The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-08-23
THE POPU!lIG>>rS
Of Ohio Hold State Convention IN.
der a Tent.
4 Fusion With the Few Labor Party nc.
complished-The Platform of the La
borites Was Adopted With the Addi-
ton OF Good Roads" Plank.

| COLUMBUS, o., Aug. 1.-THE populist
convention opened under a large teat
! at Camp Nelson woods, Thursday morn.
ing, with free admission. There were
present Jacob CoXcy. John Scitz. Grand
Master Sovereign, John Mcbride, and
! others
The gavcl fell upon an anvil mounted
upon pillow as Chairman Reader, OF
! the state central committee, called to
order nearly fifteen hundred people,
many of whom were there merely to
sec a free show. While they waited
expcctant CoXcy came in and went to
the platform. and ". II. Crawford. the
! Jerry Simpson, Of New Straitsville.
sang Keep Off the Grass which was
accompanied By howls.
Mr. Reader announced as temporary
! chairman Hugh Cavanaugh, of Cincin-
natl, and G. \. Martin, of THIN, sccre-
! tarv
The formal act of fusion was then
accomplished, the convention agreeing
| to Secretary Martins rotion to give
the committee on resolutions power to
represent the populists in a conference
with the labor party.
There were then loud calls for Gen. y
! Coxey, who came forward with an hour
and twcnty-minutc speech.
! Mr.. Sovereign addressed the conven-
ton. He made the significant state
ment that "thc day CT strikes is over.
We must capture tue American gov
eminent by ballots. and if any man at
tempts to rccapturc it with bullets
shoot him on the spot
The joint committee on platform re-
ported to the Joint convention the plat
form adopted by the labor party
| Wednesday night, with the addition Of
| planks Incorporating Coxey's views
upon the subject OF good roads and in
tcrcst bearing bonds and Il plank ia
voring liberal pensions.
The platform is as follow:
We assert our political purposes to be iGent-
ical With those CT the national constitution: TO
! form more perfect union, ard establish Jus
F.; tice; insure domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defense. promote the general vel
, fare and secure the blessings OF liberty for our
selves and our pOsterity. We declare that this
republic can only endure ~ n free government
while built upon the love Of the whole
| rcoplc for each other and for the nation;
! that it can not be pinned together with bay
| oncts while Injustice rules the land: that
we must be in fact. as We are in name one
united brotherhood. We believe thu, the
| lower of tho government should be expanded
! as rapidly and as far as the good sense OF IN
| Intelligent people. and the teaching OF expert
! cncc shall justify along the line Of collective
| ownership by the people OF all such means Of
production and distribution as the people E!av
! elect 10 operate. Realizing that no general
| prosperity can obtain without an ade-
! Quate supply OF money. which can not be
controlled by private corporations, We de-
| mand n national currency. Satc-guardcd ana
| flexible, issued by the government only. q
| full legal tender for al debts, public and
private and that without tho use OF banking
corporations. Silver. which has been accepted
as money ever since the dawn Of history,
has been Gcmoncti2cd to add to the purcllas-
! Ing power Of gold by decreasing The
value Of al forms or property, rs well
as human labor and Tie supply OF currency Is
purroscly Abridged TO f;.ttcn usurcrS. bank
Nlpt enterprise and Cnslavc industry.
a conspiracy against mankind has
! been organized %: two continents,
and it is rapidly taking possession
Of tho world IF not vet and oycrlhrown at
once It forctcdcs terrible social corr'iisions.
or the establishment &C IN absolute d"spnisrH.
We have Witnessed! !nr more ,h,n a G,i;:. Ter Of
! Il century the strUgl cS Of the Two great polit-
! teal parties for power. Wni'c %ricvOuS wrongs
| have been inflicted upon the Suffering people.
| We charge that the coutro.lln" Influences
dominating both Of these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful con
ditions 10 dcvc.cp without serious
effort 10 prevent or restrain tECIA. II ne
comm. campaign Ia" republican and demo
cratic paltics viii &c. 10 rXil Sui Il n out
cries OF riuEic:CG - &C "s;i &c up'c"r Of
a sham t9;ti. Over: ;:riG. . tn:t cpl, l.
is,, corporations. l.,iioi.;.l i::li~r. trusts.
watcrcd stock the ..c;. uLciIatiOu of silver
! and the opposition Of tac UsGrcr> Ei;y all be
| lost sight or: tlcy propose 10 sacrifice our
homes. lives ana children OF TIE altar of Maln'
mon. to Destroy Tic r:u .J.trdc in rider 10 Sc
cure corrupticE iunGs from. the inilion"i'c:.
We de.n:.nd lie free and unlimited co'naEc
Of silver ard see IT Il p.c:ti ;ic ii It &c /.
! We urcquivccaiiy COZ CtEn ;ht policy Of iSsu-
INK interest -rcuring lords i'll time II peace.
| Recognizing the hcnctcelt working Of tho
| postal system. we dcuaad The Immediate IA
tionajza!ioa OF tie telegraph and tclo laone,
! TO be followed by governmental owncr,hip n
the railroad and mine. and We further Ceman(s
! the Inuncio Il ownership Of street railway,
! gas water and electric light plants for the pub
! lie distribution ri i.ht. heat and power
The land is Tie heritage o: the pcop.e. there
| fore we condemn eHiStirg laws, which permit OF
alien ownership Of large rodics cf land held 10Y
/ speculative purposes. and declare in favor OF
| such taxation laws as Will compel the usin5
! OF land to make the ownership profitable.
| Education bc:rg themo>t potent agency for
Il a
laws as will compel The Attendance at school
| nf All children Ok scicol age. and the furnish
| ing of such text looks IS ale used in our rub
lie schools 20 cyo!5 p. pil at the expense OF TIE
| state.
We condemn lie i;linry OF protecting amer
! lean labor under tho present system. which
! orcns our ports TO the rIuicr aGG CRIMINAL
! classes OF the "rrl;i. end crCwGs cnr wage
| carriers ard Nc icucurcc TIE J. ese1t NEGLECT
! i've law against tCctract labor. and demand
further restriction Of undesirable immiSra>
| ton.
We favor the initiative nnd referendum sys-
tern Of rc.islattCn. aHd believe it vii serve TO
sorrect TIE evils. whether rornl or ccoaonic
in character from which TIC rccp.c suffer.
We favor the ubsolut. prohibition Of c:llltl ia
Dor in mines workshops and lactoriei
We demand % 2 IA e:grtrEcur "rr' day:
| (al sanitary INSPECTION o. 'Tor. "c"Es- iuincS
ana houle: (3) i!a0ii.y Of employer for injury
10 health, body or life: ti) tie abolition Of the
contract system in . public work: ~ the ao-
clifton Of Tie Swca:i2" system.
we further declare chat the right TO vote is
inherent In citizc,shlp. regardless of sex.
:. Family Ecu'i.
SlKEsToS. No, Aug. IA fea'l
whicl, has existed for years between
+,a p.rdoD and ALBRIGHT families. re-
siding near .nur.ran's Switch, four
miles east of this city. eliminated
"Wednesday night in general riot.
The fight tool, place at rrotrac{cd
meeting being held AZ The SWISS
church Knives, railrpati spikes and