Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-08-18
True Public Land Policy,

The true policy demands that the. ma
tional and state legislation shall be sucl
as will ultimately enable every pruden
and Industrious citizen to secure home
/ and therefore the land should not be mo
nopolized for speculative purposes, Al
lands now held by railroads and other cor
! porations in excess Of their actual need
! should by lawful means be reclaimed b,
| the government and held for actual set
tiers only and private land monopoly o.
we'll as alien ownership. should be pro
| hibited. ss. -s~..,.,. ..-4,.s:s.
We condemn the frauds by which tn,
land grant to the Pacific railroad com
panies have, through the connivance O
the interior department. robbed multitude
Of actual bona f1de settlers of their homes
and miners of their claims, and we de-
nand legislation by congress which will
enforce the exemption of mineral land
from such grants after as we'll as before
patent.
We demand that bona f1de settlers on
all public lands be granted free homes, as
provided in the national homestead law,
and that no exception be made in the case
Of Indian reservations when opened for
settlement, and that all lands not now
9atented come under this demand.
We favor system of direct legislation
through the Initiative and referendum,
under proper constitutional safeguards.
General Propositions.
We demand the election of president,
vice president and United States senators
by direct vote of the people
We tender to the patriotic people of
Cuba our deepest sympathy in their heroic
struggle for political freedom and indie
pendence, and we believe the time has
come when the United States, the great
republic of the world, should recognize
that Cuba is and Of right ought to be d
free and independent state. :
We, favor horne rule in the territories
and the District of Columbia and the early
admission of the territories as states.
All public salaries should be made to
correspond to the price of labor and it's
products.
In times of great industrial depression,
idle labor should he employed on public
works as far as practicable.
The arbitrary course of the courts in
assuming to imprison citizens for indirect
contempt and ruling by injunction,
SAAo>AANs wv pAO'SAISu ~ PAOPNA AOSA0ASscAOAA'
We favor just pensions for our disabled
Union soldiers.
Believing that the election franchise and
untrammelled ballot are essential to q
government of, fo, and by the people, the
Peoples party condemn the wholesale
system Of disfranchisement adopted in
some of the states as unrepublican and
undemocratic, and we declare it to be the
duty of the several legislatures to take
such action as will secure full, free and
fair ballot and an honest count
While the foregoing propositions con-
stitute the platform upon which our party
stands, and for the vindication of which
its organization will be maintained, we
recognize that the great and pressing issue
of the campaign upon which the political
presidential election will turn, is the
financial question, and upon this great
and specific issue between the parties we
cordially invite the aid and cooperation of
all officers and citizens agreeing with US
upon this vital question.
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