Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-12-02
Analysis of the Greenback-Labor
..'h Platform. .Nt E.

of the central attribute of sovereignty,
void of constitutional sanction, confer
ring upona subordinate, irresponsible
power, absolute dominion over industry
and commerce. All money, whether
metallic or paper, should be issued and
its volume controlled by the govern
ment, and not by or through banking
corporations, and when so issued should
be full legaLtender for all debts, pub
lie and private.
There is Il deal of wisdom in this,
and embodies principles that must yet
govern all republics, The constitution
clearly makes it the duty of congress
to control the money of this country,
and we hold that that duty cannot be
delegated TO bankers. Let all money,
whether gold, silver, paper or clam
shells,-stand equal before the law, and
he issued solely by the government.
That is a safe proposition, and when it
is adopted grand step in the right
direction will have been taken. We
defy man or devil to explode the above
resolution. 1t stands unanswerable!
Second-That the bonds of the
United States should not be refunded
but paid as rapidly as is practicable
according to contract. To enable the
government to meet their obligations,
legal-tender currency should be substi-
tuted for the notes of national banks,
the national banking system abolished,
and an unlimited coinage of silver as
well as gold established by law.
Another good measure, 1t is now a
certainty that bonds falling due will be
refunded. The money power will have
all the law TO help it that the new con-
gress can give. The folly of refunding
will he made apparent by and by.
After the people have worked twenty
or forty years longer and paid large
sums of interest upon these bonds,
they will curse their stupidity in allow
mg the bonds to he refunded. The way
is now open and clear for rapid can
collation. of all bonds; but the money
power has congress under its thumb,
and the bonds will not die at present.
Keep the second plank of this platform
in mind, and when You are convinced
of its sOundncss then voteto sustain it.
Third That labor should be 50 pro-
tected by national and state authority
ms to equalize its burdens and insure Il
lust distribution Of its results. The
eight-hOlW law of congress should be
enforced, the sanitary condition of in
dustrial establishments placed under
rigid control, the competition of convict
contract labor abolished. Il bureau OF
labor statistics established, factories,
mines. and workshops inspected, the
employment of children under four
teen forbidden. and wages paid i'll cash,
Labor is the chief corner stone of
our free institutions. and the fruits Of
labor should be carefully protected.
The men and women who toll are en-
titled to the results of their labor. The
hours of work are too many. Our peO.
ple should he given more time for self
cultivation and intellectual improve
mcnt. Under proper system of dis
tribution. there would he no necessity
of more than eight hours Of daily toll
by the nb0rer. These are questions
that are coming TO the front and must
he solved.
FouHh-Slavery being simply cheap
labor, and cheap labor being simply
slavery, the importation and presence
of Chinese serfs necessarily tends tC
brutalize and degrade American labor,
therefore, immediate steps should be
taken to abro9ate the Burlin9ame
treaty.
The Chinese have been accustomed
to low wages in their own country,
tie price of days labor there being
from two to live cents! Hence, they
are astonished if they can get twenty
five or fifty cents here. They can live
for almost nothing. The American
laborer cannot successfully compete
with the Chinese slave. The govern
ment must protect its own worllnel
in preference 70 others.
Fifth--Railroad land grants forfeit
ed for reason of non-iulIillment of con
tract, should immediately he reclaimed
hv the government, and henceforth the
public domain reserved exclusively as
homes for actual settlers.
4 demand that no one can object to
Our national welfare should he better
guarded mall future disposals of pub
lie lands .a... ..#.I .......
Sixth-It is the duty of Congress tC
regulate Interstate commerce. Al
lines of communication and transpor
: tation should be brought under sucl
legislative control as shall secure mod
crate, fair and uniform rates for pas
senger and freight traffic
,, Transportation monopoly is Robin!
the producers of the West and the con
, sumers of the East The government
ought to look after this matter at once
a Seventh--We denounce as DESTRUCTIVE
, 10 property and dangerous to libert
). the action of the old parties in fos
tering and sustaining gigantic land
railroad, and money corporations am
monopolies, invested with and eXercis
ing powers belonging to the govern
, ment, and yet not responsible to it TO
the mannerof their exercise. rlf e.
That is so, and this is one of tn
!, brightest stius in the Greenback heay
9 ems. Root out I'LL monopolies, an
/ thus equalize as fur as possible the cor
e dition of the masses. Give each perso
5 an equal chance.
: Eighth-That the constitution i
o giving congress power to borr0l
9 money, to declare war, to raise an
+ support armies, to provide and main
{ tain nation, never intended that tn
d men who loaned their money for a
s interest consideration should be pre-
ferred to the soldiers and sailors VIII
t periled their lives and shed their bloc
s on land and sea in defense of tn
o country, andTwe condemn the crut
class legislation of the Republican
!, party, which, while protesting grea
n gratitude to the soldiers, has most III
d justly Disseminated against them i
o favor of the bondholders. .H had
a The solder was promised gold, an
g was paid in deprecated paper; tn
bondholder agreed to take depreciate
, paper, and now claims gold. Th
o Greenback party can see no equality i