The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-08-23
UNION OF THE PEOPLE.

UNION OF THE PEOPLE.
First-That the union of the labor
forces of the United States, this day
consumated, shall be permanent and
perpetual. May it's spirit enter into
all hearts for the salvation of the Re
public and the uplifting of mankind.
Second-Wealth belongs to him who
creates it, and every dollar taken from
industry without an equivalent is rob-
berry. IF any will not work, neither
shall he eat" The interests of rural
and civic labor are the same; their
enemies are identical.
Third-We belive that the time has
come when the railroad corporations
must either own the people OF the PEG
pie must own the railroads, and should
the government enter upon the work
Of owning and managing all railroads,
we should favor an amendment to the
Constitution by which all persons en-
gagged in the government service shalt
be placed under a civil service regula-
ton of the most rigid character, so as
to prevent the increase of the power of
the national administration by the use
of such additional government en-
plOyees.
PLATFORM.
We demand a national currency,
safe, sound, and flexible, issued by the
General Government only, a full legal
tender fJr all debts, public and private,
and that without the use of banking
corporations, a Just, equitable and
efficient means of distribution direct to
the people at a tax not to exceed 3 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 of it's
obligations for public improvements.
We demand free and unlimited coin
age of silver and gold at the present
legal ratio of Is to 1.
We demand that the amount of the
circulating medium be speedily in
creased tonot less than $50 per capita.
We demand a graduated income tax.
We believe that the money of
the country should be kept as much as
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 gov
eminent economically and honestly ad-
ministered.
We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the govern
L1CAU " Vic SCb1O OCpOOAU III UhO
ings of the people and to facilitate ex
change.
CONTROL OF TRANSPORTATION.
Transportation being a means of ex
change and a public necessity, the
government should own and operate
the railroads in the interest of the
people.
The telegraph and telephone, like the
postofice system, being a necessity for
the transmission of news, should be
owned and operated by the government
in the interest Of the people.
RECLAIMING THE LAND.
The land, including all the natural
resources of wealth. is the heritage
Of all the people and should not be
monopolized for speculative purposes,
and alien ownership of land should be
prohibited. ALI land now held by rail
roads and other corporations in excess
of their actual needs, and all landsnow
owned by aliens should be reclaimed
by the government and held for actual
settlers only.
RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were offered
independent of the platform, and were
duODGCu, oil OApI0SS1NS VI GA0 SCL1U11IICI4O
of The convention:
ReSOLUed, That we demand a free
ballot and a fair count in all elections
and pledge ourselves to secure. it to
every legal voter without Federal in
t~erventiOn through the adoption by
the States of the unperverted Australian
or secret ballot system.
2. That the revenue derived from a
graduated income tax should beapplied
to the reduction of the burden of taxa
ton now levied upon the domestic in
dustries of this country.
3 That we pledge our support to fair
and liberal pensions to ex-Union sol
diers and sailors.
4. That we condemn the fallacy of
protecting American labor under the
present system, which opens our ports
to the pauper and criminal classes of
the world and crowds out our wage
farmers and we denOunce the present
ineffective laws against contract labor
and demand the further restriction Of
undesirable immigration.
5. That we cordially sympathlze
with the efforts of organized working
men to shorten the hours of labor, and
demand a rigid enforcement Of the ex-
listing eight-hour law on government
work, and ask that a penalty clause be
added to the said law.
6. That we regard the maintenance
of a large standing army of mercen-
aries, known as the PinkertOn system, |
a mi to our liberties, and we
demand its abolition; and we condemn
the recent invasion of the Territory of
Wyoming by the hired ~assassins of
p~lutocracy, assisted by Federal officers.
Z. That we commend to the thought
full consideration of the people and the
press the legislative system
known as the initiative and referen
dunn.
s. That we favor a constitutional
provision limiting the Office of Presi-
dent and Vice-President to one term,