Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-18
The esreeabackers.

AANl ~kONCluulCul cnUui0 AaoAunlOf
be divine right of ever laborer to tn,
esults Of his toll, thus enabling the
PRODUCERS of wealth to provide them
elves with the means of physical
Omfort, aud the facilities for mental
ocial, and moral culture (; and W.
Nndemn as unworthy of our %civiliza
ton the barbarism which imposes
upon the wealth producers a state Of
perpetual ~drudgery as the price of.
bare animal existence.
Notwithstanding the enormous in
crease of productive power, the uni
versal introduction Of labor-saving
machinery, and the discovery of new
agents for the increase of wealth, the
task of the laborer is scarcely light
ened, the hours of toll are but little
shortened, and few producers are
lifted from poverty into comfort and
pecuniary independence.
The associated monopolies, the inter-
national syndicates and other income
classes demand dear money and cheap
labor, a strong government" and
hence a weak people.
Corporate control of the volume Of
money has been the means of dividing
society into hostile classes, of the un-
lust distribution of the products of
labor, and of building up monopolies
OF associated capital, endowed with
power to
CoNFIsoATE PRIVATE PROPERTY.
1t has kept money scarce, and
scarcity of money enforces debt trade.
and public and corporate loans--debt
engenders usury, and usury ends in
the bankruptcy of the borrower.
Other results are deranged markets,
uncertainty in manufacturing enter
prise and agriculture, ~precarious and
intermittent employment for the la
borer, industrial war, increasing pau
perism and crime, and the consequent
intimidation and disfranchisement of
the producer, ard a rapid ~declension
into corporate feudalism.
Therefore, we declare:
l. That the right to make and issue
money is a sovereign power to be
maintained by the people for the
common benefit. The delegation of
this right to corporations is a surren.
der ofthe central attribute of sover-
eighty, void of constitutional sanetity,
comforting upon a subordinate, ire
sponsible power absolute dominion
over industry and commerce. All
money, whether metallic or paper,
should be issued and its volume CON
trolled by the government, and not BY
or through banking corporations, and.
when so issued, should be a full legal
tender for all debts, public and pri-
vate.
2. That the bonds of the United
States should not be refunded, but
paid as rapidly as is practicable ac-
cOrding to contract. To enable the
government to meet these obligations.
legal-tender currency should be sub
stituted for the notes of the national
banks, the
NATIONAL BANKING SYSTEM ABoL-
IsHED,
and the unlimited coinage of silver as
well as gold established BY law.
3. That labor should be so protected
by national and state authority as to
equalize its burdens and insure a lust
distribution of its results then the
eight-hour law of congress should be
enforced the sanitary condition of
industrial Establishments placed under
rigid control the competition of con-
tract convict labor abolished; a bureau
of labor statistics established fac.
tories, mines and workshops inspected;
the employment of children under ii
years Of age forbidden, and wages paid
in cash.
4. Slavery being simply cheap labor.
and cheap labor being simply slavery,
the importation and presence Of Chi.
nese serfs necessarily tends to brutal
ize and degrade American labor
therefore immediate steps shoulk be
taken to abrogate the Burlingame
treaty.
5. Railroad land grants, forfeited by
reason Of non-fulfllment of contract.
should be Immediately reclaimed by
the government; and ~henceforth the
public domain reserved exclusively as
homes for actual settlers.
6. 1t is the duty of congress to reg.
ulate Interstate commerce. All lines
OF communication and Transportation
should be brought under such lepisla-
tive control as shall secure moderate.
lair, and uniform rates for passenger
and freight traffic.
Z. We denounce, as destructive IN
prosperity and dangerous to liberty.
the action Of the old parties in foster
ing and sustaining gigantic land, rail
road and money corporations and
monopolIes, invested with and exer-
cising powers belonging to the govern.
ment, and yet not responsible to it for
the manner Of their exercise.
8. That the constitution, in giving
congress the power to borrow money
TO declare war, to raise and support
armies, to provide and maintain a
navy, never intended that the men
who loaned their money for an inter
est consideration should be preferred
to the soldier and the sailor who per.
lied their lives and shed their blood
on land and sea in defense Of their
country, and we condemn
THE CRUEL CLASS LEGISLATION
OF the republican party which. while
protesting great gratitude to the sol
der, has most unjustly disseminated
against him and in favor Of the bond
holder.
.. All property should bear its Just
proportion Of taxation, and we de-
mand q graduated income tax.
III. We %denounce as most dangerous
the efforts everywhere manifest to re.
strict tho ri0hf cf c,,H.