Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-25
THE POPULIST PLATFORM Official Copy of the Text of the
 Instrument. MONEY TRANSPORTATION Are the Principal PIanks-DecIaraton for Initiative and Referendum De- mands of the Peoples Party


 platform:
 The peoples party, assembled in na- tional convention, reaffirms it's allegi-
 ance to the principles declared by the founders of the republic and also to the fundamental principles of just govern ] ment as enunciated in the platform of the party in 1892 We recognize that I through the connivance of the present and preceding administrations the coun- l try has reached crisis in its national 1 life, as predicted in our declarations four years ago, and that prompt and patriot 1 ic action is the supreme duty of the l hour We realize that while we have political independence, our financial and
 l industrial Independence is yet to be at
 l tained by restoring to our country the l constitutional control and exercise of the 1 functions necessary to peoples govern l ment, which functions. have been basely l surrendered by our public servants to | corporate monopolies. The influence of l European money changers has been more
 potent in shaping legislation than the voice of the American people, Execu- 1 tive power and patronage have been used l to corrupt our legislatures and defeat 1 the will of the people, and plutocracy has l thereby been enthroned upon the ruins l of democracy. To restore the govern 1 ment intended by the fathers and for l the welfare and prosperity of this and 1 future generations, we demand the es- | tablishment of an economic and financial 1 system which shall make us masters of l our own affairs and independent of Eu- ropean control by the adoption of the fol- l lowing declaration of principles: The Money Plank. | 1. We demand a national money, safe 1 and sound, issued by the general govern
 ment only, without the intervention of | banks of issue, to be full legal tender
 for all debts. public and prSvate, a just, | equitable and efficient money of distribu- ton to the people and through the lawful l disbursements of the government. l 2. We demand the free and unrestrict- | ed coinage of silver and gold at the pres-
 l ent ratio of 16 to l, without waiting for l the consent of foreign nations
 8. We demand that the volume of cir l culating medium be speedily increased to 1 an amount sufficient to meet the demands I of the business and population and to re- | store the just level of prices of labor and | production.
 l 4. We denounce the sale of bonds and
 1 theincrease of the public interest bearing l debt made by the present administration | as unnecessary and without authority of | law, and demand that no more bonds be l issued except by specific act of congress- | D. We demand such legislation as will 1 prevent the characterization of the lawful | money of the United States by private
 <, contract.
 1 6. We demand that the government in 1 payment of its obligations shall use its l option as to the kind of lawful money In | which they are to be paid and we de- nounce the present and preceding admin l istrations for Surrendering this option to l the holders of government obligations. l z. We demand a graduated income tax l to the end that aggregated wealth shall | bear it's just proportion of taxation, and | we regard the recent decision of the su- l preme court relative to the income tax ] law as a misinterpretation of the consti- 1 tuition and an invasion of the rightful
 I powers of congress over the subject of 1 taxation.
 | 8. We demand that postal savings 1 banks be established by the government
 for the safe deposit of the savings of the l people and to facilitate exchange. Transportation.
 | l. Transportation being means of ex- l change and public necessity the gov ernment should own and operate the rail- | roads in the interest of the people and I on a non-partsan basis to the end that all may be accorded the same treatment | in transportation, and the tyranny and l political power now exercised by the great railroad corpora tions, which result | in the impairment if not the destruc- l ton, of the political rights and personal | liberties of the citizen, may be destroyed. Such ownership is to be accomplished gradually in a manner consistent with l sound public policy.
 2 The interest of the United States in l the public highways built with public l moneys, and the proceeds of extensive | grants of land to the Pacific railroads, should never be alienated, mortgaged or | sold, but guarded aNd protected for the general welfare, as provided by the laws organizing such railroads.
 The foreclosure of existing liens of the | United States on these roads should at once follow default in the payment fharn0f Ifxyf a dpb tpr a nj as and a | the foreclosure sales of said roads the government shall purchase the same If 1t becomes necessary to protect its interests | therein, or if they can be purchased at a | reasonable price; and the government | shall operate said railroads as public | highways for the benefit of the whole | people and not in the interest of the few, under suitable provisions for protection of life and property, giving to all trans | portation interests equal privileges and equal rates for fares and freights. 3. We denounce the present infamous scheme for refunding these debts and demand that the laws now applicable thereto be executed and administered according to their intent and spirit. f. The telegraph, like the postoffice l system, being a necessity for the trans mission of news, should be owned and | operated by the government in the in- terest of the people.
 Land.
 l 1. True policy demands that the na- tional 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 monopoli8ed for speculative purposes. All lands now held by railroads and oth- CT corporations in excess of their actual needs should, by lawful means, be re- claimed by the government and held for natural settlers only. and private land monopoly, as well as alien owner ship, should be prohibited,
 g. We condemn the frauds by which the land grant Pacific railroad compa- nies have, through the connivance of the interior department, robbed multi tudes of actual bona fide settlers of their homes and miners of their claims, and demand a legislation by congress which will enforce. the exception of mineral land from such grants after as well as before the patent.
 B. We demand that bona fide 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 sn tlsnent. and that all lands not now Iete cd come under this de-