The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-08-23

at Camp Nelson woods, Thursday morn
ing, with free admission. There were
present Jacob Coxey, John Seitz, Grand
Master Sovereign, John Mcbride, and
others.
The gavel fell upon an anvil mounted
upon plow as Chairman Reader, of
the state central committee, called to
order nearly fifteen hundred people,
many of whom were there merely to
see free show. While they waited
expectant Coxey came in and went to
the platform, and w. H. 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 c. R. Martin, of Tiffin, secre-
tary.
The formal act of fusion was then
accomplished, the convention agreeing
the committee on resolutions power to
represent the populists in conference
with the labor party.
There were then loud calls for Gen"
Coxey, who came forward with an hour
and twenty-minute speech.
The committee reported the follow
ing permanent organization: Chairman,
John Seitz, of Seneca; secretary, Thos.
H. Butterworth, of Hamilton. Mr..
Seitz indulged in practically the same
speech which he used at greenback,
prohibition, labor and other side-issue
conventions for good many years.
hill 1A ort4 faa
were meeting under the trees and
several more speeches were inflicted
upon the audience. L. A. Stockwell,
one of the editors of the American Nom
conformist, indulged in consider
able abuse of Senator Sherman, whom
he charged with offenses against the
conditions and made responsible for
Mr.. Stockwells incapacity as far
mer.
Mr.. Sovereign addressed the conven-
ton. He made the significant state
ment that 'the day of strikes is over.
We must capture the American gov
ernment by ballots, and if any man at
tempts to recapture it with bullets
shoot him on the spot"
Mr. Sovereign was followed by Geo.
A. Eroot, Cleveland attorney, who
addressed the audience in stentorian
tones upon the alleged wrongs from
which the poorer classes suffer.
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
terest bearing bonds, and a plank fa-
voring liberal pensions.
The platform is as follow:
We assert our political purposes to be ident-
ical with those of the national constitution: to
form more perfect union, and establish JUS
tice; insure domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defense, promote the general well
fare and secure the blessings of liberty for our
selves and our posterity. We declare that this
republic can only endure as free government
while built upon the love oil the whole
people for each other and for the nation;
that it can not be pinned together with bay
onets while injustice rules the land; that
we must be in fact as we are in name one
united brotherhood. We believe that the
power Of the government should be expanded
as rapidly and as far as the good sense of an
intelligent people, and the teaching of expert
ence shall justify along the line of collective
ownership by the people of all such means of
production and distribution as the people may
elect to 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 a national currency, safe-guarded and
flexible, issued by the government only,
full legal tender for all debts, public and
private, and that without the use of banking
corporations. Silver, which has been accepted
as money ever since the dawn of history,
1np Ifa, 1n,,,A ,Aa 4NS 4. nt,ae
ing power of gold by decreasing the
value Of all forms of property, as well
as human labor, and the supply of currency is
purposely abridged to fatten usurers, bank
rupt enterprise and enslaye industry.
conspiracy against mankind has
and it is rapidly taking possession
of the world. If not met and overthrow at
once, it forebodes terrible social commissions,
or the establishment Of an absolute despotism.
We have witnessed, for more than quarter Of
a century, the struggles of the two great polit-
ical parties for power while grievous wrongs
have been inflicted upon the suffering people.
We charge that the controlling influences
dominating both of these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful con-
ditions to develop without serious
effort to prevent restrain them. In the
coming campaign the republican and demo-
cratic parties will seek to extnguish the out
cries of plundered people with the uproar Of
q sham battle over the tariff, so that capital
lists, corporations, national banks, trusts,
watered stock, the demonetizatiou of silver
and the opposition Of the usurers may all be
lost sight Of; they propose to sacrifice our
homes, lives and children on the altar OF Mann
mon to destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the millionaires.
We demand the free and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold at the present rate of 10 to l.
We unequivocally condemn the policy of issu-
ing interest-bearing bonds in time Of peace.
Recognizing the benefcent working of the
postal system, we demand the immediate ma
tionalization Of the telegraph and telephone,
to be followed by governmental ownership Of
the railroad and mine, and we further demand
the municipal ownership of street railway,
gas, water and electric light plants for the pub
lie distribution Of light, heat and power.
The land is the heritage of the people, there
fore we condemn existing laws, which permit of
alien ownership of large bodies of land held for
speculative purposes, and declare in favor of
such taxation laws as will compel the using
Of land to make the ownership profitable.
Education being the most potent agency for
the advancement Of civilization, we favor such
laws as will compel the attendance at school
of all children of school age, and the furnish
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