracy" and "Republicanism
are the synonyms of despotism, and
the parties represented thereby, as
now Organized, are engines of oppres-
sion, crushing out the lives Of the
people. We need only point to the
facts that in this heneticent country
of unlimited resources, with the land
annually grooming beneath the pro-
duets of human effort. the mass of the
people have no supply beyond their
daily wants; compelled from unjust
conditions in sickness and misfortune
to become paupers. Pauperism and
crime are the perplexing questions of
all modern craftsmanship, and it is
with these we have to deal. How far
these evils are connected with the
abuses inflicted on labor. superficial
craftsmanship seems not to perceive.
Chattle slavery has been abolished
but the rights and relations of labor
stand just where they did before the
emarc patton, in respect to the division
of its products; the difference lies only
in the methods Of abstractiog the re,
suits and concentrating them in the
hands of few capitalists. Capital i:
now the master, and thus all labors
are practically placed in the same con
dition of the slave before the emanci
patton. In thus placing them, the in
terest of all laborers become common
and they must fight the battle in unity
if they would succeed. What, then
are the instrumentalities by which
these wrongs are inflicted?
LIST. Banking and money monopo
lies, by which, through ruinous rates
of interest, the products of human
labor are concentrated in the hands o
non producers. This is the grea
central source of these wrongs, in ant
through which all other monopolie
exist and operate.
End. Consolidated railroads an,
other transit monopolies, whereby al
industries are taxed to the last mil
they will bear, for the benefit of th
stockholders and stock jobbers.
Bird. Manufacturing monopolies
whereby all small operators are crush
ed out, and the price OF labor and it
products are determined with mathe
matical certainty in the interest o
the capitalists.
4th. Land monopolies, by whicl
the public domain is absorbed by
few corporations and spectators
9th. The commercial and grail
lnonopolies. specializing and enrichin
their bloated corporations on human
necessities.
We propose to restore the Govern
ment to its original purpose. and $
far as possible, to remedy these evil
and remove their results.
l. By abandoning the gold basi
fallacy and establishing monetar
system based on the faith and re
sources of the nation, in harmon
with the genius OF the Government
and adapted to the exgencies of legit
innate commerce. To this end tn
circulating notes of the National an
State banks, as we'll as all local cur
rency should be withdrawn from Gil
culation and paper currency issue
by the Government which shall be
legal tender in the payment of a
debts, public and private, duties O
imports included, and declared equa
with gold. the lawful money of tn