River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-07-07

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itate exchange.
Transportation being means OF exchange
and public necessity, the government should
own and operate the railroads in the interest Of
the people.
(a) The telegraph and telephone, ike the
post once system, being necessity for the
transmission of news should be owned and
operated by the government in the interest of
the people
The land. including all the natural sources OF
wealth, is the heritage OF the people and should
not be monopolized for speculative purposes,
and alien ownership of land should be prohlb-
tied All .and now had by railroads and other
corporations in excess OF their actual needs,
and all lands now owned by aliens, should be re-
claimed by the government and held for actual
settlers only.
A wild scene of enthusiasm ensued
over the adoption of the platform.
The following supplementary report of the
committee On resolutions was presented at
Monday nights session.
Your committee on platform and resolutions
beg leave una nimously to report the following:
Whereas, Other questions have been pre-
sented for our consideration, we hereby submit
the following rot es part % the platform of
the peoples party, but as resolutions expressive
Of the sentiment Of this convention:
Resolved, First, That we demand free bal
lot and a fair court in all elections and pledge
ourselves 10 secure il to every legal voter with
out federal intervention through the adoption
by the states Of the unperverted Australian or
secret ballot system.
Resolved, Second That the revenue derived
from graduated income tax should be applied
to the reduction Of the burden Of taxation now
levied upon the domestic industries Of this
country.
Resolved, Third, That we pledge our support
10 fair and liberal pensions of ex-union soldiers
and sailors.
Resolved, Fourth, That we condemn the fall
lacy 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-earners. and we denounce
the present Ineffective laws against contract la
Dor and demand the further restriction of undo
/ sirable emigration.
Resolved, Fifth. That we cordially sym
pathize with the efforts OF organized working
men to shorten the hours OF labor, and demand
rigid enforcement of the existing eighthour
law on government work and ask that a pen
! ALLY clause be added To the said law.
! Resolved. Sixth, That we regard the mainte-
] nance of a large standing army Of mercenaries,
1 known as the Pinkerton system, as a menace TO
I our liberties, aud we demand its abolition; and
we condemn the recent invasion of the territory
OF Wyoming by the hired assassins of plutoc-
racy, assisted By federal ofiieers
Resolved, seventh, That we commend TO the
thoughtful consideration of the people and the
reform press the legislative system known as
the alb initio ad referendum.
Resolved. Eigth That we favor consttu-
tional provision limiting the office OF president
and vice president to one term. and providing
for the election OF senators OF the United States
by direct vote of the peop.e
Resolved, Ninth, That oppose any sub
sidy or national aid 10 any private corporation
for any purpose.
When the first paragraph, that relating to the
force bill and the Australian ballot systom, was
read delegate moved to lay il on the table
They already had the 81 Louis platform, he
said. His motion got second, but was beaten
most decisvely on vote, nearly the whole con
vention voting no. The supplemented platform
WAS then adopted A motion to reconsider was
defeated.
Hugh Cavanaugh. of Ohio, secretary OF the
resolutions committee, read the following reso-
luton unanimously adopted by the committee:
Resolved, That this convention sympathizes
with the knights of Labor in their righteous
contest with the tyrannical combine of clothing
manufacturers of Rochester and declares it to
be the duty Of all who hate tyranny and oppres-
sion to refuse to purchase the goods made by
the said manufacturers or 10 patronlze any mer-
chants who sell such goods,
Peters, OF Texas, moved to table the resolu-
ton, and Dean, of New York, to divide it, The
first part expressing sympathy he wanted 10
vote for, but not for the boycott This is a po-
ltical convention, said hei II is not a business
convention and the latter part of the resolution
is out of order.
In vehement language General Secretary
Hayes of the Knights OF Labor declared that
sympathy was not what wanted. The
knights of Labor demanded that the boycott
be extended to the firms mentioned, and no or
ganization on the face of Gods earth was
better entitled to what il asked in meeting of
this kind than the knights Of Labor Loud
cheers
4 lengthy discussion followed, at the conclu-
sion of which the resolution was adopted by ac-
clamation.
resolution declaring against the presence
OF public officers at conventions, prepared by
Thomas V. Gator, Of California. was then re-
ported from the resolutions committee, 1t was
adopted without discussion.
Mr. Taubeneck then read a tele-
gram from a committee which had gone
to Chicago to persuade Judge Gresham
to accept a nomination for the presi-
dency. 1t stated that Judge Gresham
would not decline if nominated unan-
! imously. In moment about two
1 thirds of the convention was on its
feet, and lusty cheering for about ten
minutes followed.
The opponents of Gresham demanded
/ the regular order of business, and Mrs.
/ Lease, Kansas delegate, in fit of
sarcasm dramatically announced that
/ she had received telegram from Ben
/ iamin Harrison announcing his will
| ingness to accept nomination
/ if unanimously rendered. Cries
/ came up from amcog the dele
/ gates opposed to Gresham of
Trick, " Trick. and Gen. Vandevoort,
of Nebraska, moved recess until it
could be ascertained if the telegram
4 was authentic. II was finally agreed to
take a recess until p. IN.
At the evening session the Gresham
movement received its coup de grace
by the following dispatch from Judge
Gresham himself:
| CHICAGO July 4-J 49, Weaver, Ignatius
4 Donnelly, Ben Terrell and John w. Hayes
/ have just returned and find your dispatch of
the LIST ] must stand by my dispatch 70 Mr.
Orr of the ID Accept my grateful acknowl-
edgments. w. @. GRESHAM"
/ Immediately upon the receipt of this
the Gresham boomers accepted the in
evitable.
When the moment arrived for placing
in nomination the names of the various
candidates ]. S Manning, when Ala
bama was called, named Ten. James
Il. Weaver, OF Iowa. Gen. Weaver's
nomination was seconded by delegates
from California Florida Indiana,
Iowa, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia.
| New York, Mississippi, Georgia, Penn
| sylvania and Oklahoma.
). Il. Norton, of Illinois, placed IN
nomination the name of Senator Kyle,
of South Dakota. Georgia seconded
Senator Kyle's nomination, afterwards
withdrawing her support in favor OF
Gen. Weaver. Other states secondlng
Senator Kyle's nomination were In
diana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Connecticut delegate nominated
Gen. James Field, of Virginia, and
ex Senator Van Wick, of Nebraska,
was placed in nomination by an illinois
delegate. Mr.. Van Wyck's name was
afterward withdrawn.
From the very beginning OF the roll
call Weaver led all his competitors and
so overwhelming was the vote case Tor
/ him that his nomination was practically
assured before the ballot was half COM
pleted. The Weaver infection seemed
/ to spread and as state after state cast
| its vote almost unanimously for the
| Iowa man the Weaver people grew
wildly enthusiastic, elimination coming
when the result was announced, the
cheering being loud and long continued.
The first ballot for president resulted
as follows, only one ballot necessary.
Il Il L. a .a.r~rf i.