The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-06-26

ming to see that there is no just cause for
the now almost universal depression that
pervades the laboring classes of every
section of our country, and are disposed
to attribute the same to the corrupting
influence that these great combines and
corporations exert over our leaders nd
political, moral and social institutio., Z,
So long as our people neglect to inform
themselves upon the great issues Of the
hour, and continue to follow blindly
machine politicians to the neglect Of
their own interest, they will continue to
lose their individuality, influence and
power in cur political institutions, and
be wholly at the mercy of the soulless
corporations that are now welding such
an influence over our government. The
very existence of our free institutions
and republican form of government, the
veryasife and prosperity of the agricult-
urs4 and laboring people depend large
ly, if not wholly, upon financial, land
and transportation reformation.
The st. Louis convention spent some
days in debating the financial and gen.
eral political situation, and finally
framed what amounted to a full political
platform. These were its planks:
We demand the abolition Of national banks,
and the substitution of legal tender treasury
notes in lieu of national bank notes, issued in
sufficient volume to do the business of the
country on cash system; regulating the
amount needed on q per capita basis as the
business interests of the country expand, and
that all money issued by the government shall
ho1 1aool in nov nf of oil hot
public and private.
We demand, that congress shall pass such
laws as shall effectually prevent the deal
ing in futures of all agricultural and mechan-
ical productions, preserving stringent system
of procedure in trials as shall procure the
prompt conviction, and imposing such penal
ties as shall secure most perfect compliance
with the law.
We demand the free and unlimited coinage
of silver.
We demand the passage of laws prohibiting
the alien ownership of land, and that congress
take early steps to devise some plan to obtain
oil lands now owned by aliens and foreign syn
dicates, and that all lands now held by railroad
and other corporations in excess of such as is
actually used and needed by them be re-
claimed by the government and held for actual
settlers.
Believing in the doctrine of equal rights to
all and special privileges to none, ;" we demand
used to build up one interest or class at the ex-
pense of another. We believe that the money
of the country should be kept as much as pos
sible in the hands of the people, and hence we
demand that all revenues, NATIONAL state or
county, shall be limited to the necessary ex-
penses of the government, economically and
honestly administered.
We demand that congress issue sufficient
amount of fractional paper currency to facili-
tate exchange through the medium of the
United States mail.
We demand that the means of communion
tion and transportation shall be owned by and
operated in the interest of the people, as is the
United States postal system.
These demands were supplemented by
resolution that Sin order to carry out
these objects we will support for office
only such men as can be depended upon
to enact these principles in statute law
uninfuenced by party caucus"