Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-06-09
UNSATaSFACTORY.
Kctclum keystone.


The least that can be said about
the platform put forth by the Gin
cinnati convention of Alliances, is
that it is unsatisfactory. In perus-
ing its demands, many Of which are
good enough to have been clearly
and succinctly stated, one is forced
to the conclusion that it must have
been hastily drawn up, and adopted
without Just measure of considera-
ton. A convention called together
for purpose so important as the or
ganization of a new political party
and the promul cation of set OF
principles designed to reinstate the
people OF n great country such as
ours, and to serve as landmarks for
their guidance in legislation that
shall, in the future, inure to the equal
ization and welfare of all of the peo-
pie of our country, should give itself
time to crystalize its demands into
such brief, sharp utterances as would
inevitably attract and hold the atten-
ton of the multitude. The manner
of saying thing is frequently of as
much Importance as the thing said
and the declaration of principles by
the Cincinnati convention was an IN
stance in which uttsrances crisp,
salient and manifestly true, was de
manded. That the platform is not
so spoken is disappointment.
We believe there is a wide, popu.
lar demand for the abolition of nation
al banking. To make and issue mon
ey is function OF the general gov
eminent, conferred upon it by the
constitution. The right to delegate
that power has not been conferred
upon, but usurped by the govern
ment 1t is, then, the duty as we'll as
the function of the government to
make and issue money, and the neg
lect to perform this duty, besides in
flicting an injury on the citizen, is a
violation of governmental obliga-
ton, which should arouse his antago-
nism. The convention should, there
fore, have made an emphatic demand
for the abolition of national banking,
and the issuance of money from the
treasury direct, in such quantities,
beginning at $50 per capita, as ex-
perience should prove necessary to
maintain the business of the country
on a permanent cash basis. But
their scheme of borrowing money
from the government will inevitably
prove disastrous TO the great mass of
farmers, al least, as both the crops
and the farms of the poor are mort
gagged in adyacne or any such law
This will be taken advantage of by
the rich and well-to-do to borrow
money at the cheap rates proposed
and possess themselves of the prop
erty and homes of their less fortunate
neighbors. 1t is the most yillainous
scheme yet advanced in this country
and fully justi6es the suspicion that
it was devised for the purpose of en-
abling the railroad companies to I'M
load their worthless lands on the gov
eminent by means of mortgages.
On the subject of taxation the de-
mand should have been for its total
abandonment. There no longer re-
mains a tenable excuse for taxation.
The practice and principle, always
pernicious, are obsolete. 1t is a relic
of barbarism and can IN nowise be so
equitably adjusted that its burden
will fall upon each in a just proper
ton TO the benefits derived and his
ability to pay. The government
must have an income, which should |
be limited to its actual needs, and
gotten without expressing even the
humblest citizen; but so far from this
being so under our system of taxa
ton, the enormously rich escape the
payment of any taxes, while the very
poor are ground to death by the
weight of burden that should not
and need not be imposed. Our rail-
roads, telegraphs and telephones con-