The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1894-12-04
POPULIST PLATFORM.

Peoples Parry convention convened In Boise
City, August l. 1894
The Peoples party of the State OF Idaho in
convention assembled hereby adopts the fol-
lowing resolutions as expressive of its convic-
tions:
First-We endorse the national platform of
me Peoples party, adopted at Omaha, July 4,
1892.
Second-The Peoples party is party OF law
and order. Its mission is to restore, as far as
law can affect it, equality Of opportunity in the
race for life. 1t believes In the sentiment ex-
pressed in the Declaration of Independence
That AL men are by nature created equal and
endowed by their Creator with certain inalien-
able rights among which are life. liberty and
pursuit OF happiness." 1t declares that human
rights are more precious than vested wrongs,
end mat all public wrongs shall be made TO
yield TO the demands OF equal justice express
ed through the peaceable and orderly use Of
the ballot. We know that through the ballot
only can the people become powerful. We
Vnere ole condemn all acts of lawlessness or
v1olelce by whomsoeyer committed and pledge
oarSe.yes 20 the people OF the state that if they
slall enGfuse US with the reins of state govern
ment We ,l'li see to il that public order is pre-
served shd peace and tranquility assured to
the peopae.
Tnird--We declare that the enforcement of
law, no mater how important it may be, is
only the beginning. not the end OF good gover1-
ment. We believe that the true craftsmanship
mes n lnajlln3 COCO laws lar more than IA en-
forcing bad ones. We therefore. demand such
legisla ion, bot1 state and national, rs win
crLsn all monopolies and relieve the people
Fourth-Eeai LIKING that the financial question
Is one Of prominent importance 20 our people,
we reiterate OR demands for the free and VII
limited coinage OF silver and gold at the pres
ent legal ratio OF 10 10 /.
kiftn-Tnst the future welfare of our stare
depends very largely upon it's legislation on the
subject OF the Appropriation ana use of water
or purposes OF irrigation, we therefore. pledge
the People party TO the passage, ut the earl
lest opportunity, OF law protecting tie people
against unreasonable charges Tor the use OF
water, and also creating water districts il the
arid regions OF the state, and comforting upon
SpcE districts The power TO construct citcnes
s.1o cana.s for lrrigating purposes: and Glso
ptoV-c1Ig Tor the condemnation and purchase
~ sUcA districts OF existing ditcnes and canals
CONSTRUCTED Tor The sac, rental or distribution
or W1ter lor agricultural uses. That SUCH law
saould authorize, under proper safeguaras
sue water districts TO issue bonds to construct
or purchase such ditcAes or canals. which
boncs Shall be charge upon districts only.
That the Charges Tor inc use OF wafer should
be 10 higher tnat sufficient to pay Tor the cost
or maintenance and rep; IL OF such bitches ems
canatS, anu cfeate Z Shilling fund TO pay the IL
Lerest on SUCH bones are paid, the use Of we tef
SHOULD be free, e@ceD. the necessary che >. e
Ior the maintenance and repair Of sucn bitches
or canals.
Sixth-We denounce the effort now being
made by the NorGneTa Pacific railroad company
to force upon It's employees contracts ia the
form OF OaGhS AID cont aiming provisions whicn
IL submit .ted to- would in tine end reduce sucn
employees to tlie ccnuition OF Industrial slaves
we, therefore, oemEGd Stale legislation Iha6
wall uo5 Oily CSCsa.e al Slc2 contracts nu4I rad
void but aso iialcc 5o-l the officers and agents
OF Fay corporation soliciting, demanding or
en4ofciag such coatractS in Idaho such punish
ment as vii eaectually teach them that Meth
or cnaJtel nor industrial slavery will be toler-
ated in this st5ve. We further deaouncc the
practice OF mining corporations and COMPANIES
IN running or being interested in stores and
boarding houses, either By themselves directly
or through their oi1c5rs and spperintehdents
and making IL obligatory upon their employees
to TRACE and Ceal N their stores or board in
u rud s1171,
legislation a. VIII ekcctcally prevent sacn
practices.
