Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-07-27

I0dliLO uuhb WHAC WO huNO POlibiSht Sb0O
pendence, our financial and industrial
independence is yet to be attained by re-
storing to our country the constitutional
control and exercise of the functions
necessary to a peoples government
which functions have been basely surren-
dered by our public servants to corpor-
ate monopolies. The influence of Euro.
pean money changers has been more po-
tent in shaping legislation than the voice
of the American people. Executive pow
or and patronags have been used to cor
rupt our legislatures and defeat the will
of the people, and plutocracy has thereby
been enthroned upon the ruins of democ-
racy. To restore the government in
tended by the fathers and FOR the welfare
and prosperity of this and future genera
tions, we demand the establishment of an
economic and financial system which
shall make Us masters of our own affairs
and independent of European control by
the adoption of the following declaration
tion of principles:
THE FINANCIAL PLANK.
1st-We demand national money,
safe and sound, issued by the general
government only, without the interven-
tion of banks of issue, to be full legal
tender for all debts, puniic and private; a
Just, equitable and efficient means of dis
tribution direct to the people, and through
the lawful disbursements of the govern
ment.
2d-We demand the free and unre-
stricted coinage of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of is to !, without
waiting for the consent of foreign ma
tions.
3d-We demand the volume of circulat-
ing medium be speedily increased to an
amount sufficient to meet the demands of
the business and the population of this
country, and to restore the just level of
prices of labor and production.
4th-We denounce the sale of bonds
and the increase of the public interest
bearing debt made by the present ad-
ministration as unnecessary and without
authority of law, and we demand that no
more bonds be issued except by specific
acts of congress.
5th-We demand such legislation as
will prevent the demonetization of the
lawful money of the United States by
private contract.
6th-We demand that the government
in payment of its obligations shall use
its option as to the kind of lawful money
in which they are to be paid, and we de-
nounce the present and preceding ad-
ministrations for surrendering this op-
tion to the holders of government obli-
cations
7th-We demand a graduated income
tax to the end that aggregated wealth
shall bear it's just proportion of taxation,
and we regard the recent decision of the
supreme court relative to the income tax
law as misinterpretatlon Of the consti-
tuition and an invasion of the lightful
powers of congress over the subject of
taxation.
8th--We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the government
for the safe deposit of savings Of the peo-
pie and to facilitate exchange.
TRANSPORTATION PLANK.
1st-Transportation being means of
exchange, it is necessary the government
should own and operate the railroads in
the interest of the people on non-par.
tisan basis, to the end that all may be
accorded the same treatment in transpor-
tation and that tyranny and political
power now exercised by the great rail
road corporations, which result in the i'm
pairment if not the destruction of the
political rights and personal liberties of
the citizen may be destroyed. Such own
ership is to be accomplished gradually in
a manner consistent with sound public
policy. a
2d-The interest of the United States in
the public highways, built with public
moneys and the proceeds of extensive
grants of land to the Pacific roads should
never be alienated, mortgaged or sold,
but guarded aud protected for the gen.
eral welfare, as provided by the laws or
ganizing such railroads. The foreclosure
of existing liens of the United States on
these roads should at once follow default
in the payment thereof by the debtor
and at the foreclosure sales of
said roads the government shall purchase
the same if it becomes necessary to pro-
tect it's interests, or if they can be pur-
chased at a reasonable price, and the gov
ernment shnn 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
ell the transportation interests equal
privileges and equal rates for fares and
freights.
Sd We denounce the present infamous
schemes for refunding these debts and
demand that the laws now applicable
~ L.. 81. s,ko
cording to their true intent and spirit.
4th-The telegraph, like the postoffice
system, being a necessity for the trans
mission OF news, should be owned and
operated by the government in the inter-
est of the people.
THE LAND QUESTION.
lst-The true policy demands that the
national and state legislation shall be
such as will ultimately enable every pru-
dent and industrious citizen to secure
home, and therefore the land should not
be monopolized for speculative purposes.
All lands now held by railroads and other
corporations in excess of their actual
needs should by lawful means be re.
claimed by the government and held for
actual settlers only, and private land
monopoly, as we'll as an alien ownership,
should be prohibited.
2d-We condemn the frauds by which
the land grant to Pacific railroad COM
panies have through the oonnivance Of
the interior department, robbed multitudes
of bona fido settlers of their homes, and
miners of their claims, and we demand
legislation by change which will enforce
the exemption of mineral land from such
grants after, as we'll as before patenting.
3d-We demand that bona fide settlers
on all public lands be granted free homes
as provided In the national homestead
Law. and that no execution he made in