The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-09-27
POLITICAL PLATFORMS.
a Series of Interesting Documents.


A Series of Interesting Documents.
MiLestones an the Development Of PoEiti-
cal Parties Since the Organiza-
tiOp of the GoUern Dae1at.
1884.
GREENBACK NATIONAL, INDIANAPOLIS,
MAY %.
Eight years ago our young party
met in this city for the first time, and
proclaimed to the world it's immortal
principles, and placed before the Amer
lean people as presidential candidate
that great philanthropist and spotless
statesman, Peter Cooper. Since that
convention our party has organized
all over the Union, and through discus
sion and agitation has been educating
the people to a sense of their rights
and duties to themselves and their
country. These labors have accomp-
lished wonders. We now have a great
harmonious party, and thousands who
believe In our principles in the ranks
of o her parties.
1--WE point with pride to our his
tory" We forced the remonetization
of the silver dollar, prevented the re-
funding of the public debt into long
time bonds; secured the payment of
the bonds, until the "best banking
system the world ever saw" for rob-
bing the producer now totters because
of it's contracting foundation: we have
stopped the squandering of our public
domain upon corporations; we have
stopped the wholesale destruction of
the greenback currency, and secured
a decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States establishing forever the
right of the people to issue their own
money.
Notwithstanding all this, never in
our history have the banks, land grant
railroads, and other monopolies been
moro insolent in their demands for
further privileges es-stil more class
legislation. In this emergency the
dominant parties are arrayed against
the people and are the ,abject tools of
the corporate monopolies
In the last Congress they repealed
over $12, O00, 900 of annual taxes for the
banks, throwing the burden upon the
people TO pay or pay interest thereon.
Both old parties in the present Con-
gress vie with each other In their
efforts to further repeal taxes in order
to stop the payment of the public debt,
and save the banks whose charters
they have renewed for twenty years
Notwithstanding the distress of bust
ness, the shrinking of wages and panic,
they persist in locking up on various
pretexts, $40, ,000, 600 of money, every
dollar of which the people pay interest
upon and need, and most of which
should be promptly applied to- pay
bonds now payable.
The old parties are united-as they
cannot agree what taxes to repeal-in
efforts to squander the income of the
government upon every pretext rather
than pay the debt.
A bill has already passed the United
States Senate making the banks a pres
ent of over $40 900 900 more of the peo-
pies money in order to enable them to
levy a still greater burden of interest
taxes.
A Joint effort is being made by the
old party leaders to overthrow the SOW
eign constitutional power of the people
to control their own financial affairs
and issue their own money, in or
der to forever enslave the masses
to bankers and other business. The
House of Representative has passed
bills reclaiming nearly 100000, 600
acres of land granted to and forfeited
by railroad companies. These bills
have gone to the Senate, a body com
posed largely of aristOcratic million
aires who, according to their own party
papers, generally purchase their elec-
tions In order to protect great monop-
olies which they represent. This body
has thus far defied the people and the
House, and refuses to act upon these
bills In the interest of the people.
Therefore we, the National party of
the United States, this 29th day of May,
AID, 1884, declare:
1. That we hold the late decision of
the Supreme Court on the legal tender
question to use full vindication of
the theory which our party has always
advocated on the right and authority
of Congress over the issue of legal ten
der notes, and we hereby pledge our
selves to uphold said decision and to
defend the Cor stitution against altera-
lions or amendments intended to de-
Irive the people of any rights or privi-
leges conferred by that instrument.
We demand the issue of such money IN
tuffcient quantity to supply the actual
Remand of trade and commerce, in &C
lcordance with the increase of popula-
tion and the development of our indus
tries. We demand the substitution Of
greenbacks for national bank notes
and the prompt payment of the public
debt. We want that money which
saved our country in time of war, and
which has given it prosperity and hap
piness In peace. We condemn the re-
tirement of the fractional currency and
the small denomination Of greenbacks
and demand their restoration. We de-
mand the issue of the boards of money
now locked up in the United States
Treasury by applying them to the pay
ment of the public debt now due
2. We denounce as dangerous to our
Republican institutions, those methods
and nolitics of the Democratic and Re-