Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-10-08
DEMOCRATIC STATE PLATFORM.

The democracy of Iowa in convention
assembled send greeting to the nearly T.
900, 600 patriots who participated and aided
in the battle of the people in their struggle
for their rights in the last campaign, by
giving renewed expression of devotion to
the principles of the democracy of the
nation as set forth in the platform adopted
by the democratic party at Chicago in
1896. We lay special emphasis upon that
portion OF the national platform of the
democratic party on the financial ques-
tion. believing that the very existence of
the farming. laborlng and commercial in
terests of this country depends upon
change Of our financial policy, and we en-
ter into the first campaign after the great
battle of the people against the combined
corporate and money power, in which that
peerless statesman and patriot, w. j.
Bryan, was our leader with the reasser-
ton that we demand the free and UNI
limited coinage of both gold and silver at
the present legal ratio of 16 to l, without
waiting for the aid or consent of any other
nation"
We declare that the methods resorted to
by the leaders of the republican party in
the late national campaign have Justly
alarmed the country. Their fragrant
acts of bribery. intimidation, colonization
and deception overawed, and were IN
tended to overawe, the electorate, and
thus prevented a free and an honest ex-
preston of public opinion. We affirm this
to be a direct attack upon popular gov
eminent and declaration of war against
free institutions. If submitted to without
rebuke the presidential office will be per-
manently under the domination OF money
and of the corrupt Influences which money
controls
The purpose of these high-handed and
criminal methods is evident from the re-
suits following their success. The trusts,
the combines the syndicates, the corpora
tions, all united to make the government
an agency for the promotion of their spe-
cial interests and welfare. They contrib
uted millions upon millions to Mark
Hannas campaign fund, and having tri-
umphed by the corrupt use of these vast
sums they are about to recoup themselves
from the pockets of the people The no
| torious, almost avowed, purpose of the
tariff bill now under consideration in the
senate Is to repay the trusts, the mine,
the mill, and the factory barons for their
pecuniary aid to Mckinley; the railroads
are to be compensated by q pooling law;
and 1t is on the program, as announced
by Secretary Gage, to requite the bank
Ing corporations by retiring the green
backs and Sherman treasury notes, and
increasing the interest bearing debt $780,,
900 for their exclusive benefit. The
prosperity which was promised was pros
perity to these special interests, and not
to the people at large. The people have
not realized 1t, and while legislation is for
the classes instead of the masses, they
never will. It is to further the ends of
those who do not produce but absorb
wealth, and legislation in whose behalf
Is rapidly segregating society into the few
very rich and the very many poor, that
Speaker Reed arbitrarily refuses to permit
the national house of representatives to
legislate. and denies to the American peo-
pie the representation in the government
to which they are entitled by the funda-
mental law.
We point to the fact that the claims of
the democratic party in the last campaign
have proven true, and that the claims
made by the republican party have proven
false, and not one of the pledges made
by that party has been fulfilled. The cit
izen was urged to vote for Mckinley and
prosperity; confidence was to be restored
the mills were to open up; unemployed
men would find work; the farmer would
find profitable market for his products.
All these and more were promised to take
place as soon as 1t should be known that
Mckinley was elected. Months have
passed since that event, and instead Of the
fulfllment of these promises. prosperity
has not made its appearance; the mills
and shops are closing down; the army OF
unemployed is growing larger, and the
farmers of Iowa since his election are
marketing their products at a less price
than ever before.
We demand that the statute in operation
in Iowa for more than a generation hold
ing railroad corporations to a strict ac-
countability for negligent injury to thei1
employees shall be restored, by proper
amendment, to its original scope and In.
tent. We hold that the clause of said
law which provides that mo contract
which restricts such liability shall be
legal and binding" is emnently fair and
Just; that contracts in contravention OF
the spirit of this provision are against
public policy and should be void; and we
demand that the protection to life and
limb, embodied in this provision, shall be
fully restored, In order that corporations
engaged in the operation of railways shall
not be allowed by insurance contracts OF
otherwise to escape liability for their acts
Of negligence, or shift this just response
btlity upon the shoulders of their en-
ployes We hold that any other rule is
an inducement to negligence and sets 8
premium on wrong-doing.
We reaffirm the position of the dem.
ocratic party in this state in demanding
that our state institutions be governed by
n s1,a board Of control, which car
5 wants and economically and Justly appor.
, ton among the whole that which thetl
3nst needs demand; thus doing away with
for appropriations and contests for prefer.
: meut carried on by the officials Of the
several institutions before each legisla.
ture.
We denounce the scandalous looting OF
the state treasury recently brought tc
nght. whereby an army Of unnecessary
upon the state, and other extravaganees
r whereby the rate OF taxation has beer
r 100000 has been incurred, while thss
ability Of the people to pay taxes has been
We denounce the republican party in
Iowa for resorting to the last refuge Of
passing the anti1fuson act sed Denying thu ~
right Of tho majority to rule
We denounce the republican party q,
! Iowa Tor enacting and maintaining a law
that permits the state printer and state
work done, thus robbing the peonIe
through unjust taxation.
We demand that no state officer whose
duty 1t is to pass upon questions pertain.
ing to the insurance, building and loan
banking or other corporate business shat
hold any official position or own any STOCK
: In any such corporation.
We favor such legislation as will relieve
the people of Iowa from the extortions
y practiced by school book monopolies.
We point to the defeat of a measure IF
\ reform the taxation laws applying to pub
lie corporations in such manner as tc
place upon them fair proportion Of ths