The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-15

lcItcl from our valued correspondent,
j. b. Corey, of Pittsburg.
Hon. lgna tious Donnelly, Hastings, Mimi
Dear Sir: II your ambition is to have the
Peoples party prove a success in all that
the word Peoples party implies. you will
permit me to suggest. in order to reach
the goal of your ambition, means to the
end might be used
The name Peoples party must of neces-
sity include, not only the electing Of its
candidates and securing control of our pub
lie offices, but in the administration of
these offices OF our civil government, the
Whole people must be equal recipients of
It's benefits. The name Peoples party"
must OF necessity include all the people,
not a part Of the people, but all the peo-
pie, rich and poor, high and low, black and
white: merchants, mechanics, farrlers-all
the people. If this statement be admitted
then the platform of principles of the Peo-
pies party must be founded in equal JUS
tice to all tne people Thou shalt not re-
spect the person Of the poor" nor honor
the person of the mighty, but in righteous
ness thou shalt judge thy neishbor in
In the language of the declaration of In
dependence and the magma charta," or
bill Of rights upon which civil institu-
tons are founded, all men have the in
alienable right of life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" Thus we see that any
platform or legislative enactment which IN
any way antagonizes these fundamental
principles OF justice, can never be truth
fully called The Peoples platform" This
being true should YOU not call convention
of the delegates Of the Peoples party and
have them rcscind and eradicate from
the Peoples platform. all that preamble of
resolutions which savors of class or spe-
cial legislation. Ii it is wrong for our ma
tional and state legislative bodies 70 pass
laws faVorinG this or that class distnc-
tive party instead of the whole people, it
would be equally wrong for a party, calling
Itself the Peoples party to adopt,
their platform, prerogatives that properly
belong to thu functions of the legislature
and congress. In other words, the binding
Dy resolutions of political party Conven-
lions representatives, elected to the iegis}a-
ture ard congress, is not only contrary
10 sound principles of good government,
out is opposed to that freedom Of action
Din the part of our representatives which
S essential to equal justice to all the peo-
pie in the making of our laws. This being
rue, hold that these long preambcs and
resolutions setting forth the PRINCIPLES and
objects Of q party, however consistent they
may be fer parties whose OBJECT AMI aim
to secure the Offices and SPOTS 10 the
leaders of their distinctive parties; they
are inconsistent for party, claiming to
represent all the people, therefore | would
recommend % you 10 substitute for that
long preamble Of resolutions in Peoples
party pla form this preamble: Whereas,
under the corrupt partisan abuse of our
civil government and our public Offices, by
the two great leading parties, whose rot
to is, TO the victor belongs the spoils,"
our civil government with its public Of
fees have become system of oppression,
distressing or people with the burden OF
maintaining an official aristoCracy that is
destroying and eating up their substance.
And, Whereas lis abuse of our political
SysteTs has resulted in fastening upon cur
innumerable Offices, known as political
reward offices. by which public officials are
draWins hisser salaries than any business.
trade or legitimate industry will afford.
And, whereas, This abuse Of our political
rolls of our national and state govern
ments, thousands Of officers whose only
service is rendered to political party
bosses.
And, whereas; This abuse of our public
Offices and civil government has resulted in
entatling upon the people a greater cost
than they are able to bear, having already
exceeded the ordinary revenues, and result
ed in bankrupting our national ana state
treasury, necessitating the issuing Of bonds
to be redeemed by posterty.
And, whereas; The evil effects of This
political extravaganza has resulted in bring
ing about the present panic, which has
paralyzed all industries ard caused
widespread distress to all our people.
And, whereas; Under the corrupt influ-
enee Of the party spoil system which gov
ems the two great political parties of
our nation, there does not seem to be the
Intelligence and patriotism equal to the
emergency.
lnertIOfci we, the People s party do
hereby re-aflirm the Declaration of indie
pendence and also in the language of the
immortal Abraham Lincoln, would hereby
affirm that this is "a government of the
people, by the people and for the people
and not government of public officials,
by political bosses and for public officials
and in the words of President Cleveland.
The people should support the govern
ment, but never the government the peo-
ple,' therefore in order that our state
national he
used for the purposes for which they were
intended by the trainers of our government
and not for the purpose of creating and
dividing spoils among themselves, act
ing as commission brokers dealing in pub
lie offices as the Wall street brokers do
in stocks, said legislatures and United
States congress requires to be remodeled
and reduced in number until they prac-
teal for business purposes and not an I'M
wieldy and uncomfortable mob as at pres
ent.
We therefore, as the Peoples party adopt
as our platform
First. The reduction in the number of
members OF our state legislatures to one
fourth the present number and the num-
Der of representatives in the lower house
of congress to one-fourth the present and
the number of United States senators to
one-half of the present number to be
elected by the people.
Second We Will vote for the reduction of
the salaries Of all public officials from the
president OF the United States dn all the
offices, federal and statc) down to the
school teacher. 80 per cent. one-half.
Third. That will relegate to the law
making body of the state and nation all
questions OF legislation relating to finance
the raising and eXpending of revenues
laws regulating the civil and moral rela-
tons of the people within the limits pre-
scribed by our state and national consti-
tutions.
Now, Brother Donnellly, if you can pre-
vail upon the representatives OF the Peo-
pies Party to substitute the above for
the vagaries and political twaddle in their
present platform, and go before the people
with Il platform of principles that not
repugndnt to common sense reason and
experience; such a platform retrench-
ment economy and integrity in public
Office there is reason why, with the
present condition of things. the Peoples
Party should not fill every office to be
voted for in the United States at this falls
election. y platform proposing to bring, at
one stroke, the cost of the government
within its ordinary revenues, while at the
same time Offering the armies of unenl-
ployed men and women, even at the 80 per
cent reduction Of salaries, a greater COM
pensation for their services and labor than
they can earn in any business or trade out
side Of public Office, will commend itself
to the common sense of the American peo-
pie. The present platform of the Peoples
Party, even if it were possible to elect their
candidates, could not otherwise than bring
disgrace and failure upon the American
people It's fiat money fallacy and pa
ternal government vagarieS would be pro-
motive of ideness and vice by depressing