The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-07
POLITICAL.
Notes Relative to the Coming Presi'
Dental Campaign.

The National Convention Of the Peoples
Party opened at 10 o'clock July 2 in Omaha. c.
II. Ellington, of Georgia, was made temporary
Chairman. After some speechmaking, which
called forth great enthusiasm. the Convention
took recess until o'clock, and on reconven-
ing the speechmakings was continued, pending
the report of the Committee on Permanent
Organization.
A telegram was received in the Convention
from Judge Walter P. Gresham, Of Indiana, re-
fusng under any circumstances to head the
| ticket to be nominated.
II. L. Loucks, who was the Vice. President OF
the Farmers Alliance, and upon the death OF
Col. L. L. Polk succeeded to the Presidency,
was chosen Permanent Chairman. Loucks is
looked upon as the originator of the movement
for independent political action, which has
eliminated in tho foundation of the Peoples
Party. He opened the meeting of the Conven-
| ton on Monday morning
After some speechmakng, recess was taken
until 2 p. m, when the platform was read and
adopted. Among other things it declares:
We demand National currency safe, sound, and
flexible issued by the General Government only, a
| full legal tender for all debts public aud private,
| and that without the use of banking corporations
just equitable, and efficient means of distribution
| direct to the people at n tax not to exceed per
! cent per annum to be provided as set forth in the
| sub-treasury plan of the Farmers Alliance, or a
| better system; also by payments In discharge oil
its obligations for public improvements We de,
at the present legal ratio of l6 to !. We demand
that the amount of circulating medium be speedily
increased to not less than $50 per capita.
We demand graduated income tax.
| We believe that the money OF the country should
| be kept mnch possible 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.
lished by the Government for the safe deposit OF
the earnings Of the people and to facilitate ex-
change.
The land. including all the 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 excess of their actual needs, and all lands now
owned by aliens, should be reclaimed by the Gov
eminent and held for actual settlers only.
| Transportation being means OF exchange and
| public necessity, the Government should own
and operate the railroads in the interest OF the peo-
| pie.
| system being "A necessity for the transmission OF
| news, should be owned and operated by the Gov
| eminent in the interest of the people
We demand free ballot and a fair count In all
elections and pledge ourselves to secure 1t to every
| legal voter without Federal Intervention through
the adoption by the States OF the unperverted Aus
| traan secret ballot system.
Notwithstanding another telegram from
| Gresham, his friends were actively working
for him. At late hour in the evening Gen.
| James =. Weaver, of Iowa, was nominated on
the first ballot. Three other candidates were
| in the field Kyle, of South Dakota; Field, of
| Virginia, and Page, of Virginia. Gresham
refusal was at last reluctantly accepted by his
| admirers.
James G.. Field, of Virginia, was nominated
| for Vice, President on the FIRST ballot.
| James B. Weaver was born in Dayton, o.,
June ~ 1888. and was graduated in 1854 at the
Law School of the University of Ohio. Enlist
| ing as a private in 1851 in Cd Iowa. he had
risen to Major by October of that year. In
| 1862 he was commissioned as Colonel, the Colo
mel and Lieutenant Colonel having both been
| killed at the battle of Corinth, Miss. He was
brevetted Brigader. General for galantry on
the field. He resumed the practice of law after
the war, and in 1866 was elected District Attor-
ney of the Second Judicial District of Iowa.
| He was appointed Assessor Of Internal Revenue
| for the Sixth District in 1867, and served two
years In 1878 was elected to Congress on the
| Greenback ticket, and in that body became
known as one of the widest and most absurd
| of the rag-money partisans. The National
| Greenback Labor party nominated him for the
! Presidency in 1880, and he received 307740
| votes. Two years later he WAS returned to
] Congress, and was reelected in 1886.
The National Convention of the Prohibition
| Party opened its session at Cincinnati June 80
| with 372 delegates present. Ex.Gov. st. John
was temporary Chairman. Three sessions were
held the first day. and at the evening meeting
| Col. Eli Ritter, of Indiana, was elected perma-
nent Chairman, with Sam Small as Secretary.
| Louisiana and Texas were the only States I'M
| represented and there was lively fight over
| an attempt to let others represent delegates not
| present.
The second day session was occupied mainly
| with the platform. After the maj ority report
of the resolutions had been read, substitutes for
| the silver and tariff planks were submitted
| fbn
| issue of legal-tende Treasury notes exchange
| able in gold and silver or silver bullion q
| plan similar to that which now floats $40, 000,-
600 of greenbacks on $4,000, 600 of gold reserve
| and makes them moro acceptable and cOnve-
nient than either gold or silver coin. The
tariff substitute favored commission to rec
ommend to Congress duties to meet the wants
of the Government, SO graduated as to protect
| American skill and labor against the COMPETE
| ton of the world
| The two reports were read to the Convention,
| and then, after much confusion as to mode of
procedure. the majority report was taken up
section by section. There was no trouble until
the financial and silver planks were reached.
A plank in the majority report declaring in
| favor of free and unlimited coinage of both
| metals was warmly attached. A vote was
promptly taken by States. and tho plank re-
jected. Hence there is no plank in the plat
form on the silver question. A fight followed
was rejected.
! Parts of the platform are as follows
First. The liquor traffic is foe to civilization
| the arch-enemy of popular Government, and n
public nuisance. 1t is the citadel of the forces that
| corrupt politics, promote poverty and crime, de-
grade the Nations home-iife. thwart the will of the
people, and deliver country into the hands of
rapacious cass-interess. All laws that under the
guisc regulation egalize and protect this traffic
| or make the Government share in it's ilgoten
| gains are vicious in principle and powerless
<la f.,rt
sion of the uiacture. sale, importation exporta-
beverage by Federal and State legislation and the
| full powers Of the Government should be exerted
to secure this result Any party that fails to recog
politics undeservng Of the support of the people.
| Third. The money of the country should be
| issued by the General Government only. and in
sufficient quantities to meet the demands Of bust
ness and give full opportunity for the employment
money Is demanded, andno individual or corpora
| ton should be allowed to make any profit through
its issue. II should he made legal tender for the
payment of all debts, public and private. Its vol
| ume should be fixed at a definite sum per capita,
| and made to increase with our increase in popua-
| ton.
| Fifth. Tariff should be levied only defense
| against foreign Governments which levy tariff
| upon bar out our products from their markets.
| revenue being incidental The residue Of means
| necessary to an economical administration Of the
Government should be raised by levying burden