The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-05-11
PLATFORM


Or THE NATIONAL dREENBAcx-LABoI PANTY o.
THE UNITED STATES, ADOPTED At CHICAGO
JUNE 8. 1880.
/. That the right to make and Issue money 10
4 sovereign power to be maintained By the peo-
Pile for the common benefit. The delegation
Of this right to corporations Is surrender Of
tile central attribute OF sovereignty void OF
constitutional sanction, comforting upon sub
ordinate irresponsible power and absolute do
minion over industry and commerce. All
money, whether metallic or paper, should be
issued and its volume controlled by the Gov
eminent, and not by or through banking cor
porations, and, when 20 issued, should DO .
vate.
2. That the bonds OF the United States
should not be refunded, but paid @ rapidly %
practicable, according TO contract. To enable
the Government to meet these obligations,
legal-tender currency should DO substituted
tional-banking system abolished, and the un-
limited coinage Of silver, - we'll - gold, e.
tablished by law.
5. That labor should be 20 protected ny
national and state authority % to equalize IT,
burdens. and insure . just distribution OF IT.
results the eight-hour law Of Congress should
be enforced the sanitary condition Of indus
trial establishments placed under rigid control ,
the competition Of contract convict labor abol-
ished; bureau Of labor statistics established |;
factories, mines and workshops inspected |,
the employment Of children under II yean Of
age forbidden, and wages paid in cash.
4. Slavery being simply cheap labor, and
cheap labor being simply slavery, the importa-
ton and presence Of Chinese serfs necessarily
bends to br,italize aud degrade American labor,
therefore immediate steps should be taken to
abrogate the Bnrlingame treaty.
5. Railroad land grants forfeited BY reason Of
non-fulfllment Of contract should b immedi-
Al yoNlo in,od nv "a G0v0rnYnank and honNN-
forth the public domain reserved exclusively -
homes for actual settlers.
6. It Is the duty Of Congress 10 regulate In
ter-Statc commerce. All lines Of communica-
ton and transportation should Be brought un-
der such Legislative control % shall secure mod
crate, fair and uniform rates for passenger and
freieh traffic.
Z. We denounce ~ destructive TO prosperity,
| and dangerous to liberty, the actions Of the old
parties in fostering and sustaining gigantic
land, railroad and money corporations and mo-
nopolies, invested with and exercising powers
belonging to the Government, and not respon-
| siblc to 1t for the manner OF their exercise.
8. That the constitution, giving Congress the
| power to borrow money, to declare war, to raiee
and support armies, to provide and maintain Q
| navy, never intended that the men who loaned
/ their money for an interest consideration should
DO preferred to tho soldier and sailor who
periled their lives and shed their blood on land
| and sea in defense Of their country and VI
condemn the cruel class legislation Of the Re
| publican party which, while protesting great
| gratitude to the soldier, has most unjustly dis.
eliminated against him and in favor OF Tho
| bondholder.
8. All property should bear its lust proper.
| ton OF taxation, and We demand graduated
income tax.
10. We denounce as most dangerous the Of.
forts everywhere manifest to restrict the rights
| Of suffrage.
| II. We are opposed TO an increase of the
standing army in time Of peace, and the in.
/ sidious scheme to establish an enormous mill
itary power under the guise OF militia laws
| II. We demand absolute democratic rulet
for the government OF Congress, placing al
representatives Of the people upon an equa
footing, and taking away from committees
. veto power greater than that of the Presi
dent.
IL. We demand Government OF the people
by the people and for the people, instead OF
Government OF the bondholders by the bond
holders and for the bondholdcrs, and we de
nounce every attempt to str up sectional strif,
- an effort to conceal monstrous crimes
against the people.
IL In the furtherance Of these ends We asl
the cooperation of all fair-minded people
We have no quarrel with individuals, wage nc
war upon classes, but only against vicious in
st,tutions. We are not content to endure fur
ther discipline from our present actual rulers
who, having dominion over money, over trans
portation, over sea and land, and largely owe
the press and the machinery OF Government
WELD unwarrantable power over our institu
tons and over our life and property.