The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-09-11
NATIONAL PLATFORM.
Adopted nj indianapolis May, 1854.


claimed TO tho world It's immortal prin-
ciples, and placed before tho American
people as Presidential candidate that
great philanthropist and spotless states
man, Peter Cooper. Since that con-
ycntion our party has organized NIL
over the Union, and through discussion
and agitation, has been educating the
tho people To asensc Of their rights and
duties To themselves and their country
These labors have accomplished won
dcrs. 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 our history
We forced tho reconciliation Of the
silver dollar; prevented the rcfunding
of tho public debt into long time
bonds; secured the payment OF
the bombs, until the "bcst
banking system the world ever saw"
for robbing tho producer now tottcrs
because Of its contracting foundation;
we have stopped the sq,andcrng OF
our public domain upon corporations;
We have stopped tho wholesale dcstruc-
ton Of tho grccnback currency, and 40.
cured n decision Of the Supreme Court
Of the United States establishing for
over the 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 insolcnt in their demands for
further priyilcges--still more class
Legislation. In this emergency the
dominant parties are arrayed against
the people, and are the ablect tools Of
the corporate monopolics.
In the last Congress they repealed
over ST. 100000 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
withstanding the distress Of business,
the shrinkagc Of wages and he panic,
they persist in locking up OH various
prctcxts, 500, 600, 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 repeal-in
efforts to squander tho income of the
Government upon every prctcxt rather
than pay the debt
A bill has already passed the United
States Senate making the banks n pres
ent OF over $4,000, 900 more of the
peoples money in order to enable them
to levy still greater burden of interest
taxes.
A joint effort il being made Ivy the
old party leaders to overthrow the soye-
reign constitutional power Of the
people to control their own financial
affairs, and issue their own money in
order to forever ens1ave the masses to
bankers and other usurpers. The
House of Representatives has passed
bills rcclaiming nearly LOG. 0oO. 900 acres
Of lands granted to, and forfeited by,
railroad companies. These bills have
yonc 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-
nopolies which they represent. This
body has thus far dciied the people and
the House. and refused to act upon
these bills in the interest of the people.
Therefore, we, the National party oil
the United States, in national conven.
ton assembled, this 18th day of May,
A. ID. 1884, declare:
| l. That we hold the late decision Of the SUI
prcme Court on the legal-tender question Ia I've
full vindication OF The theory which hat party
| has always advocated on the right and author
| lily Of Congress over the issue of lceal-tcndel
notes, ana We hereby pledge ourselves to uphold
| said decision and to defend The Constitut,o,
| against alterations or amendments intended
| 10 deprive the people of any right
| or privileges conferred by That instrument W,
| demand the issue OF such moncv In sufficient
quantities tn supply the actual demandsof trad
| and commerce III acct rdanee with the tncreas,
| ot papulai ion and the development of our indus
tries. We demand the substitution of grccnback
/ Tor national bank notes aud the prompt paymeQ
| OF the public aelt, We want that nbpncy which
saved our country IN time OF war. anu which h n,
given II prosperity and happiness in peace, w
/ condemn The retirement Ut the fractional cur
/ rcncy and small denominations Of grccnbaek
| AMI demand their restoration. We demand TIL
| issue of the hgards oil money now locked up II
/ the United States Treasury lay applying them 4
the payment IT the pubic debt now due
/ . We aenaunee ~ dangerous 10 our rcruh
/ lean institutions those methads and policies q
/ the Democratic and Republican parties whicl
| have sanctioned III permitted the establishment
/ OF land, railroad, money, and other gigan'l
/ corporate munaloieS, and we demand sue
! governmental action as may he necessary 4
| take from such monololies the powers the
| have corrnptly and uniustlt usurped and re
| store them Ia the people TO whom they belong
| 4 The lnhlc lands heins the natural inner
| itance IT ihe Ieopr. we denanncc that polio
| whirh has granted To corporations vast tracts q
| land ami We demand that immediate and viz
| oruu~ measures he taken to reclaim from sue
| corporations tor the peoples use aud benefit n
| such land grants ~ have been forfeited by fea
| son OF nom inlhllmcnt ot the contract or tina
| may have been wronvfully acquired nv corrup
legislation: and that such reclaimed lands an
! other nnilic domain lac hcncctatth held as
sacred rust. 10 he granted only to actual set
tiers i'm limited quantities: and we demand tina
aii, ownership OIL land. individual or corporal,
| shall DC prohibited.
| 4 We demand Congressional regulation Of In
terState commerce.: ssen0nnee pcoiing
stock watt ring. aud discrimination In rates an
charges: and that Congress shall correct thes
abuses, even II necessary lay the construction .
mai ional railroads: we also acnand the cstai
lishment Of governmental postal TELEGRAPH
system.
l. All private property, all firms of none
and obligations 10 pay money. should hea
their Just proportion o. public taxes: we dc
mana a graduated income tax,
| 4 Ne demand an a,neitu,at ION of the cond