The herald., 1896-07-25
THE SLVER|TES NOMINATE BRYAN and SENALL

the national and state legislation shall
| be such as will ultimately enable every
| prudent and industrious citizen to Sc
| cure a home, and therefore the land
| should not be monopolized for specula-
| tive purposes. All lands now held by
railways and other corporations in ex-
| cess of their actual needs should by law
| full means be reclaimed by the govern
ment and held for actual settlers only,
| and private land monopoly, as well as
alien ownership, should be prohibited.
| Second-We condemn the frauds by
| which the land grants to Pacific railroad
companies have through the connivance
of the interior department, robbed null
titudes of bona fide settlers of their
homes and miners of their claims, and
we demand legislation by congress which
will enforce the exemption of mineral
lands from such grants after as we'll as
| before patenting
Third-We demand that bona fide set
tiers on public lands be granted free
homes, as provided in the national home
stead law, and that no exception be made
in the case of Indian reservations when
opened FOR settlement, and that all lands
not now patented come under this de-
| mand.
DIRECT LEGISLATION
We favor a system of direct legisa-
tion through the initiative and refer
endum under proper constitutional safe
guards.
GENERAL PROPOSITIONS
First-We demand the election of
president, vice-president and United
| States senators by direct vote of the
people.
Second-We tender to the patriotic
people of Cuba our deepest sympathy
in their struggle for political freedom
and independence, and we believe the
time has come when the United States
the greatest republic of the world
should recognize that Cuba is, and of
right should be, free and independent
state.
Thrd-We favor home rule in the
territories and the District of Columbia,
and the early admission of territories
as states
Fourth-All public salaries should be
made to correspond to the price of labor
and it's products.
Fifth-In times of great industrial de-
preston, idle labor should be employed
on public works as far as practicable.
Sixth-The arbitrary course of the
courts in assuming to imprison citizens
for indirect contempt and ruling them
by injunction should be prevented by
proper legislation.
Seventh-We favor just pensions for
every diSa h1ed uniOn soldier
Eighth-Believihg that the election
franchise and untrammeled ballot are
essential to a government of, for and by
the people, the Peoples party condemns
the wholesale system of disfranchise-
ment adopted in some of the states as
un-republican and un-democratic, and
we declare it to be the duty of several
state legislatures to take such action as
will secure a full and free and fair bal
lot and an honest count
Ninth-While the foregoing PROPOSE
tions constitute the platform which our
party stands upon, and for the vindica-
tion its organization will be maintained,
we recognize that the great and pressing
issue of the pending campaign upon
which the presidential election will turn,
is the financial question, and upon this
great and specific issue between the par
ties we cordially invite the aid and CO.
operation of all organizations and cit
izens agreeing with us upon this vital
question.
AMENDMENTS OFFERED.
Coxey read minority report favor
ing direct legislation and the initiative
and the referendum.
Another report was read by Delegate
Pine of Rhode Island, but the report was !
referred to the committee on platform.
Pine, however, insisted on continuing to
read the report and was removed from
the stage by the police amid the widest
excitement.
THE PLATFORM ADOPTED.
All the amendments were laid on the !
table, and the platform as reported by
a majority of the committee was adopt
ed with only a few cries of dissent.
Henry D. Lloyd of Illinois moved to
proceed to the selection of a candidate
for vice president. The chair said the
motion was unnecessary, as that was |
the business in order. The states were |
called for nominations. When Alabama |
was called Colonel p. C. Bowman
mounted the platform. Before he enter
ed upon his speech, however, the con- |
vention decided to take recess.