St. Landry democrat., 1890-07-05
National Alliance Resolutions.

Whereas, Inc farmers or the United
States are most in number of any order of
citizens, and with other productive classes
have freely given of their blood to found
and maintain the nation;
Whereas, Experience has taught us that
in the great plain people is our country's
sure hope in the time of need, and that
salvation from peril must be wrought
out by their loyal faith and willing sacri-
fees
Whereas, This government is our gov
eminent, and any existing administration
is our administration, regardless of the po-
litical party that placed it in power
Whereas, We recognize in these trou-
bled times the need of appealing to the
higher natures of men, that they may seal
anew their belief in the holiness of self
sacrifice and the meanness of greed, and
thus be ready to give just condemnation to
whomsoever makes selfish spoil of the
substance of the people, whether it be
Great Capitalist or Industrial Incorpora-
| tons
| Whereas, Many reforms are needed, and
we ask for legislation and enforcement of
law to bring them about, and we demand
the passage of these measures not in the
name of any party, but in the name of JUS
tice, in the name of the people;
Resolved, That the productive classes
should have no interest in the factional
wars that are waged for place alone, by
professional partisans, while righteous re-
| forms anguish for lack Of unity among
| honorable and patriotic men.
| Resolved, That we are opposed to any
| system of finance which necessarily perpe-
trates the public debt, but that we are in
favor of paying the same as rapidly as pos
Ill ~ $1>.% ~
| be reduced and we are further in favor of
the free coinage of silver equally with
gold, and we demand that the government
people, thus placing our circulating
medium beyond the control or influence of
| corporate or private capital.
Resolved, That in the needed reduction
of taxes the burden should be removed
from the necessaries of life in common use
| and the absurd proposition made by certain
leading public men and various political
State conventions to take this tax from
spirits and tobacco in preference to remov
ing it from necessaries, demands our
earnest protest. We cannot readily be-
lieve that Congress will offer to the people
cheap whisky and tobacco, in preference
to cheap sugar, lumber, salt, coal and
clothing.
Resolved, That the unequal taxes now
loaded upon the land, though generally
the least productive of capital. demands
radical reform and the double taxation ON
mortgaged real estate which cruelty and
often fatally brushes the debtor, laudably
struggling to save a home, by exacting
taxes on all he owns, together with high
interest, while the creditor, best able to
bear burdens, escapes his share of taxes
by evading the law, is an outrage upon
jnstice. The successful example of Mass
achusetts demonstrates that there is q
remedy for this wrong, and we pledge
ourselves to work in our respective States
to accomplish like reform. We favor
so far as can be made practicable, a graded
income tax according to the measure of
protection wealth receives, thereby giving
just and greatly needed relief to produc-
tive labor.
Resolved, That railroad rates and fares
should be greatly reduced so that railroad
capital shall bear its just share of the de.
preston now so seriously affecting agri-
culture and that the Inter State commerce
law should be so amended and enforced
that this end may be brought about, and
that all the States enact laws supplement
tai to the Interstate law. That the ulti-
lem may be found in the ownership and
operation by the government of one or
more trans-continental lines with their
connections and feeders, at rates based
upon fair return for service rendered,
and actual capital invested, and under a
management prescribed by general law,
in which there is strict personal respon-
sibility. That the present situation of the
Union Pacific railroad offers fair oppor-
tunity for such an experiment and we
believe the government should take that
road and acquire by purchase or construc-
ton connection to the sea board, instead of
extending its debt sixty or eighty years,
and perpetuating its present exorbitant
and tyrannous exactions
Resolved, That the telegraph should |
be owned by the government and operated |
by the postal department.
Resolved, That we are in favor of the |
early completion of the deep water way |
connecting the Great Lakes with the Gulf |
of Mexico, for the encouragement of trade |
between this and the South American
countries, by the United States and the
improvement of feasible waterways.
Resolved, That we demand such legis-
lation in regard to the liquor traffic as will
prevent that business from increasing our
taxes, endangering the morals of our chill
dren, and destroying the usefulness of our
citizens.
Resolved, That we believe in amending
the Public School System that the educa-
ton of our children shall be of practical
help to them in after life. The theoreti-
cal plan that they now obtain, infects
many with the idea that physical labor is
not genteel. This sentiment tends to Gre.
OF ho1 n1n nIo vvh x3-;f e. |
is toward the almshouse and prison. Our
country needs an educational system based
on moral, manual, and Intellectual train
ing that inculcstes the essential dignity
and necessity of honest labor.
Resolved, That the agricultural COL
leges magnifcently endowed by govern
ment and dedicated to the purpose of
agriculture and the mechanical arts should
be held faithfully to the conditions of the
grants; and as they have in many cases
BIT en- diverted, we demand that they be
restored. and held to the high purpose of
their creation. in ministering to and en-
nobling industry.
Resolved, That we recognize the valu-
able service rendered by Congress in the
legislation against the bogus butter fraud,
and that we demand the faithful execution
Of the law, and ask for further legislation
70 prevent adulteration of all food pro-
ducts.
Resolved, That we sympathize with
The just demand of labor of every class,
and recognize that many of the evils from
which the farming community suffers op-
press universal labor, and that, therefore,
producers should unite in demand for the
'eform of unjust systems and the repeal
If laws that bear unequally upon the
people.
Resolved. That the working classes of
his country form the great conservative
md conserving element whose mower must