Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-07-30
THE PLATFORM
Majority ana Minor,tx p.n
p~resept.d ~

nit'ee on resolutions was tben raGot.nt.,
~ Tue Platform as agreed To Inv tho
mitIee tie was received with onnia,sa
mittao isesu me reading by saying the com.
ga az had a protracted meeting ana
and that while Its proceedInss han is anu
harmonious there was not entire rnan IN
a Aessrs. kearby Of Texas end Cox.r
pnp would both offer minority renorts
VioMlhg are the planks not contained in
~ platform sent out last night;
We favor a system Of direct lrgilatio,
lhrough the Initiative and referendum
unusr proper constitutional Safeguard
we demand the election Of president
see president and United States senator's
by a direct vote OF the people.
w tender to the patriotie noon
ouDa our deepest sympathy in their beroJa
s.ruggie Tor political freedom and lnda.
pehuehce; we believe the time has cnn,o
when the United Statos. the great renrhIio
OF the world, should recognize that chs
Is ana OF right ought to be a free and md
pendent state. -" 'uae-
we faVor home rule In the territories
a. the Dlstrlct of Columbia and the early
ADMISSION OF the territories as states.
All puolc salaries should be made 70
correspond to the rice Of labor ana It's
products. ""N 10
IN times Of great industrial depression
Idle labor should he employed on publlc
WORKS as far as practicable.
Inc aFpltrary course Of the courts IN
assuming to imprison citizens for indirect
contempt and ruling that by lpiupction
Should be prevented by proper legislation.
we IaEot Just pensions for our disabled
union soldiers.
believing that the election franchise and
~famihe ballot are essential 10 a GOV
~tFhnlenE Of, for and by the people. the
Peoples party condemns the wholesale sys.
tem OF dlsifanchiremcnt adopted III Somo Of
the states a. I'm Republican and un-Demo-
cratic, ana we declare IL to be the dury OF
the several state legislatures to take such
action Us VIII secure a fun. free and fair
ballot and an honest count.
ME tae foregoing PROPOSITIONS con-
sliiuIe the platform upon which our party
h'1uas' ana Tor the viudication az which Its
organization will he maintained, we recog-
nize that the great and pressing Issue Of
thr pending c0Ngalgu upon which the
political prcsidon .al election viii turn. is
the financial question, and upon this great
ana SPECIFIC Issue between the parties we
cordially invite the aid and cooperation Of
all officers and citizens agreeing with US
upon this vital question:"
The enunciatiOn Of the different blanks
OF the platform was received with slight
applause, which would evidently have been
S''"'''' 'At lll the Iafl tNIl ten. w aver
declared that he would not proceed unless
there was absolute silence. The applause
was especially marked, Notwithstanding
Mr.. Viewers frOwn upon the pronounce
ment for free coinage Of silver. against in
terest-bcaring bOndssand the denunciation
OF the position of the present admlnIstra-
ton on the bond question. The income
tax provision was also sharply applauded,
as was almost every sentence Of the trans
. a t.. H. 81 a.
was reached some one in q far away gall
lery shouted. Amen" and many handker-
chiefs and hats waved in manifestation Of
the conventions interest N the cause of
the struggling islanders.
The Minority Report.
AT the conclusion of the eading of the
majority report Mr.. Hearty of Texas was
recognized To read his minority report. Ii
vas as follows:
The Peoples party in convention assem-
bled denOunCe the methods and policies OF
the Democratic aud Republican, parties that
have brought distress and poverty TO every
state In this Union by reason of their mu-
tual cooperation with the money power,
the monpOlistic Influence and the corporate
greed that have characterized the accumu-
lation Of wealth by reason Of class legisla-
ton. formulated for the benent Of the few,
and TO the oppression ami wrong of the
many. We denouitce the Republican and
Democratic policies OF tariff, the one that
pretends to afford protection to the indus
trial classes. and the other that pretends
free trade by placing the raw material
produced by the industrial man on the
free list and protecting the manufacturers.
We denounce as un- Ans,rican the RepublA
can and Democratic policies which tolerate
the invasion Of sovereign states by auto
cratic military power. thereby s~ubveGting
Independent government and state rights.
We denounce the Democratic aud Repub-
!lcan policies that seek 10 enslave people by
The Issuance Of interest bearing United
States bonds In time OF peace to raise rev.
enue with which to defray current expenses,
and steadfastly adhere to the American
policy that will produce revenue sufficient to
maintain the legitimate and economic ex-
penses.
We demand a national currency. safe
and sound, issued by the general govern
ment only. a full legal tender for all debts,
public and private, without the Intervention
OF bonding corporations, and a just and
equitable means OF distribution direct to
the people at a tax not exceeding 2 per
cent per apnum.
We demand tie free and unlimited coin
age Of silver and gold at the present legal
ratio OF 16 10 ]. We demand that the
circulating medium consist Of gold, silver
and paper money, 10 be hsutu lHutpeHueht
az the concurrence of other nations, and
I'm volume sufficient TO answer the needs
and demands OF commerce and our people.
We are unAlterably opposed to a token
money, but declare for a legal tender dol
lar interchangeable and redeemaole only
In debts and taxes.
We demand a graduated income tax. We
believe that the money of the country
should be kept as msch as possible In the
hands of the people, hence we demand that
all state and national revenues shall be
limited 10 the necessary expenses or tne
government. economically end honestly adj
mInistered. We demand that postal state
savings banks be established by the govern
ment for the safe deposit Of the earnings
~ the people and 10 facilitate all ex-
changes.
TRANSFORMATION being a means OF exchange
and nubEc necessity, the government snou'd
own and operate enough OF trunk INES OF
railroads 10 forever put at rest the question
of freight traffic. The telegraph ana teie-
nbone. like the postotice system, Delhg a
necessity for the transmission or news,
sbopld he owned by the government III tpe
interest OF the people.
Land Is the heritage OF the people, anu
shonld NOT be monopolized for speculative
nurnoses and alien ownership or lano
sbonld be prohibited. All lands now nero
nv railroads and other corporations In ex-
ooss ~ the actual needs, and all lands now
eunod Inv them should be reclaimed by the
government and held for actual se''iet'
only. qua Panuh-
80 .rn,F~ tho imnOft1IlOU Oh