The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-04-19

UNION OF THE PEOPLE.
First, That the union of the labor
forces of the United States this day
consummated, shall be permanent
and perpetual; may it's spirit enter
into all hearts for the salvation of
the republic and the uplifting of
mankind.
Second, Wealth belongs to him
who creates it, and every dollar
taken from industry without an
equivalent, is robbery. eff any ma n
will not work neither shall he eat"
The interests of rural and civil labor
are the same; their enemies are
Identical.
Third. We believe that the time
has come when the railroad corpo-
ration will either own the people or
the people must own the railroads,
and should the government enter
upon the work of owning and man
aging the railroads, we should favor
an amendment to the constitution
by which all persons engaged in the
government service shall be placed
under acivil service regulation of the
most rigid character, SO as to pre-
vent the increase of the power of
the national administration by the
use of such additional government
employees.
THE QUESTION OF FINANCE.
We demand a national currency,
safe, sound, and flexible, issued by
the general government only, full
legal tender for all debt public and
private, and that without the use of
banking corporations, a just, equit-
able and efficient means of distri
button direct to the people at tax
not to exceed per cent per annum,
to be provided as set forth in the
sub-treasury plan of the Farmers
payments in discharge of its obli-
cations for public provements.
We demand free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of 16 to l.
We demand that the amount of
circulating medium be speedily in
creased to not 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 linn
tied to the necessary expenses of
the government, economically and
honestly administered.
We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the gov
eminent for the safe deposit of the
earnings of the people and to facili-
tate exchange.
CONTROL OF TRANSPORTATION.
Transportation being means of
exchange and public necessity, the
government should own and oper-
ate the railroads in the interest of
the people.
The telegraph and telephone, like
the postoffice system, being a ne
cessity for the transmission of
news, should be owned and operated
by the government in the interest
of the people.
RECLAIMING THE LANDS.
The land, including all the natural
sources of wealth, is the heritage of
the people, and should not be mono
polized for speculative purposes,
and alien ownership of land should
be prohibited. All land now held bv
railroads and other corporations
in excess of their actual needs and
all lands now owned by aliens should
be reclaimed by the government
and held for actual settlers only.
The following resolutions were
offered independent of the platform,
and were adopted, as expressive of
the sentiment of the conventions:
Resolved, That we demand free
ballot and a fair count in all cleo
it to every legal voter without
federal Intervention thr ough the
adoption by the states of the upper
verified Australian secret ballot sys-
TEN.
Resolved, That the revenue de-
rived from a graduated income tax
should be applied to the reduction
of the burden of taxation now
levied upon the domestic industries
of this country.
Resolved, That we pledge our
support to fair and liberal pensions
to ex-Union soldiers and sailors.
Resolved, That we condemn the
fallaCy of protecting American
labor under the present system.
which opens c ports to the pauper
and criminal classes of the world
and crowds out our wage-earners,
and we denounce the present in
effective law against contract
labor, and demand the further re-
striction of undesirable immigra-
ton.
Resolved, That we cordially
sympathize with the efforts of
organized workingmen to shorten
the hours of labor. and demand a
rigid enforcement of the existing
eight-hour law on government work,
and ask that penalty clause be
added to the said law.
Resolved, That we regard the
maintenance of large standing
army of mercenaries, known as the
Pinkerton system, as a menace to
our liberties, and we demand it's alb
clifton, and we condemn the recent
invasion of the Territory of Wyom-
ing by the hired assassins of plutoc-
racv, assisted by Federal officers.
Resolved, That we commend to
the thoughtful consideration of the
people and the reform press the leg
islative system known as the initia-
tive and referendum.
Resolved, That we favor a cousti-
tutional provision limiting the Office
of president and vice president to
one term, and providing for the
election of the senators by direct
vote of the people.
Resolved, That we oppose any sub
sidy or national aid to any private
corporation for any purpose.