Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-08-01

ED LODGE, MONTAN 4
full money in which they are to be paid
and we denounce the present and pre-
ceding administrations for surrenderins
this option to the holders OF :yovesnmen,
| obligation securities.
'Seventh-We demand a graduated IL
come tax. to the end that aggreg ed
wealth shall bear its just proportion Of
| taxation. and We regard the recent de-
| cISion Of the supreme court relative to
the income tax as a misinterp.a. .tion
of the constitution and an invasion Of
| the rightful powers of congress owe, the
| courts.
We demand that postal savings banks
be established by the government for tic
safe deposit of the savings of the peo-
PIE, and to facilitate exchange.
TranspOrtatiOn.
"First-For transportation for means
Of exchange, the government should cwn
/ and operate the railroads in the interest
! Of the people a non-partisan basis,
| TO the end that all may be accord Il The
| same treatment in transportation, and
| that the tyranny and present political
/ power now exercised by the great rail-
road corporations which result in .ne
| impairment. if not the destruction. Of the
| the citizens, may be destroyed. Such
/ ownership is to be accomplished graGu-
| ally, in i manner consistent with sound
public policy
''Second-The interest of the I'nital
| States in the public highways built with
| pubhc moneys and the proceeds Of eX
J tenslve land grants to the Pacific raj
| roads should never have been alienuted,
mort@a9ed or sold, bur guarded and pro
| tected for the general welfare is p,o-
| vlded by the laws organizing such rai
roads. The foreclosure of existing lens
OF these roads, should there be default
IN payment thereof by the debtor e:on-
panies, and at the foreclosure sales Of
SAID roads the government ,;nlll pur-
chase the same il it becomes race:;sl,y
70 protect its interests, or if they can be
purchased at q reasonable price, the SOW
eminent shall operate said railroads as
public highways for the benefit OF the
whole people, and not in tie mtercs. OF
a few, under suitable provisions f,r pro-
lection of life and pronerty, eivD:; 10
all the transportation interests equal
privileges and equal rates for fares and
freights
"Third-We denounce the present il
famous schemes for refundin3 these
debts. and demand that the laws now ap-
piicable thereto be executed and admin
lstered according to their true intent and
spirit.
''Fourth-The telegraph, like the pos
office system, being a necessity for rl1e
transmission of news, should be owned
and operated by the government in the
interest Of the people.
Land.
first-True policy demands that ma
tiCnal 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
Too %,
lands now held by railways and other
corporations in excess of their actual
needs should by lawful means be reclaim
ed BY the government and held for actual
settlers only, and private land monopoly |
as well as alien ownership, should be pro- |
hibitei.
''Second-We condemn the frauds by
which the land grants to the Pacific rail |
way companies have, through the con-
niVance Of the interior department, rob- |
bed multitudes of bona fide settlers of |
their homes and miners IF their claims, |
and We demand legislation by congress |
which will enforce the exemption of MIN |
eral land from such grants after as Well |
as before patenting.
'Thrd-We demand that bona fide set
tiers on all 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 opened |
for settlement, and that all lands not now
patented come undu4 this demand. |
Direct Legislation.
We favor system Of direct legislation
through the initiative and referyn ndum,
under proper constitutional safeguards.
General Propositions.
'First-We demand the election of pres
ident, vice president ana United States
senators by a direct vote OF the people
'Second-We tender to the patriotic peo-
pie OF Cuba our deepest sympathy in
their struggle for political freedom and
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- a
free and Independent state.
"Thild-We favor home rule in the terri
tories and the District Of Columbia and |
the early admission of the territories as
states
''E'ourth-All public salaries should be
made to correspond to the prIce Of labor
and its products
''Ffth-In time 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 mpr;son citizens
for indirect contempt and ruling them by
Injunction should be prevented by proper
legislation.
"Seventh-We favor just pensions for
very disabled union soldier.
Eighth - Believing that the elective
franchise and an untramelled ballot are
essential to a government of, for and by
he people. the peoples party condemn
he wholesale system Of diSfranchisement |
adopted in some of the states as unrepub-
ican and undemoCratic, and we declare
t to be the duty of the several states
legislatures to take such action as will
secure q full and free and fair ballot and
IN honest count.
"Ninth-Whle the foregoing PROPOSE
ions constitute the platform upon which
our party stands. and for the vindicaIon
IF which its organization will be mann
aimed, we recognize that the great and
pressing issue Of the pending campaign
lpon which the presidentiale election will
urn is the financial question, and upon
his great and specific issue between the
parties we cordially invite the aid and CO
operation of all organizations and citi
sens agreeing with us upon this vital