The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-08-15
NATIONAL STATE PLATFORM.

l. We indorse and reaffirm the decIara-
tion Of principles of the National party
adopted at Toledo, February %, 1878.
2. The want of harmony of sentiment on |
the financial question on buth the Repub- |
lican and Democratic parties, renders it alb |
solutely necessary that those who demand |
financial reform should abandon old organ
izations and unite together in the Ma |
tional Greenback Labor party, to save bus
mess men from bankruptcy, the working
classes from starvation, the whole country
from revolution, and the Nation from re-
pudiation.
). We denounce as crimes against the
people, the law making the greenback Only
a partial legal tender; the act creating the
National Banking scheme; !he act chang
ing currency bonds into coin bonds; the
act exemptiDg coin bonds from taxation;
the act repeating the income tax; the act
demonetizing silver; the act for Issuing in
terest bearing bonds for the purchase of sill
yer bullion to be converted INTO subsidiary
coin: the act for the forced resumption of
specie payments; the act for the indefnate
increase of the National Bank circulation,
and the enormous contraction of the vol
ume of the circulating medium-and we
recognise the financial legislation of the
| Government from the commencement of
the civil war, as the arbitrary condition Of
a syndicate of bankers usurers with the
single and settled purpose of robbing the
many to enrich the few.
| 4. To remedy and counteract the evils
complained of, we demand that the Gov
ernment shall issue full legal tendor pa
per money, adequate in volume for the en-
ployment Of labor, the distribution of its
products, the requirements of business, and
for the payment of interest bearing bonds
as fast as redeemable; the withdrawal and
cancellation of bank notes designed to cir
culate as currency; the enon-exemption from
taxation from all private property; the pas
sage of graduated income tax; the unlimet-
ed coinage of gold and silver, and the re-
peal of the specie resumption act; all legal
lied monopolies abolished, and their es-
establishment in the future prohibited.
5. We recognise the mutual dependence
Of capital and labor and depreciate all at
tempts to antagonize them. Combinations
of capital to rob, and strikes of labor to re-
slst robbery are destructive of the true in
terests of both. We denounee alike the
communism which demands an equal div
ision of property and the infamous fnan-
, cial legislation which takes all from the
, many to enrich the few. We demand cheap
capital and we'll paid labor, in the place
6. To secure the rights and protect the in
terests of employer and employed, bureaus
of statistics should be established and com
petent persons be appointed to enquire in
to and protect the condition and wages of
the working classes in all departments OF
J industry, that wise, iudicious and equitable
laws may be enacted in regard to the hours
Of labor and the employment of minors in
| manufacturing establishments
Z. The public lands should be sacredly
set apart for the homesteads of actual set
tiers, and such legislation should be had
as will encourage and aid the landless in
securing homes.
s. The contract system ofemploying the
inmates of our prisons, works great injus
tice to mechanics and manufacturers and
should be abolished.
8. The importation of servile labor from
other countries should be prohibited under
the seyerest penalties-while the emigra
tion of the liberty loving from other lands
] should be encouraged.
q 10. We depreciate and denocnce all Sc
ditions and violent measures, and appea
only to the good sense, love of justice anc
: patriotism of the people, and invoke then
s to redress their cruel and outrageous wrong
y only through the ballot box.
IL. We demand proper sanitary safe
guards and regulations for workshops
mines and factories
:. -. We favor the enactment of laws Civ
: ing mechanics and laborers first lien OF
t all descriptions of their work for thei
full wages
13. That we are opposed to any furthe
issue of interest bearing bonds of th
$ United States for any purpose whatever.