People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-07

We are in favor of enactment by the
States of laws for abolishing the noto-
rious sweating system; for abolishing
contract convict labor and for prohibit
ing the employment in factories of chill
dren under fifteen years Of age.
Then, the Democrats put that in
there also at Chicago!
You have been told that the Dem
ocratic party was the enemy of the
country. Let US go on that;
The reduction of State and national
tax, and that economy and judicial ex-
penditure shall be observed.
That was Livingston's yardstick.
Let us see what the Chicago plat.
form says;
We denounce Republican protection
as a fraud
Why did not the Omaha platform
denounce it as a fraud
A robbery of a great majority of the
American people for the benefit of the
few.
That is the way the Alliance plat
form started out. Let us further.
We will come down to something
rich directly. Here it further de-
mands that the burdens resting on
the people shall be lessened to the
greatest extent. That was the Liv-
ingston yardstick. Let US see what
the Chicago platform says about it (:
We denounce the Mckinley law en-
acted by the Fifty-frst Congress as the
eliminating atroclty Of class legislation.
We endorse the efforts made by the
Democrats Of the present Congress to
modify It's most oppressive features in
the direction of raw materials and
cheaper manufactured goods that enter
into the general consumption, and we
promise its repeal as one of the benefcent
results that will follow the action of the
people 1ntrusting power to the Demo
cratic party. We deny that there has
been any increase of prosperity to the
country since the tariff went into opera
ton, and we point to the dullness and
distress, to the wage reductions and
strikes in the iron trade as the best posi-
BILE evidence that no such prosperity has
resulted from the McKinly bill.
We ask that our representatives
in the national legislature will advo.
cate the passage of such laws as will
prevent the formation of trusts, mo-
nopolies, combines, etc. That is the
Alliance yardstick. What do you
think the Chicago platform says
about that 1gs nra
Section s. We recognize in the trusts
and combinations which are designed to
enable capital to secure more than its
just share of the joint product of capital
and labor, a natural consequence of the
prohibitive taxes which prevent free
competition which is the life honest
trade.
Now, there is the same plank al
most word for word.
Now let us go further. There is
something mighty good here: ''The
abolition of the national bank sys-
tenn" I am reading from the yard
stick.
Voices. We know what you are
reading.
Col. Livingston. There is the Al
lance plank that every Allianceman
pledged himselfotQos What part Of
that is in the national platform now {?
"We recommend that the ten per cent.
tax on State bank issues be repealed"
And the silver plank in that plat
form. We RECOGNIZED silver as cur.
rency. I am going to discuss the
silver plank directly in answer to his
objections.
Now listen. The Chicago Demo-
Gratis knew very we'll that they could
not repeal the national bank system
for two reasons. First, they could
not, until there was something put in
the place of it. Second, under the
act which rechartered them for ten
years, they had an absolute right to
run that time, and no act, State or
national, could repeal that charter
until the time expired. Even the
Supreme Coutt of the United States
would not declare them unconstitu-
tional, for they would not attempt
anything that could not be accom-
plished. Well, the congress did not
go there and gas, and then go away.
They recommended that until that
time you should have State banks.
State banks, solid and good. Tom
Watson and myself went to Wash
ington pledged to vote for these
State banks. Maybe he has forgot
ten it.
A voice. Shake him up.
Mr.. Livingston. I am shaking him.
Who pledged Tom Watson and Liv-
ingston to go there and vote for State
banks? Have you thought who? I
reckon you will say some would-be
banker. Is Mcdonald, your latest
representative, here? Every man in
the legislature, both in the house and
Senate, voted tor this resolution, and
that legislature was Alliance, sent
there to do your bidding. You tied
our hands.
A voice: We are going to tie
your hands to-day.
Mr.. Livingston: Tom tied his own
hands. I did not.
You will find in acts Of the legis-
lature, page 523, this:
Whereas, The statute of the United
States levying tax of ten per cent. on
on State banks of issue, which was en-
;Vovn &c Il