Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-03-02
A rnlrd Party Again Launched.
ron. the Baltimore Sun.

rather formidable character. The platform
calls for permanent and perpetual I'M
ion Of the Labor forces of the Union States;
announces that the interests of rural and ur-
ban labor are identical; declares that ii
any will not work neither shall he est'-
rather hard on people out of job; de-
mapds "safe, sound aud flexible" national
currency. which is to be "full legal ten
der" and is to be issued by the government
to the amount of $50 per capita in loans to
the people at per cent, on the sub-treasury
plan; requires the coinage of silver to be
free aud unlimited; pronounces for grad
uated income tax; calls for economical and
honest State and national government, and
at the same time asks that veterans of the
civil war be paid the difference between the
value of the greenback now and during the
civil war. In addition to the foregoing there
are planks favoring postal savings banks,
the prohibition of alien ownership of land
and the acquisition by the government of
the property of all railroad, telegraph and
telephone companies Woman suffrage and
prohibition were kept out of the platform,
thanks to management that would have done
credit to the managers OF the conventions of
the efTetc 'old" parties,
The composition of the platform indicates
fairly well the composition of the body that
constructed it and the section Of the country
from which the majority of the delegates
was drawn. Some of the planks are Farm
ers' Alliance planks. smacking of the South
and Southwest Others reflect Mr.. Pow
derly's views, aud are supposed to represent
labor in the North. The rest of the plat
form sets forth the economic views of the
third party people of the West and North
west, as voiced by Mr. Ignatius Donnelly.
As whole the platform is to be regarded as
the basis of the third-party movement dur
ing the coming presidential fight. Very
soon after it met the St. Louis conference
was captured, it seems, by the third-party
advocates, and Southern alliance men who
protested that they could not be bound as
respects their political action by the con-
ference's decisions were howled down with
out mercy. The Southern delegates, who
were for the most part Democrats, affirm that
the action taken at ST Louis does not in
any way bind their organization. The
Northern delegates, on the other hand, an
nounce that they have at least effected a
complete capture of the political strength of
the Farmers Alliance in the South"
For some time past the ex- Republicans,
who. of the various labor and industrial or
CARNATIONS OF the West and Northwest,
have resented the fidelity of the Southern
alliance to the Democratic party and its
persistent refusal to take political action
outside that party. 'Shall we, they asked,
"leave the Republican party and you still
adhere to the Democratic party, though we
all profess to have common aim? MANY at
tempts have been made at past conventions
and conferences to "break the solid South"
It was hoped that it was done at the Gin
cinnati gathering last year, when the third
party was first launched. 1t was not a sue
cess then, but it is hoped that the Southern
alliance is now at length captive. Little
pains were taken to conciliate Southern sen
timent The tariff is not mentioned at all,
nor even referred to, in the platform. 1t is
so completely ignored that it may be fairly
suspected that some astute Republican pre-
sided over the deliberations of the platform
committee The Republican party is of
course responsible for the present economic
situation, having been in virtual control Of
legislation since 1861. Yet in the "whereas"
preceding the platform the Democratic par
tv. for the legislative ills of which complaint
is made The old political parties" are
Jumped together as equally ayerse to reform.
The Democratic party is specially struck at.
They" says the prologue to the platform,
"hsve agreed together Democrats and Re-
publicans 10 iguore in the coming cam
paigm every issue but one They propose
to drown the outcries OF the plundered PEG.
pie with the uproar of a sham battle over
the tariff, so that corporations, national
banks, rings, trusts, "watered Stocks the
decentralization of silver and the expressions
of usurers may all be lost sight Of" Hence
the necessity for third party and nomi-
mating convention which is to be held July
1. When it meets it will be interesting to
note what influences favorable to popular
interests preside over its deliberations