The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-07-30
POPULIST PLATFORM.
Free Coinage One of the Leading Planks,
Other Subjects Treated.

Free Coinage One of the Leading Planks,
other Subjects Treated.
ST. LOUIS, July 25.-The platform
adopted by the Populist convention
starts off with the usual lengthy pre-.
amble, denouncing the administrations
of both parties and then follows the
declaration of principles, first, "a ma.
tional money, safe and sound, issued by
the general government, only without
the intervention of banks at issue !"
second, "the free and unrestricted coin
age of silver and gold at 10 to /, with.
out waiting for the consent of foreign
nations :" third, "the volume of circu.
lating medium to be speedily increased
to an amount sufficient to meet the de.
mands of the business population and
to restore the just level of prices of
labor and production"
The fourth to the eighth inclusive de.
nounce the sale Of bonds, laws to pre-.
vent decentralization of money, use of
the governments option to pay its debts
in any lawful money, graduated in.
come tax, including paragraph de.
nouncing the supreme court for its de.
cision against the former income tax
law, and postal banks by the govern.
ment.
The plank on transportation is quite
lengthy, beginning with demand that
the government should own and oper.
! ate all railroads. foreclosure of the Pa.
cific property following default in pay.
ment of debts to the government; de,
nounces as "infamous schemes" any
plans for refunding these debts, and
closes with demand for government
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The plank on land begins with short
preamble demanding "that the national
and state legislation shall be such as
will ultimately enable every prudent
and industrious citizen to secure
home, and therefore the land should
not be monopolized for speculative pur
poses" 1t then demands the reclaim
ing by the government Of all lands helC
by railroads and other corporations mo-
in actual use, to be held for settlers
condemns az frauds" grants of land Il
the Pacific companies, and free home;
for bona fide settlers on public lands.
The balance of the platform is a
follows:
We favor n system of direct Legislation
through the initiative and referendum
under proper constitutional safeguards.
We demand the election of president
vice president and United States senator
by direct vote Of the people.
We tender to the patriotic people o
Cuba our deepest sympathy in their he
roic struggle for political freedom and In
dependence, and we believe tho time ha
come when the United States, the grea
republic of the world, should recogniz,
that Cuba is, and of right ought to be,
free and independent state.
We favor home rule in the territoric
and the District of Columbia, and tn
early admission of the territories as states
All public salaries should he made +
correspond with the price of labor and 1t
product.
In times of great industrial deprcssio
idle labor should be employed on publ
works as far as practicable.
The arbitrary course of the courts u
assuming to imprison citizens for indrcc
contempt and ruling by injunction shoul
be prevented by proper legislation.
We favor just pensions for our disable
Union soldiers.
Believing that the election franchis
and untrammeled ballot are essential {
a government of, for and by the pcOpl,
the Peoples party condemn the wholesal
system of disfranChisement adopted !
some states as unrepublican and undemC
cratic, and we declare IL ought to be til
duty of the several state legislatures {
take such action as will secure full, fre
and fair ballot and an honest count.
The closing paragraph invites tn
sympathy and co. operation of the pee
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