The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-11
The NEW PARTY NAMED
American Independents is the
Name Suggested
BY President st. John Of the
Mercantile National Bank.
he Also Submits a Platform to co
With the Name-Free Silver and
Protection the Watchword.

sheets from the Arena. Boston, of an
article by VIM. D. St John, president
; of the Mercantile National bank of New
York. one of the strongest in the Uni
ted States. Mr.. st. John is one of the
few bankers who stands with the peo-
pie on the money question He be-
lieves in a new political party and sub
mits the following. which he calls:
A NATIONAL PLATFORM FOR THE
INDEPENDENTS OF 1896
Leaving the domestic affairs of the
several states to those party organiza-
tons already occupied Herewith, and
believing that the senate Of the United
States is quick to respond to the clear
~ expressed viii of the people. we con-
fine our present attempt to the election
of the president, and representatives IN
congress on the following demands.
First. CAD That the minis Of the Uni
ted States shall be reopened to equally
unrestricted coinage Of gold and silver
into the unlimited legal tender money
of the United States the gold to issue
in the present standard gold coins, and
the silver to issue in the present stand
ard silver dollars. (b) DepOs1tOrs of the
gold or silver at the mint to receive in
lieu of coin, if they prefer, at the coin
which shall be redeemed on demand in
gold or silver coin at the option and ac-
cording TO the convenience Of the Uni
ted States. (c) And as a safe guard
against panic and money stringency the
secretary of the treasury shall be en-
powered to issue such coin certificates
additionally against deposits of inter
est bearing bonds of the United States
the interest accruing on the bonds to
inure to the United States pending
their re-eXChange for the coin CertI11-
Gates, which coin certificates when re
turned shah be cancelled; provided that
such additional ISSUES of coin certi1-
Gates shall not reduce the percentage
of coin and bullion reserved for coin Ger
tificates and silver certificates below so
per cent of the aggregate sum of coin
certificates and silver certificates out
standing. The now outstanding silver
certificates, gold certificates and treas
ury notes of 1890 to be retired as they
come into the treasury
EThis (a) is free coinage at 16 to l.
the convenient coin certificate OBJ to
take the place of gold certificates. silver
certificates and treasury notes of 1890
The safeguard (c) would provide for a
temporary increase of $3OO.OlO,O00 of pa
per money against the silver on hand in
the treasury April L.
Second The threatened competition
with our southern cotton mills of those
Of China and Japan, the Increasing i'm
pOrtatiOns of long stapled Egyptian in
competition with our Sea Island cot
ton. and the ill-effects of the abrogatfon
OF the tariff on wool along with the re-
ductlOn in the tariff on wooden manu-
features, combine to evidence the fact
that the time has not arrived to aban-
don an adequate protective tariff sys-
tenn in vain pursuit of the phantom of
I free trade
The effect of the wool schedule Of
the Wilson bill has been to enrich the
european manufacturer at the expense
of our domestic manufacturers and en-
large the European market for foreign
WOODS while lessening our home market
for domestic woods, occasioning an ad-
vance of cents a pound for Port Phil
lip (Australian) Wool in London, while
uuWashed Ohio wool has declined III
cents a pound in Boston and New York.
d q
home manufacturers as has caused a
reduction in wages of operatives and
threatens to throw this branch of do
meSllc labor out OF all employment.
We are, therefore. opposed to OMEN
ing our home market of seventy mill
lions of consumers to the fOreigner on
any pretense OF procuring thereby a
foreign market for the productions of
the United States. But we shall exact
of our manufacturers that they accord
to labor a liberal and more cOntinu-
ously certain share of the protection
accorded them; and that the tariff de-
vised shall afford also protection to
the farmer and planter and provide
sufficient revenues for the necessary
expenditures of government.
LThis second demand meets the re-
quirement of the great mass of Amer
lean labor, to whom Mckinley threat
ems to become the embodiment of the
protective tariff While my reports
from all sections, including the new
south, are Overwhelmingly in favor of
AIOLEELloAs com tIdLLNGIy lew manu-
facturers favor the restoration of the
Mckinley tariff
Third-We demand the application of
the principle defined as the Initiative
and referendum. to all national legisla-
ton which involves any radical change
in public policy.
IA test of this principle. thus restrict
ed to any radical change in public noI-
icy, seems warranted by the practice
of Switzerland. The test may com
mend broadening Of the restriction,
if found practicable. should the great
trunk lines or railway become a pos
session of the governments" would seem
to be such a radical change in public
policy as might wisely be referred to
the people.
Fourth-We condemn Clevelandism
utterly; that debauching of legislators
with patronage to achieve legislation
opposed to the viii of the people is a
vicious prostitution OF executive influ-
ence, which we shall denOunce as bit
terly if it be the practice of an execu-
tive elected as Republican as when
the practice of one elected as a Dem
Ocrat.
M all who .have become distrustfuI
of old parties and tired of boss sule
win unite i'm these demands and nom
mate, on this platform, some man of
such achievements as commend him TO
the conservative element of the cOun-
try and who is not a seeker after the
preferment, ne can be elected i'm the
approaching campaign to the presi-
dency of the United States If the
Democratic platform demands the re-
opening Of the mints to silver. as now
seems likely. all the powers of the
Democratic 90 administration viii be
used to compass the defeat of the Dem
ocratfc candidate The prosperity to
accrue to the people under the Adoption
of that policy would put in shameful
contrast the current results Of the adj
ministrations policy. If the RepubIi-
can platform demands, unequivOcany
the reopening of the mints to silver the
Democratic platform viii necessarily
demand the same and the contest viii