Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-06
THE PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM

THE PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM
The platform designed by the archi-
tects of the Peoples party and built by
its artisans at Omaha is fearfully and
wonderfully made. 1t has some ele-
ments of strength, but they are far more
than counterbalanced by its weaknesses.
1t is ill-shaped, disjointed and alto
gether an unsafe craft to set adrift on
the treacherous sea of American poll
tics. 1t will become waterlogged and
sink of its own weight and those who
are foolish enough to embark upon it
will be left at the mercy of the waves
they are battling, with no compass to
guide them and not a plank left to bear
them to the Utopian haven they seek.
Following is the substance of demands
and declaration which constitute the
platform:
We demand a national currency, safe,
sound and flexible, issued by the general
government only; to be full legal tender
for all debts, public and private. and that
without using banking corporations;
just, equitable and sufficient distribution
10 the people; a tax not to exceed per
cent per annum, to be provided as set
forth in the sub-treasury plan of the
farmers alliance or better system; also
by payments in discharge of its obliga-
tions for public Improvements.
1--WE demand free and unlimited coin
age Of silver and gold at the present
legal rate Of 16 to1
We demand that the amount Of the
circulating medium be speedily increased
to not less than $50 per capita.
ave demand graduated income tax.
We believe that the money of the
country should be kept as much as possi-
BILE in the hands Of the people, and hence
we demand that all state and national
revenues shall be limited to the necessary
expenses OF the government, economically
and honestly administered.
1--WE demand that postal savings banks
be established by the government for the
safe deposit Of the earnings of the people
and to facilitate exchange.
Transportation being the means of
exchange and public necessity the gov
eminent should own and operate therail-
roads In the interest of the people.
The telegraph and telephone. like the
postoffice system, being a necessity for the
transmission OF news, should be owned
and operated by the government in the in
terest of the people.
Land, including all natural sources of
wealth, is the heritage of the people and
should not be monopolized for speculative
purposes, and alien ownership Of land
should be prohibited. All land now held
by railroads and other corporations in ex-
cess Of their actual needs, and all lands
now owned by aliens should be reclaimed
by the government and held for actual set
tiers only"
Even the desperate desire of the sill
yer states for free coinage, overshadow-
ing as 1t does all other issues in those
states, is hardly strong enough to divert
their electoral votes to a party COM
mitted to the visionary sub treasury
scheme of the Farmers Alliance, and
to an income tax which would bear
heavily upon the wealthy mine owners.
Furthermore the free trade plank will
not be popular in the silver states,
which are safely Republican on that
issue. The demand for the establish
ment of postal savings banks is all right
enough, as is also that for the prohibi-
ton Of alien ownership of land. Both
of the old parties number tens of thou
sands who believe in government
ownership and operation of railroad,
telegraph and telephone lines, but they
know full well that such actual owner
ship could not be acquired now by any
method short Of confiscation, which is
too close an ally of communism to be
popular in America.
Republicans may well congratulate
themselves that Judge Gresham refused
to accept the nomination on platform
embodying his personal views. He
would have commanded a much larger
following in the North and West than
General Weaver, and might have Sc
cured few electoral votes. AS 1t is IL
Is not probable that the next electoral
college will include any representatives
of the new party.