Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-09-06
Peoples Party.

Labor Congress. Peoples Party
AS the land. which is The land including
the source OF all wealth, all the natural sources
and containing, as ftof wealth, is the herit-
does, the raw materials age OF all the people,
with which and and should not be mo-
which man must labor opoliZed for speculat-
70 live is the God givenive purposes and alien
element to all men, as sowner hip of land
Is air and water, we de- should be pl lohibited
nounce the monopoliza- All land now held by
ton OF land bv private railroads and other cor
ownership as the moth poration in excess OF
er OF all other monOp- their actual needs and
olies and a Grim eall lands now owned by
against mankind alienS should be re-
operating as a fatal bar claimed by the govern
TO the exercise of our ment and held for actu-
inherent rights to equal al settlers only.
opportunities for ex
lStence and the pursuit.
OF happiness alleged to
be guaranteed by the
constitution OF be-
loved country. There
fore, We demand that
personal use-not own
ershipshall constitute
the only legal 1t is
the ONLY moral right TO
possession of land.
Here the line of demarcation is bold
and clearly defined. The labor congress
declares for use and occupancy" as the
only title to land. In this they are
eminently correct. In no other manner
can speculation in land be stopped and
non-occupying landlordism destroyed,
except by making actual, individual
use and occupancy a prerequisite to any
claim to ownership of land. 1t would
appear as if the labor congress might
well have added clause covering coal
and mineral beneath the earths surface
In this connection it is worthy to re-
mark that the first plank in the plat
form of the Colorado state labor con-
gresS reads:
1--WE denounce the private monopoly
of land as unjust and unwise and de-
clare that the land is the equal and in
alienable heritage of the people"
FINANCE
Labor Congress Peoples Party
We demand that a We demand ation-
volume OF money sum- al currency, safe, sound
cient TO the necessities and flexible, issued by
OF convenient exchange The general government
OF the products of labor lonly full legal tender
be issued directly toIfor all debts public and
the people without the private and that with
intervention of banks, out the use of banking
bankers or corpora corporations, just.
tlonS, and that suchleQuitable and efficient
money shall be lawful means of distribution
tender for all debtsIdirect to the people at
both public and private tax not exceeding per
We believe that the cent per annum be pro
making and issuance Divided set forth in
money Is the exercise the sub-treasury plan
OF the highest Sover-lof the Farmers Alli-
elgnty OF free people lance, or some better
ana to preserve thelsvstem; also bv pay
right We will everIments in discharge or
strlVe Is obligations for pub
lie improvements
We demand the free
and unlimited coinage
OF silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of
6 to l.
We demand that the
amount of the circuat.
ing medium be speedily
increased to not less
than s. per capita
We demand that post
al savings banks be
tablished by the gov
ernment for the safe
deposit of the earnings
Of the people and to
facilitate exchange.
Here we perceive that the finance
plank in the la Dor congress platform is
almost identically the same as the
or monetary plank The only differ
ence seems to be that the labor con-
gress suggests no plan of issIe, while
the Omaha platform suggests 1.-The sub
treasury plan, or some better system"
But then the sub-treasury plan was
only intended to issue into circulation
about one hundred million dollars each
year, during the season for the move
ment of crops. The labor congress
platform does not mention gold or sill
yer, or the coinage of any metallic
money. This is consistent. If any
thing is calculated to make one tired,
it is reading a demand for metallic or
commodity money in a reform platform.
The labor congress does not designate
any certain per capita volume or circu-
lating medium, but demands an amount
sufficient to the necessities of con-
Of hA -
labor" There is no demand for postal
saving banks, or other government
banks although in expatiating con-
corning the good results to follow the
enactment of the platform into law,
Mr.. Alfred Fawkner says: 'It means
that with money issued directly to the
people and adequate postal deposit ar
rangements there will be no bursting
of savings banks or special calls for
confidence in skin games 1t means
many other things besides, all of which
goes to prove that the world do move
and that organized labor has got out
of the ruts and is walking straight in
the middle of the road"
TRANSFORMATION
Labor Congress Peoples Porty.
We demand that the We believe that the
national governm G tltme has come when
shall acquire under the the railroad corpora
right OF eminent do tion will either own the
main ana operate forlpeople or the people
the good OF all the peo-I must own the railroads,
pie all existing rail land should the govern
roads, telegrapns and lment enter upon the
telephones; and shalllwork of owning and
further construct such managing all railroads
new railroads, tele- we should favor an
graphs and the exten- amendment to the con-
sion OF the telephoniclstitution by which all
service as the ex1gen- persons engaged In the
cteS of the people re- government service
quire or the proper de-sShall be placed under
Velopment OF the coun-lclv1l service regulation
try calls for. of the most rigid char.
We demand that anIacter, so as to prevent
municipal communities the increase of the
shall own and operate power Of the national
all water works, gas administration by the
ana electric lfsnt plants use OF such additional
and street car transpor government employees.
tation, and distributed Transportation being
such service to the peo-l means OF exchange
pie at cost and public necessity,
the government should
own and operate the
railroads in the inter-
est of the people.
The telegraph and
telephone like the post
once system, being a
necessity for transmits
sion OF news, should be
owned and operated by
the government in the
Interest of the people
There is no difference in the two plat
forms, so far as railroads, telegraphs
and telephones are concerned. The
labor congress goes farther and de-
mands the multiplication of all pub
lie utilities in cities and towns. In
this connection it may be well to note
that the peoples party of Ohio, Ia its
recent state convention, embodied in
their platform planks demanding mu-
nicipal ownership and operation of
water, gas, street railways, telephone
and similar public franchises; direct
legislation through the initiative and
referendum, and proportional represen-
tation in legislative bodies; the aboli-
tion of prison contract labor: free school
ment according equal suffrage to wom-
en-. They nominated for governor one
of the leading trades unionistS of the
state.
TAXATION.
Labor Csngress Peope's Party.