The Rock Island Argus., 1883-07-06

existing state Of things as diabolieal, outrage
Gus aud damnabie. The present tariff
system was denounced indefinitely as a scheme
of robbery and iobbery, and the delegates
from Iowa, the gentleman ayerred, ''had net
come. here to keep their jaws shut y
Mr.. Wolf, of New York, amidst cries of
''Sit down T "Shut up y and Time F' inn
plored the convention to leave the tariff alone
aud confine themselves to anti-menopoly;
it was suicide to drag in any other question.
The committee on resolutions reported the
following address and platform;
ADDRESS.
To THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES:
The people are sovereign Their servants
usurping power are depressing them. Let
the people see how this is being done Mo
nopolies. created by unjust laws, crush the
working men-the tOileIs in the mines, the
workshops, on the farms in every avocation
of life Legislative bodies are manipulated
in their interest; courts are corrupted by fa-
vor. or money: executive officers bend in
humble submission TO the dictates of these
monopoly magnateS, Thus the people are
robbed of their past earnings
Political parties declare themselves friends
of the people but obey the mandates Of rail
ways banking, tariff, and land monop-
olies Congress has abdicated the pow er con
ferred on it hy the constitution to regulate
interstate commerce in favor of soulless rail-
way corporations 1t has given up its consti-
tutional right to control the currency to
heartless money lenders. 1t permits trans
poTtation lines to levy and collect a tax on
the products of the country more than equal
to the entire expenditures of the national and
state governments 1t legislates for the in
terests of the few against the rights of the
manv
The people are powerless because they are
not united.
We ask you to form in phalanx for the
right We entreat You to break the chains
which bind you as captivcs TO the chariot
wheels of monopoly-chains which become
more CALLING with each revolution We ask
you to arouse yourselves and force your ser
wants to honesty and economy, and we pre-
sent to YOU the platform of the National Anti
Monopoly party. which we believe if sue
cess ful, win break your chains, restore your
freedom, and give good government to the
nation
PLATFORM.
Ali corporations, including those formed
for the transportation of persons ard pro.
ducts, are creatures of the state and general
government, subject to their control, and II
is the duty of the government to regulate
tranSporta ton, prescribing both maximum
and minimum charges, preventing pooling
and other like combinations and discrimiBa
tions between towns and individuals and the
consolidation of competing lines, thus pro
tecting the corporations in their legal rights
and the people from extortionate charges
| To secure these things we demand that the
next congress, by one of its committees, shall
| thoroughly investigate the cost of tFanspor
| tation so that 1t may act inteliigeGtly on
| these subjects, and enact such laws as the
| protection of the people demand
| A postal telegraph system is demanded 10y
| every interest in the country, to be operated
| by the postal department
| Under liberal and equitable construction
! of law, states and corporations have forfeited
| one hundred and five millions of acres Of land
or territory as large as the five great states Of
| New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and
| Illinois, now supporting population of ovel
| eighteen millions of people, and this land nov
legally and equitably belongs to the people ol
the United States; therefore.
| Be it resolved, That it it the duty of con
gress to declare forfeited all lands not eduit
| ably earned by the construction of the desig
mated roads within the time prescribed by
law for completion. and restore the same t.
| the public domain for the benefit of actual
| settlers, and all public lands shall he reserved
| for The use of actual settlers.
| We view with alarm the requirement o
lands IN the United States by nonresident
| tOEelSnHIs, anu we IibOf SucD CnanStaS III lil'
| law as will prevent the ownership of any
part of our soil except by residents
| We oppose the issue and control of the
currency by banks of issue which now enjoy
the special privilege of charging interest up
| on their own promises to pay, and we de-
| mand a restoration to the peoples government
of its fun sovereignty over all money, both
metallic and paper, to bee full legal tender
we favor the coinage of gold and silver up
on equal terms and demand that the volum
Of money be carefully restricted by law
Other resolutions demand abolition of ma
tional banking system, the establishment o
a graduated income tax, of postal saving
banks, the amendment of patent laws L
protect inventors and prevent monopolies
I the election of president by direct vote of tn
people the ultimate abolition of protective
tariff system.
A protracted discussion followed on tht
tariff question.