The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-09-03
PEOPLES PARTY STATE PLATFORM,

Carolina, in convention assembled at
Raleigh, on the 18th day OF August,
1896, hereby reatfirms its unqualified al
legiance to the principles of the party,
and hereby approves the platform of
! the Peoples Party adopted at its Ma
tional convention held in the city of
st. Louis, July 22nd, 1896
THE ELECTION LAW.
We hereby reafiirm our fixed de-
termination TO support and maintain
| free ballot and fair count in all
elections held in North Carolina: and
the election law passed by the Cen
eral Assembly of 1895 meets our hearty
endorsement and approval; and we
! hereby pledge the Peoples Party to the
policy Of unfolding the principle of
free and honest elections provided for
| in said election law, and warn the
voters of the State against the threats
which have been made to repeal the
same.
| COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The act of the last General Assem-
bly, restoring to the right of local
self government by the election of
their county commissioners and Just
ices of the peace by the vote of the peo-
|
safe guards therein provided, meets
pledge the Peoples Party to the con-
tinued support and maintenance of
that legislation, and warn the voters
of the necessity of preventing iDjuri-
Gus changes in that act, and of the
danger of electing members OF the
General Assembly hostile thereto.
LEGAL TENDER MONEY.
| We favor the exercise by the State
of North Carolina of the reserved con-
stitutiOnal power to make all gold and
silver coins of the United States (in-
Guiding the trade dollar) legal ten
der for the payment of debts, and that
this right be inforced by the passage
of an appropriate act by the General
Assembly.
! GOLD NOTES ANDMORTGAGES.
We believe that all money demands
should be payable In the lawful money
OF the United States without preference
or discrimination, and therefore favor
the passage by the General Assembly of
a law to prohibit the taking or giving
of gold notes, bonds and mortgages in
this State, and the making of all mon
| uCiiio oOlSdUIc III any hIIu vi
lawful money of the United States.
INTEREST.
We pledge ourselves to maintain the
six per cent. interest law enacted by
the last General Assembly.
| PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
| The action of the Peoples PARTY
members of the last General Assembly
has demonstrated, beyond question,
that the Peoples Party has been true
to it's antecedent platform declarations
in favor Ofpublic education. We de-
mand still further improving and
broadening the public school system
of the State as rapidly as proper re-
gard for the interests of the tax payers
and the resources of the State will
permit. We also favor such revision
of our present school system as may
increase the efficiency of our public
schools and insure the most cOmpe-
tent and effective supervision. We
think that the committee on Educa-
ton of the next General Assembly
should invite and secure, as far as
possible, the cooperation Of the lead
ing teachers and educators of the State
in framing and perfecting the school
law.
JUrnCIARy.
Our Judiciary ahould be lifted above
the plane Of partsean politics.
REFOMATORY FOR YOUNG CRIMINALS.
We favor the establishment of a
State institution for the reformation
of young criminals.
DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION CON-
| DEMNED.
| We condemn the Democratic admin
istratiOn in North Carolina for it's
failure to execute the antitrust laws
of the State now on our statute books,
and call the attention of the people to
the fact that official action in this re-
gard is not in harmony with the ultra
antitrust sentiment heretofore and
now being expressed by the leaders of
the Democratic party.
| RAILROADS.
We favor the establishment of such
equitable and low freight rates and
charges for products shipped from
North Carolina as will enable shippers
and producers to realize at least a fair
remuneration after costs of such ship
ments have been deducted.
| We call especial attention to the
! possibilities of the trucking industry
| in Eastern North Carolina, an indus
try which, but for the extortionate
tariffs of the common carrier, would
increase an hundred fold, carrying
with it the greatest prosperity to that
| highly favored section it has ever
known.
We earnestly recommend to our
State Railroad Commission that they
use all the powers they have to bring
about such reductions; and especially
that they urge before the Inter-St
Commerce Commission all complaints
of eXtOrtiOn and discrimination with
such vigor and continuity that should
they fail to secure remedial action by
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, all the people would know where
to place the responsibility for exist
ing Outrages; and if their facilities
for fighting the battles of the people
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission are inadequate for that pur-
pose, that they make recommendation
to the General Assembly of amend.
ments to existing laws, to the end
that low and fairer rates may be estab-
lished, both in the State and Inter-
State jurisdictions.
| Resotued, That we recommend con-
| stltutlOnal prOnlbltlOn OF the pur-
chase, lease or rental of parallel or
competing railway lines.
| FREE PASSES.
We favor law forbidding the CIV
ing of free passes to public officials,
and forbidding their receiving the
same.
| NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD LEASE.
| We condemn the lease of the North
Carolina Railroad to the Southern
Railway Company for ninety-nine
years, not only as a bad business
transaction in which the interests of
the State amounting to the large sum
OF 100000 invested in good paying
property yielding an income, were
sacrificed; but we also, in most en-
phatic terms condemn the hasty and
secret manner in which it was done
| several years before the former thirty