The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-07-30
he national and state legislation shall

every prudent and industrious citizen
to secure q home, and therefore the
land should not be monopolized for
speculative purposes. All lands now
held by railways and other corporations
in excess of their actual needs should,
by lawful means, be reclaimed by the
government and held for actual settlers
only, and private land monopoly, as
well as alien ownership, should be pro-
hibited.
Second-We condemn the frauds by
which the land grants to Pacific rail-
road companies have, through the con-
nivance Of the interior department,
robbed multitudes Of bona-fide settlers
of their homes and miners of their
claims, and we demand legislation by
congress which will enforce the exemp-
ton of mineral land from such grants
after, as well as before, patenting.
Third-We demand that bona f1de
settlers on all public lands be granted
free homes, as provided in the national
homestead law, and that no exception
be made in the case Of Indian reserva-
tions when opened for settlement, and
that all lands not now patented come
under this demand.
Direct Legislation.
We favor q system of direct legisla.
iton through the initiative and referen-
dunn, 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 great republic of the world, should
recognize that Cuba Is, and Of right
ought to be, free and independent
state.
Third-We favor home rule in the
territories and the District Of Colum-
bia, and the early admission Of the ter
ritories as states.
Fourth-All public salaries should
be made to correspond to the price of
labor and its products.
Fifth-In times Of great industrial
depression, idle labor should be en-
ployed on public works as far as prac-
ticable.
Sixth-The arbitrary course Of the
court 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 disabled Union soldier.
Eighth-Believing that the election
franchise and untrammeied ballot are
essential to government Of, for and
by the people, the Peoples party con-
aemns the wholesale system Of disfran-
chisement adopted in some of the states
as unrepublican and unGemocratic, and
we declare IL to be the duty Of the sew
eral state legislatures to take such ao-
tion as will secure full and free and
fair ballot and an honest count.
Ninth-While the foregoing PROPOSE.
tions constitute the platform which ouy
party stands upon and for the vindica-
tion of its organization will be main
tanned, 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 parties we cordially invite
the aid and cooperation Of all organi'
zations and citizens agreeing with us
upou this vital question.