The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-09-29

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no in convention assembled hereby adopts
Of its convictions:
First-We endorse the national plat
form Of the Peoples party, adopted g
Omaha, July 4, 1899.
Sccond-The Peoples party y party
OF law and order. it, mission il to -.
store. a. far - law can afft ct it, equality
Of opportunity In the race for life. It be-
lieves in the sentiment expressed In tho
Declaration of Independence that .'all
men are BY nature created equal and en-
dowed by their Creator with certain ina
lienable rights among which are life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness" It
declares that human rights are more pre-
cious than vested wrongs, and that ali
public wrongs shall be made to yield to
the demands Of equal justice expressed
through the peaeeable and orderly use Of
the ballot. We know that through the
ballot only can the people become all
powerful. We therefore condemn all
acts of lawlessness or violence BY whom
soever committed, and pledge ourselves
to the people of the state that it they
shall entrust ~ with the reins of state
government We will see to it that public
order 10 preserved and peace and tran
guilty assured to the people.
Thlrd-We declare that the enforce
ment of law, nomatter how important It
may be, is only the beginning, not the
end of good government. We believe
that true statesmanship lies In making
good laws far more than in enforcing bad
ones. We, therefore, demand such legis.
lation, both state and national, as will
crush all monopolies and relieve the peo-
pie from all unjust discrimination by law.
F0urth-Realizing that the dnanclai
question is one of prominent Importance
to our people, we reiterate our demands
for the free and unlimited coinage OF sill
yer and gold at the present legal ratio OF
16 to /.
Fifth-That the future welfare Of the
state depends very largely upon its legis-
lation on the subject Of the appropriation
and use of water FOR purposes OF lrriga-
ton. We, therefore, pledge the Peoples
party to the passage, ut the earliest OPP
portunity, of a law projecting the people
against unreasonable charges Tor the use
of water and also creating water districts
in the arid regions of the state, and con-
ferrinR upon such districts the power to
construct bitches and canals for irrieating
purposes; and also providing for the con-
domination and purchase by such districts
of existing bitches and canals constructed
for the sale, rental or distribution of water
for agricultural uses. That such law
should authorize, under proper safe-
guards, such water districts to issue bonds
to construct or purchase such bitches or
canals, whichabon shall be charge
upon districts only. That the charges
for the use of water should be no higher
than sufficient to pay for the cost of NAM
tenance ana repair of such bitches and
canals, and create sinking fund to pay
the interest on such bonds and discharge
the principal at maturity; and that, after
such bonds are paid, the use of the water
should be free, except the necessary
charge for the maintenance and repair of
such bitches or canals.
Sixth-We denOunce the effort now be-
ing made by the Northern Pacific Rail.
road com pany to force upon its employees
contracts in the form of oaths and con-
tanning provisions which, if submitted to,
would in the end reduce such employees
to the condition of industrial slaves. We
therefore, demand state legislation that
will not only declare all such contracts
null and void but also iDfict upon the Of
fcers and agents Of any corporation So
liciting, demanding or enforcing such
contracts in Idaho such punishment as
will effectually teach them that neither
chattel nor industrial slavery will be toll
Grated in this state. We further de-
nounce the practice of mining corpora
tons and companies in running or being
interested in stores and boarding houses,
either by themselves directly or through
their officers and uperintendents, and
making it obligatory upon their employees
to trade and deal in their stores or board
in their boarding houses, and we demand
such legislation as will efectually stop
and prevent such practices.
Seventh We demand state legislation
by which the Offices OF state mining in
spector and state boiler inspector shall be
filled by the qualified voters of the state
instead of, as now, appointed by the gov
ernor.
Ei2hth-We denounce the practice by
persons and corporations of black. listing
laborers on account of their connection
with organized labor. We demand such
state legislation on this subject as will
make such practice felony, and, in the
case of corporation, the inflictlon of the
additional penalty of the surrender of the
charter.
/ Ninth-We demand law prohibiting
the entry of deficiency judgments Of
mortgages on real property, and that the
time for redeeming such property from
forced sales under foreclosure or execu-
ltion be extended from six months to two
years.
Tenth-We are opposed to the further
sale of the school lands of the state and
demand that, in lieu of such sales, such
lands shall be leased to actual occupants
and thereby create perpetual school
fund without danger from loss.
/ Eleventh In view of the criminal con
duct of both the old parties IN granting
to corporations monopoly of the peoples
money by which the property of the in.
dustrial classes is being rapidly absorbed
by the usurers, we favor such an extension
Of the exemption law Of the state as vii
save the homes of the people and assure
! to our wives and children reasonable
provision against poverty. We pledG.
our Legislators to revise the homestead
law so that all actual homesteads will b.
exempt from forced sale on execution
without the necessity of declaration.
Twelfth-We favor the submission t
the people Of constitutional amendment
conferring upon the Legislature the power