Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-07-03
Greenback National Plat
farm

uuOpte0 NJ the CllCdsO SOtlNeIl-
tion of the party:
Thereforn we declare-
l. That the right TO make and
issue money is sovereign power
to be maintained by the people
for the common benefit. The del
egation Of this right 10 corpor a.
tions is a surrender of the cent er
attribute of sovereignty, void of
constitutional sanction, comforting
upon subordinate, irresponsible
power, absolute dominion over in
dustry and commerce. All mon
ey, whether metallic or paper,
should be issued and its volume
controlled by the governmen t and
when so issued, should be full
legal-tender for all debts, public
and private.
2. That the bonds of the United
States should not be refunded, but
paid as rapidly as is practica Bile,
according to contract. To enable
the government to meet these OBJ
legations, legal-tender currency
should be substituted for the notes
of the national banks, the national
banking system abolished, and
the unlimited coinage OF silver as
we'll as gold established by law.
3. That labor should be SO pro-
tected by national and state au-
thority as to equalize its burdens
and insure just distribution of
its results; 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 establish
ed !; factories, mines and work
shops inspected the employment
Of children under fourteen years
of age forbidden, and wages paid
in cash.
4. Slavery being simply cheap
labor, and cheap labor being sim
ply slavery, the Importation and
presence of Chinese serfs necessa-
rily tends to brutalize and degrade
American labor !; therefore, imme-
diate steps should be taken to
abrogate the Burlingame treaty.
s. Railroad land grants forfeited
by reason of n-fulfillment 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
iaf IN int 40 10 I
lines OF communication and trans
portation should be brought un-
der legislative control IS shall &C.
cure moderate, fair and uniform
rates for passenger and freight
traffic.
Z. We denOunce as destructive
to prosperity and dangerous to
liberty the action of the old par
ties in fostering and sustaining gil
gantic, land, railroad, and money
corportions and monopolies, in
vested with and exercising powers
belonging to the government, and
yet not responsible to il for the
manner of their exercise.
s. That the constitution, in Civ
ing Congress the power to borrow
money, to declare war, to raise
and support armies to provide and
maintain navy. never intended
that the man who loaned their
money for an interest considera-
ton should be preferred to the SOL
der and sailor who periled 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 par
ty which, while protesting great
gratitude for the soldier, has
unjustly Disseminated against
him and in favor Of the bondhold.
er.
8. All property should bear Its
just proportion OF taxation, and
we demand graduated income.
tax.
10. We denounce as most dan.
gerous the efforts everywhere
manifest to restrict the right Of
suffrage.
IL. We are opposed to an In,
crease of the standing army in
time of peace and the insidiou:
scheme TO establish an enormous
military power under the guise Of
militia laws.
IL. We demand absolute demo,
cratic rules for the government Of
congress, placing all representa-
tives of the people upon an equa
footing, and taking away from
committees veto power greater
than that of the president.
Is. We demand a government
of the people, by the people anC
for the people, instead of gov
eminent of the bondholders, by
the bOndholder and for the hopd