The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-07-10
NATIONAL PLATFORM.
Adopted nj Indianapolis May, 1854.

Eight years ago our young party met
in this city for the first time, and pro-
claimed to the world its immortal prin-
ciplcs, and placed before the American
people rs Presidential candidate that
great philanthropist and spotless states
man, Peter Cooper. Since that con-
yention our party Inns organized all
over the Union, and through discussion
and agitation, has becn educating the
the people to sense Of their rights and
duties 10 themselves and their country
Those labors have accomplished won
ders. We now have great, harmon
ious party, and thousands who believe
i'll our principles, in the ranks of other
parties.
ave point with pride to our history"
We forced the reconciliation of the
silver dollar; prevented the refunding
Of the public debt into long time
bonds; secured tho payment of
the bonds, until the "best
banking system the world ever saw"
for robbing the producer now totters
because Of its contracting foundation !;
We have stopped the squandering of
our public domain upon corporations;
we have stopped the Wholesale destruc.
ton Of tho greenback currency. and SO.
cured decision of the Supreme Court
Of the United States establishing for
ever tho right of the people to issue
their own money.
Notwithstanding all this, never in
our history have the banks. Immigrant
railroads, and other monopolies. been
more insolent in their demands for
further privileges-still moro class
legislation. In this emergency the
dominant parties are arrayed against
the people, and are the ablect tools OF
the corporate monopolies.
In the last Congress they repealed
over S12,0C0,Ooo Of annual taxes for tho
banks, throwing the burden upon the
people to pay or pay interest thereon.
Both old parties in the present
Congress, vie with each other in their
efforts to further repeal taxes in order
to stop the payment of the public debt
and save the banks whose charters they
have renewed for twenty years. Not.
withstanaing the distress Of business,
the shrinkage Of wages and he panic,
they persist in locking up on various
pretexts, 500, ooo, 600 of money, every
dollar of which tho people pay inter.
est upon, and need, and most of which
should be promptly applied to pay
bonds now payable.
The old parties are united--as they
cannot agree what taxes to repeal-in
efforts to sauander the income of the
Government upon every pretext rather
than pay the debt,
A bill has already passed the United
States Senate making the banks pres.
| cnt of over 100000, 900 more of the
peoples money in order to enable them
to levy still greater burden of interes,
taxes.
A Joint effort is being made by the
old party leaders to overthrow the sove.
reign constitutional power of the
people to control their own financial
alairs, and issue their own money in
order to forever enslave the masses to
bankers and other usurpers. The
House of Representatives has passed
bills reclaiming nearly 100, 600. 90 } acres
Of lands granted to, and forfeited by
railroad companies. These bills have
gone to the Senate. a body composed
largely Of aristocratic millionaires who,
according to their own party papers,
generally purchased their elections
in order to protect the great mo-
nopolics which they represent. This
body has thus far deticd the people and
the House. and refused to act upon
these bills in the interest of the people.
II erefore, we, thu National party oil
the United States, in national conven.
ton assembled, this 2sth day of May,
4. ID. 1881, declare:
|. That We hold the late dec sion Of the Su.
prcme cour, on the leual-tendef question to bt
u full vinaicatiun OF the theory which that party
has always advocated ON the right and author
ity Ut Congress over the issue of legal-ttndcl
notes, aud We hereby pledge ourselves to uphold
said decision and to defend the Constitution
to aspsv e'" sSe ~ Ieo1le Of any right
or privileges conferred by that instrument. w,
/ demand the issue OF such money in sufficient
quantities to supply the actual demands Of trad
| and commerce in aces riancc with the increas,
/ OF population and the development Of our indus
tries. We demand the substitution of creenhack
aa ssss aaa the
saved our country In time of war, and which ha'
/ given IL prosperity and happiness in peace. w,
condemn the retirement II the fractional cur
rrnev aud small denominations OF crccnhack
AMI demand their restoration. We demand tn,
issue OF the boards ut money now locked up II
the United States Treasury by APPLYING them !,
/ the payment IF the public debt now due
= Ne denouncc as dangerous to our rcpub
/ lean institutions those methods and policies o
the Democratic and Republican PARTIES which
have sanctioned or permitted the establishment
Of land, railroad. money, and other gicanti
corporate munai osies, and We demand sncl
governmental action az may he necessary 4
take from sush monopolics the powers the.
have 50 corrnntls and aniustly asnrped and ~
store item To- tho Ieorle to whom they belong
4 The public lands being the natural inner
+ itancs - the leapie, we denounce that polio,
which has sranied IN corporations vast tracts O
land. AMI we demand that immediate and Wig
orous measures he taken to reclaim from sue
corporations for the peoples use and benefit 81
such land grants as have been forfeited by rea
son OF non-iuihllinent Of the contract or tina
may have been wsongfully acquired bv corrup
=
other public lomain be hencefotth held ~
sacred trust. Ia I've granted only to actual set
tiers in limited quantities; and we demand tina
ali, ownership Of land, individual or corporate
shall he prohibited
i. We demand Congressional regulation of in
tcrstatc commerce: we dcnonnce pooling,
stock watering. and die Elimination In rates an
charges; and that C.nyr, - shall correct thes
abuses. even II necessary by the construction 9
national railroads: we also demand the estah
lshment of a governmental postal telegrap
vystcm.
s, All private property. all forms Of none
and obligations TO pay money. should bea
their Just proportion of public taxes: we dc
! mand n graduated income tax.
4. We demand an ameiiufatian OF the cond
] ton OF labor by enforcing sanitary laws In in
dustrial establishments by the abolition Of th
convict labor system. by rigid inspection
mines aud factories: nv reduction OF the hour
Of labor In industrial establishments: by tf
fostering of educational institutions; and
abolishing chill labor.
T. We condemn all importation Of contract ID
bor made With view Of reducing to Starsatio
wages the wu,kingmen of his country. and d.