The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-06-14
Two Dollars a Year.

SIGa5 A22.as
THE GREENBACKERS.
Candidates and Platform of the Ma
tional Party.
The national convention of the Green
back party met at indianapolis, May %,
with nearly 200 delegates in attendance,
Gen. James B. Weaver of Iowa presiding
as permanent chairman. Gen. B. F. Butler
of Massachusetts was nominated as candi-
date for President, receiving 1923 votes on
first ballot, and Gen. A. M. West of Missis-
sippi was made the nominee for Vice Pres
ident by reclamation. There was con-
siderable opposition to Gen. Buffers nom
nation, particularly among delegates from
the Southern States, but the sentiment in
his favor was'too strong to be overcome.
The platform may be thus summarized:
/. The late decision of the Supreme Court,
on the legal tender question, ls a full Wind lea
tion Of the theory which this party has always
advocated on the right and authority of Con-
gress over the Issue of legal tender notes. We
Quantities to 's supply tie actual demands Of
trade and commerce IN accordance with the in
crease Of population and the development of
our industries We demand the substitution
of greenbacks for national bank notes which
saved our country IN time OF war, and which
has given itprQsperity and happiness in peace.
We condemn the retirement of fractional cur
rency and small denominations of greenbacks,
and demand their restoration. The boards of
money now locked up in, the United States
Treasury should be applied to the payment of
the public debt,
W.. n dor syoro,,r RI 's,ur ror,,|,
lican institutions the methods and policies of
the Democratic and Republican parties which
have sanctioned the establishment of land rail
road, money and other gigantic corporate mo-
3. The public lands being the national inher-
.tAnGe OF the people. we dnnonnce that policy
which has granted to corporations vast tracts
be taken to reclaim from such corporations,
for the peoples use and benefit, all such land
grants as have been forfeited by reason of nom
wrongfully acquired BY corrupt legislation, and
that the public domain be henceforth held as
a sacred trust o be granted only to actual set
tiers in limited quantities. alien owner
ship of land. individual or corporate. should
be prohibited.
1. We demand Congressional regulation Of
Interstate commerce, denounce pooling"
stock-watering and discrimination in rates and
charges, and demand that. Congress shall cor
rect these abuses, even, if necessary, by the
struction of national railroads. We also demand
the establishment of government postal tele-
s., All private property, all forms Of money
and obligations to pay money, should bear their
Just proportion of public taxes. We demand a
graduated income tax.
e. We demand ar amelioration of the condi-
ton of labor BY enforcing sanitary laws in in
uustrial establishments, abolition of the convict
labor system. rigid inspection of mines and
factories, reduction of the hours of labor in in
dustrial establishments, fostering of educa-
tional institutions and abolishing Of child labor
.. We condemn all .importations of con-
Wages the Of e 10
try, and demand laws, for its prevention.
g. We insist upon constitutional amend
ment reducing the terms of United States Sep
. 0. We demand such rules for the govern
ment of Congress as shall place all Representa-
tlyes ct the people upon an equal footing, and
than that of a President.
I 10. The question as to the amount of duties
70 be levied upon various articles of import has
divided communities for a. hundred years. 1t
never will be settled unless by the abolition of
indirect taxation, While we favor wise revi-
sion of the tariff laws with view to raising
revenue from the Injuries rather than the me-
nessities, we insist that as an economic question
its Importance is insignificant rs compared
with financial issues. for, whereas we have suf-
fered our worst panics under low and also under
high tariffs, we have never suffered from a
panic or seen our factories and work shops
stopped while the volume of money in circula-
ton was adequate to the needs of commerce.
Give our farmers and manufacturers money as
cheap as you now give it to our bankers and
they can pay high wages to labor and compete
with all the world.
II. We favor submitting to the people an
amendment to the constitution in favor of
outrage, regardless of sex, and also on the sub
ject of liquor traffic.
II. Ali disabled soldiers of the late war
should be equitably pensioned.
/, Is As our name indicates, we are national
party. Having no sectional prejudice, we can
properly place in nomination candidates from
any section of the Union. We appeal to all
people who believe in our principles. to aid us
by voice, and pen and votes,
1t is quite generally believed that the
Greenback vote will be larger this year
than. ever before, and if the contest
between the Republican and Democratic
parties proves as close as many keen OBJ
servers anticipate, it is within the scope
of reasonable probability that the Green
hackers may hold the balance of power in
the lower house of the next Congress and
thus in great degree give shape to nation
al legislation on financial and economic
questions. II -,
GEN. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER,