The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-21
Steering Committee Appointed by
Br,anites for the Purpose OF
Running the Convention
CLAIMS OF THE OPPOSITION
PEOPLE
CONFIDENT OF A MAJORITY.
Reform Press strongly in Fnv -
independent Action-only Two
Contested Delegations.

ST. LOUIS. July ga platform has been
prepared by Cyclone Davis. Of Texas.
who is 10 present II 10 tho convention. 1t
has been submitted TO the executive COM
rnittee. Of which Mr. Davis Is a member.
and approved by them. Mr.. Davis re-
marked. with reference TO it: IF repre-
sents humanity The platform follows:
I'VE. the people OF the United states in
convention assembled. proclaim the follow
ing as the paramount creeds ana princi-
pies of. our party, and the pledges ana
promises upon which We ask the votes and
cooperation OF the American people:
% Sn page Oh nur osu'hs Isvs,atars 81 arr nof
sufficiently apprised OF the rightful limits
of their power over uS. Their true ONCE
is to declare and enforce only our natural
rights and duties and 10 take none OF them
from The idea Is quite unfoundec.
that. on entering society we give up any
natural rights The declaration OF Amer
lean independence. the cornerstone OF our
Republic, provides the sole truth. all men
are created equal; they arc endowed BY
rights; among those are lie liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness: TO secure those
rights governments arc Instituted among
them we, therefore. declare thai life. lib
erty and happiness are not secured when
land monopolies hold millions OF acres for
speculative greed. while millions OF fans-
lies are forced TO live and die without
homes. We declare that life. liberty and
happiness are not secured when highway
priviIeges. iay tribute and toll upon Amer
lean travel and traffic limited only by the
rnerciless greed OF souiless corporations: We
declare that life, liberty and happiness are
not secured when the government refuses
TO coin money for the people and prose-
cutes the people as counierfeiters IL they
coin money for themselves and then in the
name OF the law binds the homeless and
moneyiess millions for generations 10 come
in serfdom and death by issuing bonds
I've declare that life. liberty and happi-
ness can be secured by system OF land
laws preventing land monopolies; a just
system OF highway laws preventing high
way monopoly and just system OF money
laws preventing money monopoly.
Our patriotic fathers. who framed the
Constitution. declared that. In order to
form more perfect union establish JUS
tice. insure domestic tranquility. provide
for the common defense. promote the gen
eral welfare and secure the blessings OF
liberty to ourselves and our posterity.F and
We affirm that all laws passed and all
policies advocated by our government must
nave for their object one or more OF these
results. otherwise they are void under the
Constitution ana contrary 10 tho spirit OF
the Republic.
THE DECLARATIONS.
Standing devotediy by the foregoing
principles. as fundamental. we deci3re:
Our lawmakers. in allowing aliens cor
rorations and monopolics 70 absorb our
hm. injustice. have not promoted the gem
LfA welfare and secured to Us and our
postsrty ,he blessings OF liberty but have
produces aBERn'oss millions In distress and
We declare ffst few traffic asso-
dors and corr5ratios.s ORR ogr railways.
holding power TO SET fEo folnYsss sf the
officers OF such corporatiors at ngh flalss
the saiar-ss OF the officers OF rho g3r6l6.
nent which created them. sealed oo@f the
wages OF the employees 20 starvation mar
gins. issue bonds into multiplied millions
OF dollars az their OWE discretion and over-
ride that provision OF the Constitution
rrf cfrt rrf.r -
by any regulation OF commerce TO ports OF
one state over those OF another and COM
pei the South and West TO pay millions
annually in upholding the traffic ccnters
aud ports OF the East. They break down
every principle OF Republican government.
tax US without representation. produce pow
erty. enge nder strife ard germinate strikes,
which destroy instead OF insure domestic
tranquility. and 10 protect the rights OF
ences between them and the people. they
have filled our country with federal courts
over which the people have no Jurisdiction
and which. in turn 'eke out the substance
of the people. all OF which can be secured
by government ownership OF those high
when we find fixed national State.
county. municipal corporation ard mort
gage debt overhangng our country for
nints closed by law 20 the coinage OF sill
yer which has been used - money for three
thousand years; and wnen the government
refuses 10 issue paper money for the people
and then charters banks which have
place in our Constitution and which Jeffer-
son said were more dangerous 10 the liber-
ties OF the people than standing armies and
give them control over the money OF The
country-we know that our Law makers
did not make this system 10 establish
Justice insure domestic tranquility pro-
mote the general welfare. and secure the
blessing OF liberty 10 ourselves. There
fore, We declare that no alien shall be al
lowed to own lanGs in our country without
first becoming an American citizen
We declare that no corporation snail 30
allowed 10 own iand. except What Il nccee-
sary for the legitimate purposes fer which
ouch corporation xas created
'Helieying that the home Is the basic
source OF the sraadest civilization we -e-
mand that some Just system shall be ef-
tablished by which all land monopoly shall
be speedily abolished and the lands sacred
ly preserved for homes for our people and
their posterity.
I'VE point with pride 20 the fact that
when John Jay out arst envoy. went TO
foreign courts his instructions. signed by
George Washington. President. and
Thomas Jefferson. Secretary OF state. Tor
bade him TO make any treaties that would
allow any foreigner 70 own soil In this co0n-
try without firSt becoming an American
cifisen. and that when the Ohio company
the Afississippi Company. the Wabash COM
pany and other companies orgAnt1cd By
Nr- fs>~srd and others eslked for the stGhk