The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-02
divdual enterprise, all the natural resources and

dvidual enterprise, all the natural resources and
means of life, liberty and general prosperity.
They aim to protect and legalize wrongs, and
instead of natural rights have established class
distinctions, founded on wealth instead of social
equality: have given to a money cabal the mo-
nopoly and control of the medium OF exchange,
that it may control the harvest of labor for the
use of the most vitiating element OF industry;
have shamelessly squandered the public domain
upon soulless corporations and syndlcates,
thereby creating and fostering the most stu
pendous landlordism in the world; have granted
to their courtiers and confederates absolute
monopoly OF the transportation of persons and
property, as well as electric communication be-
tween distant persons and localities, thereby
subjecting both producers and consumers to ex-
tortionate tribute often beyond all reason, JUS
tice or necessity; they allow bribery to control
elections, thereby making it well nigh impossi
bic for any but the rich To hold public Office. as
they make the possession of wealth, and not abil-
ity and moral worth, the chief requirement for
obtaining Office have trampled upon the
rights of laboring men and women, and
by their aggressive avarice and relentless tyran-
ny over the producers of wealth and mans nat
ural rights, the mass of the people are being
duced TO hopeless poverty and servile inde-
pendence; through a pernicious system of
finance. have forced the people into hopeless in
debtedness, then denied them the means OF pay
ment which have so reduced the value of prod
ucts and the wages of labor as to make it impos
sible for the ten millions of producers to emanci
slavery, except by means which the oppressors
term Reputation"
The report closed by an appeal to all citizens
of the American Republic to pledge themselves
to unite for the overthrow of pernicious and OPP
pressive systems which these parties foster and
promote; to emancipate legitimate industry
from bondage under which it is placed by I'M
just class legislation, and restore the govern
ment to the people, to be administered by the
people. 1t was recommended that an industrial
~ So L. Ill A. s~t.&
of Labor. agricultural organizations. anti-monop-
oists, trades unions, peoples party and tenn
perance reformers to unite with it.
DR.. Munson then read about thirty pages of
manuscript as his idea of platform It dealt
with prohibition Greenbackers, knights of La
Dor, and all other interests. The meeting tabled
his report and adopted that of the majority.
A resolution, offered by Colonel Norton, pro-
vlding for committee of nine to prepare and
look after organizations, to send delegate repre-
sentatlves to national convention to be held In
Cincinnati Feb. %, next year, was adopted. The
radicals tried to kill it by urging immediate
ton in the formation of a party. but
the Knights of Labor and Greenbackers
The committee was appointed as follows: Fred
Siger, of New York; Thomas Armstrong of
Pennsylvania George L. Jones, of Wisconsin;
B. S. Heath. of Illinois; S. L. Douglass, of Indi-
ana; John NJ. Corder, of Michigan; E. j. Cole. OF
Kansas, and Lewis Mittendorf, of Ohio One
place was left vacant In order to give the agri-
cultural interests a representative. AS the COM
mittee stands, the knights of Labor and Green
hackers have it their own way, although in the
meeting were Changers, members of the Wheel
and Farmers Alliance. With this the confer
ence adjourned.
THE EVENING MEETING.
The evening meeting, at Mozart Hall, of the
promoters of the new party was insignificant in
point of numbers. not more than 100 persons be-
ing present The first speaker was Colonel Nor
ton, of Chicago, who, at considerable length ad-
vocated many things for the benefit of the people
and the spoliation Of the capitalist. Among other
things he was for loaning money to the people by
the government at per cent, and for a gradu-
ated income tax, so that the greater mans in
come the higher the per cent thereon paid to the
government He favored the taking back by the
government of the two hundred millions of acres
given to railroads. donation that should be
treated by the people as property stolen from
them, and, like stolen property, be taken back
wherever found
Leo Miller, of Chicago, was the next speaker
He seemed wound up for all night His long
and wearisome speech embodied three PROPOSE
sitions: First that all raw material is created
by God and belongs to mankind; second, that all
wealth is the product of labor; third that the
wealth produced by labor belongs of right
to the laborer. He spoke of the great damage
being done to laborers by labor-saving machin
cry. citing numerous instances among others
that in making hob-nails. By recent improve
ment in machinery three men could do the work
Of one hundred men, and in box making in Chi
cago, whore ten men ard ten boys now did work
which recently required one hundred men.
His speech continued so long that
many got up and went out Others
cried ''time," and one man made a protest so
sharp'as to bring pleading remonstrance from
the speaker. who promised 10 conclude in two
minutes. In concluding, he said that these in
equalities between the rich and poor must be
righIed. He hoped it would be done at the bal
lot-box and by peaceful measures. but it would
be done even if it required bloody revolution.
At this Dr. FL. W. TAYLOR, of Terre Haute,
rose and said: II wish to say in behalf of the In
diana portion of this audience that we do not
believe there is an alternative for a bloody revo-
luton; the ballot is our only resource, and we
repudiate any other" This created quite SEN
sation. but Mr.. Miller made no reply. The
meeting closed with a short speech from Mrs.
v;A Tn5I Is