Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-06-15
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
o. J. MAKsI1ALI., EDITOR,
Nattona! Agricultural Wheel ofTha
United Sta te:,.

National Agricultural Wheel OfTha
United States
We, the members CT the National
Wheel, in convention assembled at
Mckenzie, Tenn, November, 1887, do
hereby demand OF our National Gov
ernment, such legislation as shall Sc
cure to our people freedom from the
shameful abuse that the farmers and
mechanics are now suffering at, the
hands of arrogant capitalists, powerful
orpogatioEis: We demand;
l. That The public land, the heritage
of the people, be reserved for actual
Sc ttlers only-not another acre to rail-
roads or spectators, and that all the
lands now held for speculative purpo-
ses shall be taxed at their full value.
9. That measures be taken to pre-
vent aliens froE. acquiring titles to
lands in the United States and Terrific
ries Of America, and TO force titles al
ready acquired by aliens to he relin-
quishad to the National Government
by purchase and retain said right to
eminent domain for The use of actual
settlers and citizens of National States
and that The law be rigldly enforced
against all railroad corporations which
have not complied with the terms of
their contract by which they have re-.
ceived large grants of land.
8. That we demand the rapid pay
ment Of the public debt of the United
States by opening the minds of the
Government to their full capacity in
coming silver and gold and rendering
the same without Discrimination to
the public creditors OF the nation ac-
cordlng to contract, thus saving the
interest On public debt to the lndustri-
al masses.
5. That we demand that Congress
shall pass such laws as shall effectual-
ly prevent the dealing in futures of all
agricultural and mechanical produc-
tlons, preserving such q stringent sys-
TEN Of procedure in trial as shall Sc
cureprompt conviction and imposing
such penalties as shall secure the
most perfect compliance with thelaw
G. That we demand graduated in
come tax, as we believe it is the most
equitable system Of taxation, placing
the burden of the government on those
who can best afford to pay instead OF
laying it on the farmers and mechan-
ecs, exempting nil.ionairs, bondhold-
ers and corporations.
7. That we demand the strict enforce.
ment Of all laws prohibiting the I'M
portation CT foreign labor under the
contract system, and that all conyicts
be confined within the prison wall and
that all contract systems be abolished.
6. That we demand that all means of
public communication and transporta-
tion shall be owned and controlled by
the people and equitable rates every
where be established on the same basis
as is the United States postal system.
8. That we demand the election of
all officers OF the National Government
by direct vote of the people; and that
all willful violations Of election laws
be declared felony and part of the
punishment be the prohibition OF the
party convicted from voting in future
elections.
10. That we demand the repeal Of
lllaws t hat do not bear equally upon
capital and labor, the strict enforce
ment of all laws, the removal Of all I'M
just technicalities, delays and discrim-
nations in the administration of JUS
tice.
13. That we are unqualifedly in fa-
yor of the education of the masses by
a well regulated system Of free schools.
Il. That we demand that no patents
be renewed after the expiration OF the
time for which they were originally
patented.
Is. Resolved; That this body will
not support any man for Congress Of
any political party who will not pledge
himself, in writing, to use all his innu-
ence for the formation Of these de-
mands into laws.
Pres. Isaac McCracken. Ozone, Ark.
Sec. e. A. Gardner, Dresden, Tenn.
Lecturer, S. B. Erwin, Clinton, Ky.
Every farmer in reach of the towns
named should take stock in the grain
shipment enterprise that is calculated
to enable the dirt tillers to realize all
possible for their grain; Alpena, Je-
rauld Co., ID. Il. Woonsocket, Sanborn
Co., D. 4.