Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-11-10
f0PUIIsT NATIONAL PLATFORM.

fUfGll6T NATIONAL PLATFORM.
| The Peoples party, assembled in national
convention. rtaffi ms lis aIIegiance To the
principles declared by the foun,iers of the re-
! pubic, and also to the fundamental principles
OF just government, as enuuciated IN the plat
/ form OF the party in 1892. We recognize that
throu%n the cOnniyanco OF the present and
preceding administrations the country has
reached crisis ia it's national life as predicted
I III our declaration four years ago, and tina;
promptan patriotic action is the supreme
I duty OF the hour. We realize that while VIC
have poiliic1l Independence. our finaEciaI
ana Industrial Independence is yer TO be at
talned 10y restoring To our country the consti-
tutionnl control and eX icse of the functions
nec' sSarH 10 peuDle's government, which
iuncunns have been basely surrendered By
our public. sesvalns to corporate monopo-
| lies The influence of European money
changers has been more d tent in shaufnS
LEGISLATION than the voice OF the American
people Executive power and patronage
nave been used to corrupt our lctriSal ures
ana defeat the will OF the people and piutoc-
facy has Thereby hecn enthroned upon the
ruins al democracy. To restore the govern
nent lntensed 10y the eat hers. and for the well
1are OF this and future generations, we demand
the establishment of an economic and finana
cfai system. which shall make us masters of
our own affairs and independent of Europe8n
| control. by the adoption of the following dec
l2rution Of Principles:
FINANCE.
! first we demand national money, safe
! ana sound, issued by the general government
only, without the interventi n of banks of is
sue 70 be q fuil legal tender for all debts pub
NC ana pfivatc-a just, equitable aud efficient
| means OF distribution direct to the people and
through the lawful Disbursements OF the gov
! erument.
Secoud-We demand the free AMI unre.
stncted coinage OF silver and gold the pres
| e'lt legal ratio of sixteen to one without wait
ing Tor the consent OF foreign nations.
IGird-Ne demand that the volume of cir
| cuiating medium be speedily increased to an
amount suii 10 meet he demands of the
/ business and population of this country and
tn restore the just level of prices of labor and
! Fourth-We dcuounce the sale of bonds and
! the INCREASE OF the public interest bearing
! DEBT made by the present administration as
unnecessary ana without authority of law, and
| that no more bonds be issued except by spe-
! citc net OF conv resS.
| Fifth-We demand such Legislation as will
| prevent the decentralization of the lawful
money OF the United States by private con-
tract
! Sixth-Wc demand that tho government in
/ payment OF us obligations, shall use its option
! as to the kind OF lawful money in which they
! are 10 be paiG and we denounce the present
! and preceding administrations for surrender
ing this option to the holders of government
! obligations.
SeveDth-We demand a graduated income
! tax 20 the end that aggregated wealth shall
/ bear its just proportion of taxation and we
regard the recent decision of the supreme
Coiirt ieiatiie To the income tax law as Il mis-
! Interpretation OF the consi tuition and an in
! yasion of the rightful powers of congress over
/ the subject OF taxation.
Eighth-We demand that postaI s,vipgs
! banks be established by the government for
tue sale denosit OF the savings of the peupl
! ana 20 faciitate exchange.
TRANSPORTATION.
flrst-TranspOrtation being Il IN, ans OF ex-
| change and necessity, the government should
own aud operate the railroads in the interest
! OF the people and on non-partisan basis. tn
| the end that all may be accorded the same
| treatment IN transportation aud that the
tyranny ana POLITICAL power now exercised by
| the great railroad corporations. which result
| IN me InpalrmnAt, II not the destruction. of
! the citizen, may be destroyed. Such owner
! snip is to be accomplished gradually i'm n man.
ner consistent with sound public policy
Second-Thc interest of the United States in
T the public highways built with public monevs
! and the proceeds Of extensive grants of land
to the Pa :ifc railroads. should never be alien
! ated. mortgaged or sold, but guarded and prO-
tected for The general welfare, as provided by
! the laws organizing such railroads. The fore
! closure OF existing liens of the United States
On these roads should at once follow default in
payment thereof by the debtor com panies and
az the foreclosure Gales of said roads the gov
sFllnept Shouid purchase the same il il be-
comes necessary to protect its interests there
in or II they can be purchased al q reasonable
price ana the government shall operate said
raiiroads as public highways for the bcnetif of
The whole people and not in the interest of the
lew under suitable provisions for protection
OF lfe ana property, giving TO all transDorta
non interests equal privileges and equal rates
for fares and frcighis.
Jhird-We denouncc the present Infamous
schemes for refunding these debts and do
mand that the laws now applicable thereto be
executed and administered according TO Their
true ent and spirit.
Fourth-Tde Telegraph like the most Office
system. being necessity for the transmission
of news, should lie owned and operated nv
the government in the interests of tho people,
LAND.
kirst-the true policy demands that the ma
tlo9ai and STATE legislation shall be such as
ElH ultimately enable every prudent and in
9ustrionS citizen 10 secure home. and there
FORE the land should not be monopolized for
CT 10 iR-ar
railroads and other corporations in excess of
their actual needs should by lawful means be
fecieilned by the government aud held for ac-
tual settlers only. and Pri .ate land r;onopoly
ited = s.'iP' s"0u'd NC promo
Second-We con Tenn he frauds by which
inc inc ana grants 10 Pacific railroad companies
nave, through the connivauee of the interior
department, robbed multitudes of actual bona
iihe settlers OF their homes and miners OF their
claims. and we demand legislation BIS congress
which will enforce the exemption Of mineral
iand from such grants, after as we'll as before
patent.
Third-we demand that all bona AIDE se,tlers
on aii publ lands be granted tree bones as
provided in the national homestead law and
that no exception he made in The case oS In
dian rcseFvationS when opened for settlement
this demand.
Fourih-Direct Legislation: We favor a
system OF direct legislation through the initia-
i've atG referendum under proper ccnstitu-
uonQi safeguards.
GENERAL. PROPOSITIONS.
First--We demand the election of president
Yice presidenr and United States senators by a
direct vote of the people,
second--Nc tender TO tue patriotic peol lie of
CUBA our deepest sympathy in their struggle
for political freedom and independence. and
We lcisye the tine has come VIII m the United
states. tho great republic of the world should
recognize that Cuba is, and of right ought to
be, n free and independent state.
Ihlrd-Ee favor bone rule in the territories
and the District Of Columbia and the early adj
mission of the territories IS states.
fourth--Ait public salaries should be- made
to e.ltfaspoHd 10 the price OF labor and its pro
FTftE-in these times OF Industrial depres-
sion idle labor should be employed on pubIfc
works as far as practicable.
Si3tA-Ihe arbitrary course Of the courts in
assuming 10 imprisOu citlzens for in direct con-
tempt and ruling item by Injunction should
be prevented by proper legislation.
disabled Union soldier.
Eighth sIesing that the e:ectiyefranchise
aud untrsin sneied bal OF are essential to gov
eminent OF. for and by the people the Peoples
party condemns the wholesale system of dis
francEiSemenf adopted in some of the states
as un-repuDlican and uu-democrafic. aud we
declare 1t TO he the duty of the several states
gisiatures 70 take such action will secure
fuil-fTee and fair ballot aud an honest count.
Ninfh-T hiie the foregoing propositions con
st:tute the Platform Upon which our party
stands and for the ysndcaton Of which its or |
Eanizati0n viii be maintained. we recognize
ing campaign upon which the present presi- |
DENTAL election will turn is he financial q:,es-
ton. and UPON this great and specific issue be-
tween the parft - we cordially isyite the aid (