Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-27
GREENBACKERs.
The Platform Upon Which the
New Party Proposes to
Stand.
And troy Name Il tho National
Party"

TOLEDO, Fob. 22.-The following
platform was adopted at o'clock r.
NJ, after which the convention ad-
journed sine die:
WHEREAS, throughout the entire
country the value of real estate is de-
preciated, industry paralyzed, trade
depressed, business incomes and wa
ges reduced, unparalleled distress in
fiicted upon the poorer and middle
ranks of our people, the land filled
with fraud, embczzlmcnt, bankruptcy
crime, suffering, pauperism, and star
walton, and
WHEREAS, this state of things has
been brought about by legislation in
the interest of and dictated by money
lenders, bankers and bond-holders,
and
WHEREAS, While We recognize the
fact that men in Congress connected
with both the old political parties
have stood up manfully for the rights
of the people, and met the threats of
the money power and the ridicule of
an ignorant and subsidized press, vet
neither the Republican nor the Dem
ocratic parties in their national poll
cies propose remedies for the existing
evils, and
WHEREAS, The Independent Green
back party and other associations
more or less effective have been una
BILE heretofore to make formidable
opposition to the old party organiza-
tons, and
WHEREAS, The limiting of the legal
tender quality of greenbacks, the
changing ofcurrency bonds into coin
bonds, the demonetizing Of the silver
dollar, the excepting Of bonds from
taxation, the contraction of the circu-
lating medium, the proposed forced
resumption of specie payments, and
the prodigal waste of the public lands
were crimes against the people, and
as far as possible the results of these
criminal acts must be counteracted
by judicious legislation.
| Therefore, we assemble in National
| Convention and make declaration of
our principles and invite all patriotic
citizens to unite in an effort to secure
financial reform and industrial eman-
| cipation. The organization shall be
known as the "National party" and
under this name we will perfect with
out delay National, State and local
associations to secure the election to
Office of such men only as will pledge
themselves to do all in their power
to establish these principles:
l. 1t is the exclusive function of the
General Government to coin and cre-
ate money and regulate its value; all
1 y,ov L \ osu
money should be suppressed; their
circulating medium, whether of met
al or paper, should be issued by the
Government and made a full legal
tender for all debts, duties and taxes
in the United States at its stamped
value.
2. There shall be no privileged
claims of creditors; official salaries,
pensions, bonds and all other debts
and obligations public or private
shall be discharged in the legal ten
der money of the United States strict
ly according to the stipulations Of the
laws under which they were contrac-
ted.
3 Resolyed, That the coinage OF
silver be placed on the same footing
as that of gold.
4. Congress shall provide said mon
ey adequate to the full employment
of labor, the equitable distribution OF
its products and the requirements OF
business, fixing q minimum amount
per capital to the population as near
as may be, and otherwise regulating
its volume by wise and equitable pro.
visions of the law 80 that the rate OF
interest will secure to labor its Just
reward.
5. 1t is inconsistent with the genius
and spirit of popular Government
that any species of private property
should be exempt from bearing its
just share of the public burden Of the
Government, and money should be
taxed precisely as other property and
a graduated income tax should be
levied for the support of the Govern.
ment and the payment of its debts.
6. The public lands are the COM
mon property of the whole people
and should not be sold TO spectators
nor granted to railroads or other cor.
porations, but shonld be donated to
actual settlers in limited quantities.
Z. The Government should by a
general enactment encourage the de.
velOpment of our agricultural, min.
eral, mechanical, manufacturing and
commercial resources, to the end that
labor may he fully and profitably en-
ployed, but no monopolies should be
legalized.
8. All useless offices should be
abolished, the most rigid economy
should be enforced in every branch
of the public service, and severe pun.
ishments inflicted upon public off.
GERS who betray the trusts reposed in
them.
8. AS educated labor has devised
means for multiplying production by
inventions and discoveries, and as
their use requires the exercise OF
mind as well as body, such legislation
should be had that the number OF
hours of daily toll will be reduced
giving to the working classes more
leisure for mental Improvement and
social enjoyments. and saving them
from premature decay and death.
10. The adoption of an American
monetary system as proposed herein
will harmonic all differences in re.
gard tariff and Federal taxation re.
duce and equalize the cost of trans
portation by land and water, distrib-
ute equitably the joint earning Of cap.
ital and labor, secure to the producers
of wealth the results of their labor
and skill, muster out of service the
vast army of idlers who under the
existing system grow rich upon the
earnings of others, that every man
and woman may by their own efforts
secure a competence, so that over.
grown fortunes and extreme poverty
will be seldom found within the linn.
its of our Republic.
WASHINGTON.