The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-03-24
riii securs . full, free and fasr hei,os md

Eili seenp full free and fat1 ballot and
IN honest count
Q. While the foregoing propositions con-
ssitote the platform upon which our party
sands and for the vindiczsion Of which il
organization viii maintain, re recognise
TIA; the gres: and pressing sssae Of the
pending campaign upon which the present
Presidential election viii turn In the Gnass-
cal question. and upoa this great and spe-
cifc isxne between the parties, We cordially
invite the aid and cooperation of AL ogxnn-
lzations and citizens agreeing With Us upon
this vital question
PEOPLES Panty ,TArk PLATFORM.
The Peoples Party platform Of North Car
olina. in Convention assembled o. Raleigh,
on the bah day Of August, Isaa ,ereby re-
atfirms It's unqualified allegiance b, the pm
ciplss of the party and hereby syproves the
platform OF the Peoples Party adopted st its
National convention held IL the city OF ST.
Louis, July 2, i16.
THE ELECTION LAW
We hereby resftlE I'm our liked determine /
ton TO support and maintain q free ballot |
and a fair count in all elections held in |
North Carolina; and the election Law passei |
by the General Assembly Of 1896 meets our !
hearty endorsement and approval: and We |
hereby pledge the Peoples Party TO the pol |
icy of uphoIding the principle OF free and
honest elections provided for in raid election
the threats which have been made 10 repeal
the same.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The act of the last General Assembly re-
storing the right OF local self-government
by the election OF their county commission
ers and justices of the peace by the vote OF
| the people in the respective counties. and
| safe-guai DIS therein provided. meets with our
| hearty approval, and We pledge the Peoples
| ,,xta.
| nance of that legislation, and warn the
voters Of the necessity of preventing inlur-
| iOds changes in that act. and of the danger
/ of eiecting members of the General Assem-
| sembly hostile thereto.
LEGAL TENDER MONEY.
We favor the exercise by the State OF
| North Carolina of the reserved constitution
al power to make all gold and silver coins OF
the United States 0ncluding the trade dol
lar a legal tender for the payment of debts,
and that this right be inforoed by the pass
age of an appropriate act by the General
Assembly.
GOLD NOTES AND MORTGAGES.
i We believe that all money demands should
be payable III the lawful money of the Uni
ted States without preference or discrimina-
ton, and therefore favor the passage by the
General Assembly of a law to prohibit the
taking or giving of gold notes. bonds and
all money demands solvahle in any kind of
lawful money of the United States.
INTEREST.
We pledge ourselves to maintain the six
I, per cent interest Law enacted by the last
General Assembly.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The action of the Peoples Party members
e of the last General Assembly has demon
strated, beyond question, that the Peoples
Party has been true to its antecedent plat
e form declarations in favor of public educa
: ton. We demand still further improving
f and broadening the public school system OF
r the State as rapidly as a proper regard fol
the interests of the tax PAYERS and the re
D sources of the State will permit. We also
4 favor such revision of our present schoo
: system as may increase the efficiency of eul
public schools and insure the most compe
4 tent and effective supervision. We think
: that the committee on education of the mex
o General Assembly should invite and secure
as far as possible, the cooperation of tn,
q leading teachers and educators of the Stat,
{ in framing and perfecting the school law.
i JUDICIARY.
Our judiciary should be lifted above tn
= plane of partisan politics.
d REFORMATORY FOR YOUNG CRIMINALS.
IS We favor the establishment of State in
" stitution for the reformation of youn;
~ criminals.
u, DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS CON
= DEMNED.
e condemn the Democratic administra
/! toi. n North Carolina for its failure to exc
= cute the antitrust laws of the State now OF
n our statute books, and call the attention o
e the people to the fact that official action il
u this regard is in harmony with the ultr
S anti trust sentiment heretofore and now be
ing expressed by the leaders of the Dem O
o cratic party.
II RAILROADS.
% We Fsvor the establishment
# able aid low freight rates and charges TO
e produces shipped from North Carolina a
\ will enable shippers and producers to realiz
at least fair remuneration after costs o
20 suCn shipments have been deducted
20 We call especial attention to the possibil
le ties OF the trucking industry in Easter
Moth Carolina, an industry which, but 70
the extortionate tariffs of the common cal
rier, would increase an hundred told carry
K ing with it the greatest prosperity to tina
D. highly favored section it has ever known.
IS Ne earnestly recommend to our Stat
+ RaldrOad Commission that they use all tn
C. powers they have to bring about such redu(
a, tons; and especially that they urge befor
al the Inter State Commerce Commission a
III complaints OF extortlon and discriminate
T, with such vigor and continuity that shoul
al they fail to secure remedial action by th
~, | 1uteI-oldLc OluHlSStOQ, all tn
oe people would know where TO place the r,
D. sponsibility for existing outrages; and
their facilities for lighting the battles of th
lie people before the Interstate CommerC
$, Com mission are inadequate for that purpos,
III that they make recommendations to th
q, General Assembly of amendments to exis
10 ing laws, to the end that low and eairer rate
o. may be established, both III the State an
IS. Interstate Jurisdictions.
II Resolved, That we recommend cOnStitu
d. tional prohibition of the purchase, lease {
ne rental OF parallel or competing railwa
re lines.
rvI FREE PASSES.
IN We favor a law forbidding the giving {
ne free passes to public officials, and forbit
as ding their receiving the same.
le NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD LEASE.
r. We condemn the lease of the North Car,
q lima Railroad to the Southern RailWa
al Company for nlnety-nine years, not onl
as bad business transaction in which th
rs interest OF the State amounting to the lars
L. sum of 50 OO0, 900 invested in good pawn
to property yielding an income were sacrificed
to but we also, in most emphatic terms col
denim the hasty and secret manner in whic
"a 1t was done several years before the formt
IN thirty years lease, by its terms, would hay
Nv expired. We call the attention of the pc,
pie of the State to the fact that some mystic
lOuS power has prevented an investigate
. through the proper legal channels, of tt
.. TRANSACTION, which was so universally CO
% demned by the press of the state and a
~ classes OF our CT liens, when it first becan
~ known. We therefore demand that tt
" next General Assembly fully investiga
II TINS transaction, and to the end that tt
~ ~ interest of the State may be fully protecte
d as far as it can be done, sucn legislati,
Il, action shall be taken as to counteract, as f,
O. as possible, this unwise and secret tran