The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-02-25
Special to the REcoRp-US1oS.

! ST. LOUIS, Feb. 24.-At the Industrial
Conference to-day the platform of the
Committee on Resolutions was read.
Without taking vote on the adoption OF
the platform recess of two hours was
| taken.
The platform states the nation is on the
verge of moral, political and material
ruin; that corruption dominates the bal
| lot-box, the Legislatures, Congress, and
! touches even the ermine of the bench;
newspapers are subsidized or muzzled.
| public opinion is silenced, business is
| Frustrated, homes covered with mort
cages, labor impoverished, and land and
money are concentrating in the hands OF
capitalists. The workiagmen, it de-
/ clares, are denied the right of organiza-
ton for self-protection; imported pauper-
! lied labor beats down wages; hireling
! standing army, unrecogn1Zed by our
| laws, is established to shoot them down,
and they are rapidly degenerating into
| European conditions. The national
| power to create money is appropriated to
enrich bondholders; silver has been de-
monetized to add to the purchasing power
of gold, and the supply of currency is
purposely abridged to fatten usurers,
try.
| A resolution declares the old political
| parties allowed this to exist without any
effort at restraint. and therefore, it asserts,
new political organization representing
the political principles herein stated is
! necessary.
! The declaration of principles is then
made. A national currency is demanded
that is safe, sound and flexible, issued by
! the General Government only, and full
legal tender for all debts, public and pri-
vate, and that, without the use of bank
ing corporations, just and equitable
means Of circulation is established with q
tax not to exceed per cent, as set forth
in the Sub-Treasury plan of the Farm
erS' Alliance, or some better system. 1t
demands the free and unlimited coinage OF
silver; that the amount OF circulating me-
| dunn be speedily increased to not less
| than $40 per capita; a graduated income
tax; that all National and State revenues
! be limited to the necessary expenses OF
the Government, and that postal savings
banks be established by the Government.
The platform declares the land should
not be mOnopoliZed for speculative pur-
! poses, and alien ownership of land should
| be prohibited. All lands now held by
railroads and other corporations in ex-
cess of their actual needs, and all kinds
now owned by aliens, should be reclaimed
settlers only. 1t declares the Govern
ment should own and operate the rail
roads, telegraph and telephone, and de-
mands that the Government issue legal
tender notes and pay the Union soldier
the difference between the price of the
| deprecated money in which he was paid
and gold.
The fight for recognition Of the Prohi-
bition issue in the platform started inn
mediately upon the reasSembling of the
convention. Miss Frances Willard pre-
scented minority report, which she
moved be adopted Immediately as an
amendment to the majority report. 1t
favored women suffrage and demanded
the suppression of the liquor traffic.
After considerable discussion the mi
nority report was shelved by substitute
| ignoring the liquor question and refer
ring the woman suffrage to State legisla-
| ton.
The Knights and most of the Alliance
men then retired for caucus, despite
some vehement protests. When the con-
vention got together again half an hour
later, Ignatius Donnelly, to the surprise
of great many, declared that all the
! business could be wound up in half an
| hour. To defer by unanimous consent
the little woman suffrage matter; adopt
the majority platform report; appoint a
committee to act with the National Com
mittee of the Peoples party; to call a
National Convention to nominate Presi-
Dental candidates, and the thing was
done. The idea took like wild-tire among
the tired and hungry delegates. and with
in two minutes the majority report was
| adopted without a solitary voice of dis
sent. and amid tremendous enthusiasm,
Miss Curtis woman suffrage resolution
as a substitute for prohibition was then
adopted without opposition, and the con-
vention adjourned sine die after appoint
ing Conference Committee to act with
the Peoples Party National Committee.
! Late tonight the Conference Commit
tee selected July 18th as the date for the
convention, the selection of the place
being left to subcommittee of ten to be
appointed by Taubeneck of Illinois.