The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-07-23
The Platform.

The platform adopted by the populis'
convention is as follows:
We hold that TO restore and preSrrve
the peoples rights under q repupiISan
form of government, private monopoEcs
Of public necessities, for speculative pur-
poses. whether Of the means or proauc-
tion. distribution or exchange. shouin DC
prohibited. As first steps in this Glrec-
lion, all lands now held by railroads or
other corporations in excess OF their act
ual need. and all lands now owned Dv
aliens should be reclaimed by the gov
rmen and held for actual settlers only.
The government should purchase or
construct. operate and control a SUN
Gent mileage Of railroads 10 tuec'NaltE
control al! rates OF ransporlauoh on
just and equitable basis. and we fIvor
the foreclosure of the government liens
on the Pacific railroads.
The telegraph and telephone shonlu De-
come a part of the postal system.
The government should provide for TIC
free and unlimited coinage of silver ana
gold at a ratio Of l6 to !, indepenGeh, or
any other nation on earth. ana, IN aud.r
national currency, safe, sound and lex
BILE, issued without the use Of banking
corporations, and in sufficient volume 10
do the business q the country on a cash
basis.
The government should provide postal
savings hanks for the safe deposits of the
savings Of the people.
RELYING on the good common sense OF the
American people. and believing that a
majority Of them, when uninhuenced by
party prejudice. will vote right on. ali
merits. and, further. to effectually ami
hilate the pernicuous lobby in legislation,
we demand direct legislation by means
of the initiative and referendum.
We demand the election of United
States senators by a direct vote of the
people; that each state shall be divided
into two districts of nearly equal voting
population. and that a senator from each
shall he nlnnfCn lay a IiraPt vote nf the
people Of the district.
We demand more money to increase
prices and legislation to maintain them.
An American system of finance and
trade for the American people. should be
the battle cry of every loyal American
citizen until Industrial emancipation has
that oar tariff laws shall be administered
10y a norpartisan commission, under we'll
defined instructions to protect the Amer
lean lahOrer.
lie lands he granted free homes. as pro-
viGed IN the original homestead law.
We denounce the republican state adj
ministrat!On for It's utterly n~xt:cvagant.
Incapable ana corrupt ADMINISTRATIVE of
state affairs, and the present policy of
administering our state departments by
proxy. and demand that all state officials
shall in the future attend to their de-
partmental business.
We demand the enactment OF the Iowa
railroad law' ch4need to sui this state,
a. tliiDbiI'l III mouse h!lI NO. j. when
was introduced IN the last legislature,
and known as the Wheeler bill.
We inQorsc the work Of Senator ]. II.
Kyle during his term in congress. and en-
tend our sincere congratulations TO Sen
ator Pett.grew and his colleagues in re-
iuSing 70 follow the repul lican party into
the gold standard camp. We heartily
commend Their patriotic stand for Amer
lean freedom from European domination
ana extend to them a cordial welcome to
the ranks OF the peoples party.
In case the electors elected 10y the peo-
PIES party IN the nation are not of sufh-
Client numbers to elect a president, the
electors elected by our party are instruct
cd TO cast their vote in the electoral col
leee 50 as TO elect a free silver president.
and thereby defeat the gold standard.
We instruct our delegates to our St.
Louis convention 10 use all honorable
means to unite the free silver forces of the
United States, and il is the sense of this
convention that William J. Bryan, of Ne
hrdska, IS the most available man upon
whom union can be made.
Inc submission to the voters Of this
state of the proposed amendment to tho
constitution repeating the provisions
therein prohibiting the sale and manu-
featuring for sale of intoxicating liquors
as a beverage is direct legislation. and
We hold that the people should consider
and vote on this proposition entirely or
IT'S merits. and should in no manner con.
slider or act under ii as a party matter.