The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-26
NATIONAL PLATFORM.
Adopted at Indianapoll May, 1873

Eight years ago our young party met
in this city for the first time, and pro-
claimed to tho world its immortal prin-
ciples, and placed before the American
people as a Presidential candidate that
great philanthropist and spotlcss states
man, Peter Cooper. Since that con-
vention our party has organized all
over the Union, and through discus sion
and agitation, has been educating the
the people to sense of their rights and
duties TO themselves and their country
These labors have accomplished won
ders. We now have great, harmon
ious party, and thousands who believe
in our principles, in the ranks Of other
parties.
I'VE point with pride to orr history"
We forced tho reconciliation Of the
silver dollar; prevented the refunding
Of the public debt into long time
bonds; secured the payment Of
the bonds, until the "bcst
banking system the world ever saw
for robbing the producer now tottcrs
because Of its contracting foundation;
we have stopped the sluandcring Of
our public domain upon corporations;
we have stopped the wholesale dcstrnc-
ton of tho greenback currency, and Sc
cured n decision Of the Supreme Court
of tho United States establishing for
ever the right Of the people to issue
their own money.
Notwithstanding all this, never iii
our history have the banks, Immigrant
railroads, and other monopolies, been
more insolcnt in their demands for
further privileges-still more class
legislation. In this emergency the
dominant parties are arrayed against
the people, and are the abJect tools Of
the corporate monopolies.
In the last Congress they repealed
over SD 10000 of annual taxes for the
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
Mithstanding the distress Of business,
the shrinkage Of wages and he panic,
they persist in locking up on various
pretcxts, 800, Zoo, 900 of money, every
dollar of which the 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 repcal-in
efforts to squander 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
ent of over S30,e0o,00O more of the
peoples money in order to enable them
to levy a still greater burden of interest
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
affairs, and issue their own money in
order to forever enslaye the masses to
bankers and other usurpers. The
House of Representatives has passed
bills retaining nearly 100, 900. 900 acres
of lands granted to, and forfeited by,
railroad companies. These bills have
gone to the Senate, 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 detied the people and
the House, and refused to act upon
these bills in the interest of the people.
Therefore, we, the National party of
the United States, in national conven-
ton assembled, this 29th day of May,
A. d. 1881, declare:
/. That we hold the late decision OF the SUI
prcme Court on the legal-tender question to be
full yindication of the theory which that party
has always advocated on the right and author
notes. and We hereby pledge ourselves to uphold
said decision and to defend the Constitution
against alterations or amendments intended
TO deprive the Icorle of any rights
or privileges conferred by that instrument. We
demand the issue of such money in sufficient
quantities to supply the actual demands of trade
and commerce III accordance with the increase
of population and the development of our indus
tries We demand the substitution of greenbacks
for national bank notes and tine prompt payment
OF the public deht. We want that money which
saved our country in time of war, and which has
given it prosperity and hsppiness in peace. We
condemn the retirement Of the fractional cur
rencv and small denominations of greenbacks
and demand their restoration. We demand the
issue of the boards OF money now locked up in
the United States Treasury by applying them to
the payment Ct the public debt now due
2. We denonnce as dangerous TO our repub-
lican institutions those methods and policies OF
the Democratic and Republican parties which
have sanctioned or permitted the establishment
of land. railroad, money, and other gigantic
corporate monopocS, and we demand suc
governmental action as may he necessary u
take from such monopolies the powers they
have 80 Corrnpsly and nnlustly usurped and re-
store them to the PEOPLE to whom they belong
5. The public lands being the natural inner
itanca Il the PEOPLE. we denonnce that polio,
which has granted TO corporations vast tracts u
land. AMI we demand that immediate and Wig.
ofous measures he taken to reclaim from sucl
corporations tor the peoples use and benefit oil
such land grants AZ have been forfeited by rca
san Of non-lnhlimcnt OF the contract, or that
| NAV have been MIongfully acquired hy corrupt
legislation: and that such reclaimed lands an,
other public domain he henceforth held as
sacred trust, to I've granted only to actual set
| tiers in limited quantities: and we demand thai
ali n ownership OF land, individual or corporate
| ehall be prohibited
| L. We demand Congressional regulation of in
/ terstate commerce: We dcnonnce laoling,
| stock wattr ring and discrimination In rates ant
| charges: ami that Congress shall correct thes,
/