The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-07
which not only our Individual pros-


perity, but the%ery existence Of free
institutions depends. and we ask all
men to first help us to determine
whether we are to have a republic to
administer, before we differ as to the
conditions upon which it is to be adj
mlnlstered. believing that the forces
OF reform this day organized will
never cease to move forward until
every wrong is righted and equal
privileges established for all the men
and women of this country; we de-
clare, therefore,
UNIONsoF THE PEOPLE,;
First, That the union of the labor
forces Of the United States this day
contaminated, shall be permanent
and perpetual; may its 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 TAX
en- from industry without an equiva-
lent, is robbery. "If any man will
not work neither shall he eat" The
interests of rural and civil labor are
the same; their enemies are identi-
cal.
Third. We believe that the time
has come when the railroad corpora
lions will either own the people or
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 a civil service regulation Of
the most rigid character, so as to
prevent the increase of the power of
the national administration by the
use Of such additional government
employees.
FINANCE.
We demand a national currency,
safe, sound, and flexible, issued by
the general government only, a full
legal tender for all debt public and
private, and that without the use of
banking corporations, just, equit-
able and efficient means of distribu-
tion 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 alliance,
or a better system; also by payments
in discharge of it's obligations for
public improvements.
We demand free and unlimited
coinage Of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio Of 16 to /.
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 hon.
estly adminiStered.s
We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the govern
ment for the safe deposit OF the
earnings of the people and to facili-
tate exchange.
TRANSPORTATION.
Transportation being a means of
exchange and a public necessity, the
government should own and operate
the railroads in the interest Of the
people.
The telegraph and telephone, like
the pOstOffice system, being neces-
sity for the transmission Of news,
should be owned and operated by the
government in the interests of the
people.
LANDS.
The land, including all the natural
sources of wealth. is the heritage of
the people, and should not be monop-
oliZed for speculative purposes, and
alien ownership of land should be
prohibited. All land now held by
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.
RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were Of
fered independent of the platform,
and were adopted, as expressive Of
the sentiment of the convention:
Resolved, That we demand a free
ballot and a fair count in all cleo
tiOns, and pledge ourselves to secure
it to every legal voter without feder-
al Intervention through the adoption
by the states of the unperverted
Australian secret ballot system.
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 sup
port 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 our ports to the pauper and
criminal classes of the world and
crowds out our wage-earners, and we
denounce the present Ineffective law
against contract labor, and demand
the further restriction of undesir-
able immigration.
Resolved, That we cordially SYM
patize with the efforts of organized
workingmen to shorten the hours of
labor, and demand a rigid enforce
ment of the existing eight-hour law
on government work, and ask that
penalty clause be added to said law.
Resolved, That we regard the
maintenance Of a large standing
army Of mercenaries, known as the
PinkertOn system, as menace to-
our liberties, and we demand its alb
clifton and we condemn the recent