The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-08-05
PLATFORM OF THE NATIONAL
GREENBACK PARTY.

1hAt Inc Tlgnb 70 MAKE 4nQ 70 issue
meney 10 . sovereign power TO be man
tsined By the people for the common
bsnefit. The delegation of this right 70
corporations is . surrender of the central
attribute of sovereignty. void Of constitu
tional sanction. couferring upon . subor-
dinate irresponsible power, and absolute
dominion over industry and commsrce.-
All money, whether metallic or paper.
ehould be issued and its volume controlled
by the government and not by OF through
banking coFporations, and when 90 issued
should be full legal tender for all debts
public and private.
2. That the bonds of the United Statei
should not be refunded, but paid as rapid.
ly % practicable, according 70 contract
To enable the government to meet these
obligations, legal tender currency should
be substituted for the notes of the national
banks, the national banking system abol.
ished, and the unlimited coinage of silver
a. we'll . gold established BY law.
3. That labor should be 20 protected BY
national and state authority - 10 equalizs
thsburden and insure . just distribution ol
its results; the eight hour law Of Congress
should Be enforced; the sanitary condition
of industrial establishments placed under
rigid control; the competition of contract
convics labor abolihed; bureau for labor
statistics established; factories. mines, and
workshops inspected; the employment oi
children under fourteen yesss of sge for
hidden, and wages paid In cash.
4. Slavery being simply cheap labor, and
cheap labor being simply slavery, the i'm
porsation and presence Of Chinese ssrfl
necessarily tends 70 brutalize and degrade
American labor; therefore immediate steps
should be taken to abrosrts the Burlin-
game treaty.
S. Railroad land grants forfeited by rea-
son of non-ful6illmens of contract should
be Immediately reclaimed BY the govern.
ment; and henceforth the public domain
reserved exclusively as homes for actual
settlers.
6. 1t is the duty of congress to regulate
interstate commerce. All lines Of commu-
nication and transportation should be
brought under such legislative control az
shall secure moderate, fair and uniform
rates for passenger and freight traffic.
z. We denounce ~ destructive TO pros.
pesity and dangerous TO liberty, the action
Of the old parties in fostering and sustain
ing gigantic land. railroad and money cor.
porations and monopolies, invested with
and exercising, povess belonging to the
government, and yet noa responsible to II
for the manner of their use.
8. That the constitution, in giving con.
gress the power 10 borrow money, to de-
clare war, 70 raise and support armies, tc
provide and maintain navy, never inten'
ded that the men who loaned their money
for An interest confederation ahould be pre-
fesfed TO the soldier and sailor who prriled
u Il AZ l.
and sec in defense Of their country, and
We condemn the cruel class legislation oi
the Republican party which, while profes
sing great gratitude to the soldier, has
most uDjustly Disseminated agsinst him
9. ALI property should bear it's just pro
ortiou OF n ration, and We demand Q
graduated income tax.
TO-. We denounce as most dangerous tht
efforts everywhere manifested to restric
the right of suffrage.
IL. We are opposed to An increase of thi
standing army in time Of peAcs and th'
insidious scheme to establish an enormous
military power under the guise OF militi'
laws.
IL. We demand absolute democrati,
rules for the government of congress, pls
cling all representatives Of the people upol
an equal footing, and taking away from
committees veto power greater than tha
Of the presidens.
13. We demand . government of tn
people, BY the people. and for the people
instead Of . government Of the bondhol
der, BY the bondholder and for the bond
holder; and We denoupce every attempt 4
nis up sectional strife - an effort to con
ceal monstsous crimes against the people
IA. In the furthesance Of these ends VI
ask the cooperation Of all fair mindet
people. We have no quarrel with individ
uals, We wage no wsr upon classes, but on
~ against vicious Institutions. We af
not content TO endure further disciplin
from our present actual rulers, who, hav
ing dominion over money, over transpor
tation, over land and labor, over the ma
chineEy Of government, and largely owe
the press, WELD unwarrantable power owe
our institutions, and over life and property