Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-18
A NEW PLATFORM.
It Demands Forward Move in Polite,


clerk, none but workingmen; men who
are producers, traders, non-corporated
carriers, teachers, etc. Men who know
what the workers everywhere need,
and who will move at once to cause it
to prevail. To succeed in this we must
without favor or partially, select re-
liable men who are not afraid of being
laughed at and who are known to de-
sire that these principles be brought
into use. And then, too, we must all
fearlessly proclaim our
PLATFORM.
l. We demand that the coinage of
gold be placed on an equality with that
of silver SO far as buying the bullion
goes, and that the coinage, of silver be
placed on an equality with the coinage
of gold regarding the anount to be
coined.
2. We demand that the coin GER
tificate system be so modified as to
authorize their issue largely in denom-
nations of one, two, three and five dol
lars as well as in larger denominations,
and that all such certificates be made
full legal tender in payment of all
debts and dues, public and private; and
that they be based upon either coin or
bullion.
3. We demand the constant reissue
of the one and two dollar paper coins
called greenbacks, and an issue and
constant reissue of fractional money,
and that the volume of both these is
sues be so regulated as to meet the
public needs.
A. We demand that the 4" public
debt be paid now up to the point that
accords with present laws, and that
when that point be reached, the pres
ent laws concerning this matter be re-
pealed and new law enacted demand
ing and providing for the immediate
calling in and payment of all the bal
anee of whatever bonds may then be
outstanding against the United States.
>. We demand that congress author
ize and instruct the secretary of the
treasury, under proper restrictions, to
issue and loan directly to the people on
real estate or other good and sufficient
security, such sums of legal tender
money as may be required to relieve
them from the unbearable burden of
debt now resting upon them, on the
same time and terms as the law now
enables the National banks to OBJ
tain "their' currency; the loan to be
secured by mortgage or trust deed upon
real estate worth hundred per cent.
more than the loan, or by other safe
methods with as large an amount of
property for security. No property Of
fered as security on these loans shall be
rated higher than the assessed value of
this property.
6. We demand that congress pro-
vide ways and means to help the poor
in our cities and in the country out to
and upon our public lands, and to
furnish the necessary seed, tools and
teams, and provisions for eighteen
months il necessary, under proper reg
istration, directions and restriction.
The whole outlay-saY a thousand dol
lars to each family of five persons-re-
payable in fifteen or twenty years, with
| Serutcery at one per cent. per annum
after the third year; no servicery be-
fore that. These people to be settled
in colonies.
Z. We demand that congress provide
ways and means for the building and
| furnishing of three double tracked rail-
! highways from the Atlantic to the Pa
CHIC and three more from near the Brit
ish possessions to the gulf of Mexico;
the whole to be paid for in new and
distinct issue of full legal tender money
ofpaper coins. This to be known as
direct money which should finally fully
displace the indirect money called for
in planks 5 and 6.
s. We demand that system be in
stituted by which the people will be
enabled to elect directly, all their off
GERS, and by which they will be enabled
to retain the privilege (they now have
the righD to dis-elect or remand to pri-
vate life, any officer who neglects to
learn, OF refuses to heed, what the peo-
pie want and who does not strive to in
stitute these needed enactments or es-
adjustments. And we demand system
by which the people may sanction or
reject any proposed enactment.
9. We demand that our American
house of Lords, disguised by the name,
the senate of the United States be abol-
isbed; for we view it as an excrescence
upon the body polite, and therefore, we
believe it to be both useless and danger
Gus TO liberty and equity.
At present and for long time past,
we have been in an overwhelming vet
covert financial difficulty which was
designedly brought upon us through
legislation, by those whohave controlled
those men whom we have permitted to
legislate for us, or rather, in our name:
and we believe that the shortest and
easiest way out of this difficulty, is first
to issue the indirect money there called
for as a means OF relief, with view to
displace it as soon as practicable by the
direct money to be paid for service rem
dered or property used in the construc-
ton of these rail-highways and other
public utilities and conveniences of
which we are now much in need. The
direct money to be issued so gradually
as to produce no very abrupt rise in
prices, and the indirect money to be SO
evenly withdrawn as to produce no fall
in prices at any time.
Let the people take charge of the
machine, 1.-THE government, and run il
for '1he general welfare of all. Then
many of us viii live to see the price OF
bushel of wheat pay for carrying a
man or woman 2 1900 miles by rail. Just
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