Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-07-13
STATE PLATFORM OF 1898.

The Peoples Party of Minnesota, as
sembled in its 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 reafirms
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 emphasize the demand
of the party for that fundamental rin-
ciple of self-government, direct legis-
lation, 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 80, of
the State Constitution, whereby the
people at the last election y a vote
OF ten to one placed upon the tax rolls
Of the state over 5000, 900 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.
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 a 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-
joice in the patriotism of our young
men who have volunteered in the bat
tie of freedom for Cuba.
".
We earnestly call the attention of
the people Of Minnesota to the fact
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, timber and iron
ore in the world, a vast domain of
this natural wealth being given to the
state for the support of it's govern
ment and public schools, the state now
awakes to the startling fact that, after
forty Years Of uninterrupted republican
mis-rule, onr-ha lf of it's tillable area
has been given to favored railway
companies, its state pine lands have
been plundered or frittered away for a
triae Of their value, the vast stores of
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 ore
syndicates owns, controls and oper~
ates the state government in nearly
every branch and today defes the peo-
pie to regain possession of their own.
V.
We demand the dethronement of this
corrupt and powerful political ma
chine operating within the republican
party of Minnesota. and we call upon
every patriotic citizen, regardless Of
party, to join in the common battle to
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 it's future stability and greatness.
vi.
We demand the restoration to the