Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-07-07

quarter OF century the struggles Oh the
two great political parties for power and
plunder. while grieyous wrongs have
been inflicted upon the suffering people.
We charge that the controlling influences
dominating both these parties have per
mitted the existing dreadful conditions to
develop without serious effort to prevent
or restrain them. Neither do they promise
us any substantial reform. They have
agreed together to Ignore in the campaign
every issue but one They propose to iE drown .T
uproar Of a sham battle over the tariff, so
that capitalists, corporations, national
banks, rings, trusts, watered stock, the
demonstration Of silver and the oppression
of the usurers may all be lost sight of.
They propose to sacrifice our homes, lives
and children ON the altar of Mammon; to-
destroy the multitude in order to secure
corruption funds from the millionaires.
Assembled ON the anniversary of the
birthday of the nation, and filed with the
spirit of the grand generation who estab-
llshed our independence, we seek to restore
the government of the republic to the
hands OF the "plain people," with whose
class II originated We assert our purposes
to be identical with the purposes of the
national constitution, to form a more per
feet union, TO establish justice, insure do
mestic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare and
secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves
and our posterity.
We declare that this republic can only
endure as a free government while built
upon the love Of the whole people for each
other and for the nation; that 1t can not
be pinned together by bayonets; that the
civil war is over, and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of it must
die with it, and that we must be in fact, as
we are in name, one united brotherhood Of
free men.
Our country is confronted by conditions
for which there is no precedent in the his
tory OF the world; our annual agricultural
productions amount to billions of dollars
in value, which must within b few weeks
or months be exchanged for billions Of dol
| lars of commodities consumed in their pro
| duction the existing currency supply is
| wholly inadequate to make the exchange,
the results are falling prices, the formation
| OF combines and rings, the ilnpoverishment
| OF the producing classes. We pledge our
| selves that, if given power, we will labor
| to correct these evils by wise and reasona
| BILE legislation, in, accordance with the
terms of our platform
1 We believe that the powers of govern.
| men-in other words, of the people-should
be expanded (as in the case of the postal
service) as rapidly and as far as the good
sense of an intelligent people and the teach
ings of experience shall Justify, to the end
that oppression, injustice and poverty shall
eventually cease in the land.
While our sympathies as a party of re-
| form are naturally upon the side of every
| proposition which will tend to make men
| intelligent, virtuous and temperate, we,
nevertheless, regard these questions i'm
| portant as they areas secondary to the
| great issues now pressing for solution, and
| perity but the very existence of free insti-
| tutions depend, and we ask all men to first
help us to determine whether we are to
have republic to administer before we
differ as to the conditions upon which ii, is
4 to be administered believing that the
forces of reform this day organized will
never cease to move forward until every
securely established for all the men and
women of this country.
| We declare, therefore,
First-That the union of the labor forces
| of the United States this day consummated
shall be permanent and perpetual; may its
spirit enter into all hearts for the salvation
of the republic and the uplifting of man.
kind
Second-Wealth belongs to him who Gre
ates it, and every dollar taken from indus.
try, without an equivalent is robbery III
any will not work, neither shall he eat. u
The interests of rural and civic labor are
the same; their enemies are identical
Third-We believe that the time has
come when the railroad corporations will
either own the people or the people must
own the railroad, and, should the govern
ment enter upon the work of owning and
managing all roads, we should favor an
amendment to the constitution by which
all persons engaged in the government SER
vice shall be placed under civil service
regulation of the most rigid character, SC
as to prevent the increase of the power oi
the national administration by the use Of
such additional government employees.
i Finance.
We demand national currency, safe
sound and flexible, issued by the general
government only, a full legal tender fol-
all debts, public and private, and that
without the use of banking corporations; a
just, equitable and efficient means of dis
tribution direct to the people, at tax moi
to exceed 2 per cent. per annum, to be pro
vided as set forth in the sub-treasury plan
of the Farmers Alliance or some better
system; also by payments in discharge oi
its obligations for rhblic improvements
II We demand the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver ard gold at the present legal
ratio of 16 to |.
We demand that the amount of the cir
l
not less than $50 per capita
i We demand O graduated income tax.
We believe that the money of the country
should be kept as much as possible in tht
hands of the people, and hence we demand
that all state and national revenues shall
be limited to the necessary expenses o.
the government economically and honestly
, administered.
We demand that postal savings banks b.
\ heaFt
! deposit Of the earnings Of the people and tt
facilitate exchange.
Transportation.
Transportation being means of ex
change and public necessity, the govern
ment should own and operate the railroads
in the interest Of the people,
The telegraph and telephone, like thu
postoffice system, being necessity for tn,
transmission Of news, should be owned anC
!. operated by the government in the interest
OF the people.
4 The land, including all the natura
sources of wealth, lis, the heritage of thi
J people and should not be monopoliZe(
: Tor speculative purposes, and alien own
. erships of land should be prohibited
: All lands now held by railroads ant
other corporations in excess of their actu
: needs and all lands now owned by alien
} should be reclaimed by the government
I and held for actual settlers only.
Fatal Fall.
WIMINGToN O., July 2.--Mrs. DR.. l
M. Green, while ascending the steps a
: her home, fell backward down the stairs
receiving injuries from the effects Q
j. which she died. It is thought she fainte
while going up stairs, causing her to fal
I backward.
81 Supreme Court Doings.