Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-08-03
STATE PLATFORM OF 1893.

The Peoples Party of Minnesota, as
semb)ed in it's fourth state convention,
points with pride to the progressive
and courageous stand which it has
ever taken on the great economic and
political questions forced upon the ma
tion by social progress, and readirms
the national and state platforms of
1892, 1894 and 1896 as the embodiment
o: the highest ideals of political faith,
hope, justice and progress of the time,
resting, as they do, upon the cardinal
principle of the federal constitution
that it is the prime function of the
government to promote the general
welfare, and upon the fund amental
doctrine of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, that to secure to all the
rights to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness governments are institu-
ted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned.
We specially empha size the demand
of the party for that fundamental riu-
ciple of self-government, direct legis-
laIion, as embodied in the initiative
and referendum; and as showing it's
value and practicability we point to
the recent notable victory of the peo-
pie of Minnesota under the operations
of the one referendum of the state pro-
vided for in Article 4, section 81, of
the State Constitution, whereby the
people at the last election. by vote
of ten to one placed upon the tax rolls
of the state over 100000 acres of
hitherto tax exempt railway lands.
We point to the fact that the position
thus taken by the voters of Minnesota
was sustained by the supreme court
as valid, in spite of the opposite posi-
ton held by the corporation attorneys
of three republican legislatures; and
we further point to the fact that, with
out the solid vote of every populist
legislator present and voting. this
righteous measure would never have
been submitted to the voters of the
state.
II.
We further emphasize as one of the
great needs of the hour, the recogni-
ton of the principle of government
ownership and operation, and we spe-
cially commend it to the municipali-
ties of Minnesota as highway out OF
the system Of corruption and corpor-
ate control which recently has so de.
moralized and retarded the prosperity
of our cities.
We heartily sympathize with the op.
pressed people OF Cuba in their strug.
gle for self-government and with graf.
itude and pride we commend and re.
j6ice in the patriotism, of our young
men who have volunteered in the bat.
tie of freedom for Cuba.
Nv.
We earnestly call the attention o.
the people of Minnesota to the fac,
that the state is confronted with one
of the most serious conditions in the
history of this or any other common
wealth. Blest by nature with one
of the richest and most extensive
tracts of fertile soil, tim Der and iror
ore in the world, a vast domain O.
this natural wealth being given to the
state for the support of it's govern
ment and public schools, the state nov
awakes to the startling fact that, afte1
forty years of uninterrupted republican
mis-rule, one-half of it's tillable are.
has been given to favored railway
companies, it's state pine lands have
been plundered or frittered away for {
tritle of their value, the vast stores O
ore in it's two great iron ranges have
passed into the hands of two gigantic
foreign syndicates, and that a politi
cal combination of these favored rail
roads, pine-land thieves and iron orr
syndicates owns, controls and oper
ates the state government in nearly
every branch and today defies the PEG
pie to regain possession of their own.
| V. r
We demand the dethronement of thi.
corrupt and powerful political ma
chine operating within the republican
party of Minnesota. and we call upol
every patriotic citizen, regardless o
party, to join in the common battle tt
this end, as a civic duty in the inter
ests of the states industry, trade, la
Dor, it's common schools, it's ballot
and its future stability and greatness
vi.
/ We demand the restoration to tn,
4 state of all the valuable lands and 9th
er resources taken from it by deeds o
fraud and crime.
- @. VII.
| We demand the lust and equal taxa