The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-11-01
Platform Of the Independent
PARTY Of Minnesota,

Adopted at their State Convention held at
FaribauIt June 10th 1877
Mr.. Donnelly from the committee
on resolutions made the following re-
port, which was unanimously adopted:
"Resolred, That we reaffirm the
principles of the National 1ndepen-
dent Party, as proclaimed at Indian
apolis on the 18th of May, 1876, and
point to the present financial condl-
ton of the American people as the
best evidence of the necessity for the
reforms therein demanded:
Resolped, That we charge that the
course of national financial legislation
for years past has all been in favor OF
the holders of our national bonds and
against the taxpayers:
|. BY changing the terms OF some
of the bonu5 50 that they were made
payable in gold and silver coin. instead
of s.lawful money of the United
States.
2. BY subsequently enactlng that
the same bonds should be paid in gold
alone.
3. BY increasing the weight Of the
gold dollar.
4. BY contracting the currency OF
the country so as to make money more
valuable, and the property OF the peo-
pie less valuable.
5. BY decreeing forced resumption
of specie payments upon the lst OF
January. 1870, thus consigning our al
ready impoverished people to greater
depths of suffering in the future.
ResoLred, That we regard the dem
onetization of American silver coin as
the result of Il conspiracy, and crime
against the prosperity and industry OF
the American people, and one OF the
chief causes of the present suffering;
and we demand that silver coin be
once more restored by Congress to the
place which it held for over eighty
years, as legal tender, IN all sums,
for all debts public and private.
Resoire9, That we endorse the pol
lev of reconciliation and peace pro-
mulgated by the present national
administration, and hail the era of
good will among all the citizens of our
common country as suspicious for a
proper consideration of the great
financial questions upon which depend
the prosperity Of our people.
Resoired, That we protest against
the financial policy now being enforc-
ed bv Secretary Sherman. Which IS
rapidly increasing the bonded debt OF
the United States by withdrawing
sgreenbacks, the people 5 money and
substituting in their place national
bank notes. based on bonds upon which
we are taxed to pay interest.
Resoired, That while we are not
ayerse to some reasonable and equlta-
bic settlement of the so-called Mime.
sofa State railroad bonds, we SHALL
demand of our candidate for Governor,
and Of our candidates for the State
Legislature, nequivocal pledges that
they will not favor or support any
proposed settlement of the said bonds
unless the same is first fully and fairly
submitted, ut Il general election. to the
people of the state for their approval
or rejection.
Resoired, That in the present distress
of the taxpayers of this state we de,
mand the strictest retrenchment m all
public expenditures and a reduction
of salaries to correspond with the d.
minished incomes of the people.
Resoired. That the recent labor out.
breaks. which have interrupted
the commerce of the country and
brought the nation to the brink OF
civil war, are the legitimate fruit OF
the pernicious financial legislation
now being enforced. That while we
ympathise with the laboring people
inthis great distress, we would say
to them. that the true remedy Tor
their grievances is to be found not In
violence and crime but in the ballot
box. through support of the indie
pendent party, which alone de1enus
their rights and proposes remedy 1or
their wrongs.
Now the notorious John A. Joyce
has escaped trial at st. Louis, for
hi 81 20 L.,