Se9enln-We demand state legislation b.
which the Offices oi ssaLe mining Inspector Gn,l
state boiler inspector snail lie liicd by persons
electec by the qnallllcu voters OF the state III
stead OF, as .low appointed Ig lie governor.
EightE-, Ne ce1udEce The pr2otice bg per
sons aud co2poca slols OF OiGc1-lsting labo. crs
on account OF their connection with organized
| lauor. We demand SIcn state leglsl2tiol OF
thlS SUBJECT as Will iAssise SGcG practice iei
ony, and, ia case O. co-,3or2iiol. the ianictioA
| OF the additional pe4l.-sy OF tae surrender OF
| the charter.
| Ninth-We demand q law prohibiting the en-
try OF deficiency judgment OF mortgages on real
| property, alo rha6 the time for redcemiag such
properly IRON forced safes under foreclosure
or execution De extended from six months TO
two years
Tenth-Te are opposed to the further sale OF
the school lanas on the state aud demand that,
in lieu of Sucn sales, such lands shall be leased
to actual occupants and thereby creute per-
petual school fuud without danger from loss.
| Eleventn-ln view OF the criminal conuuct oil
| both old parties in granting to corporations a
monopoly of the peoples money by which the
property OF the Industrial classes is being
| rapidly absorbed by the usurers we favor sueL
an extension OF the exemption law of the state
| as Will save the homes OF the people and assure
| to our wives and children a reasonable proyiS.
ion Against poverty, We pledge our Legislators
TO revise the homestead law so that all actuG
| homesteads Will be exempt from forced sale or
execution without The necessity of deciara-
ton.
Twelfth-We favor the submission to the
| people constitutional amendment comforting
! upon the legislature the power to liz salaries
| OF county officers at any figure between thu
maximum and minimum now established il the
constitution. and demand that, when it can bl
done the legislature snaI reduce such sala
| ries to figure commensurate with the poverty
of the people. We also recommend STAGE legis
! lation which shall require, under such reguia
tions as may be fixed by law, that all fees ant
commissions shall be paid to the county treas
urer only and prohibited to be paid or received
by any other county officer.
Thirteenth-We reiterate the demands OF thi
Peoples party representatives in our last stat,
legislature for the elimination from our con
stitution of what is known as the test oath ant
pledge our party to place before the voters o
the state at the earliest opportunity consti
tutional amendment to tnat effect.
/ Fourteenth-We demand that an amendment
to the constitution providing for equal suffrag
be submitted by the legislature TO the lega
voters of the state
Fifteenth-We demand the passage OF ney
sentation 10 all parts of the state.
Sixteenth-We endorse the reform known a
the initiative and referendum.
Seventeenth-The Office OF governor of a stat
comforting, as it does upon the incumben
many facilities for gratifying an Unsuitable am
bition, this convention therefore,
ReS0tDeS, That the nominee to that offic
shall be ineligible to the Office of United State
senator and, If elected, shall not be eligible 10
any other Office during his term.
Eighteenth-Erom the very nature of thei
constitutions, popular governments must nee
essarily be carried on through the agency o
political parties. Party platforms thus be
come the basis of all legislative and admins
trative measures, and their wilful violation
civil treason against republican institutions
The faithful keeping of party pledges by thos
entrusted with power is the highest politica
and moral duty due from pubic officer to III
people. We believe the lime las come when
should also be made a legal cdty. And, there
fore favor state legislation which, While guard
ing the public officers in tue STATE against falls
accusations and malicious prosecutions, wi
yet provide legal method Through the court
by which tine gross vic alton Dy any officer c
the pledges made by him through the parr
piatIorm uIon which he WIS elected. may b
punished b. nis prompt dismissal IRON oltlce-
we also favot me passage OF 6 sra,e law whic
shall disc aa'ify any )erSol Do'Cllg an ol1c
l,.Aila 20