Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-07-12
NATIONAL PLArroRM.

P0PULIST NATIONAL PLATFORM.
The Peoples party. assembled in nations
convention. reatfirms its allegiance to the
| principles declared by the founders OF the 70
public, and also to the fundamental principles
| of Just government, as enunciated In the plat.
| form OF the party in 1892 We recognize that
/ through the cOnniyance or the present and
preceding administrations the country ha.
reached crisis in its national life as predicted
| in our declaration four years ago, and that
] prompt and patriotic action is the supreme
/ have political independencee, our finanoia
| and industrial indies endence is yet to be at
| tanned by restoring to our country the consti-
| tutional control and exercise of the functions
| necessary to a PEOPLES government, which
| functions have been basely surrendered by
our pn r Servant, servants to corporate monopo-
| changers has been more potent In shaping
| legislation than the voice of the American
have been used to corrupt our Legislature
and defeat the will of the people. and plutoc-
racy has thereby been enthroned upon the
ment intended by the fathers. and for the well
| fare of this and future generations, we demand
the establishment of an economic and finan-
cial ystem. which shall make masters OF
our own affairs and independent of European
control, by the adoption of the following dco-
laration of principles:
| FINANCE.
First We demand national money safe
| and sound. issued by the general government
| only, without the intervention of banks of is-
sue to be a full legal tender for all debts pub
| lie and private-a just, equitable and efncient
means of distribution direct to the people and
| through the lawful disbursements of the gov
| eminent.
Second-we demand the free and uure.
stricted coinage of silver and gold at the pres
ent legal ratio of sixteen to one, without wait
| ing for the consent of foreign nations.
Third-We demand that the volume of cir
! culating medium be speedily increased to an
\ amount sufficient to meet the demands OF the
business and population of this country and
| TO restore the just level of prices of labor and
| Fourth-We denounce the sale of bonds ana
| the increase of the public interest bearing
| debt made by the present administration as
| unnecessary ana without authority of Iaw,and
that no more bonds be issued except by spe-
| cifc act of congress. i :; = -
Fffth-We demand such legislation will
| prevent the decentralization of the lawful
money OF the UGited States by private con-
| tract.
payment OF its obligations, shall use its option
as to the kind of lawful money in which they
are to be paid. and we denounce the present
and preceding administrations for surrender
| ing ths option TO the holders of government
Obligations.
Seventh-we demand graduated income
| tax to the end that aggregated wealth shall
bear its just proportion of taxation, and we
| regard the recent decision of tie supreme
court relative To the income tax law as a mis-
Interpretation of the constitution and an in
vasion of the rightful powers of congress over
the subject of taxation.
Eighth-we demand that postal savings
banks be established by the government for
the safe deposit OF the savings of the peopl
and 10 facilitate exchange.
TRANSFORMATION.
First-Transportation being means of ex.
change and Il necessity, the governmentshouli
own and operate the railroads in the interest
or the people and on non-partisan basis: to
the end that all may be accorded the same
treatment III transportation and that the
tyranny ana political power now exercised by
the great railroad corporations. which result
in the impairment, If not the destruction of
the political rights and personal liberties of
m ha Iact
ship is TO be accomplished gradually in a man
ner consistent with sound public policy.
Second-The interest of the United States i'm
the public highways built with public moneys
and the proceeds of extensive grants of land
to the Paciiic 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 defaultiu
payment thereof by the debtor companies and
at the foreclosure sales of said roads the gov
ernment should purchase the same III il be-
comes necessary to protect its interests there
in. or If they can be purchased at q reasonable
price, and the government shall operate said
railroads as public highways for the benefit Of
the whole people and not in the interest of tina
few, under suitable provisions for protection
OF life and property. giving to all transporter
ton interests equal privileges and equal rates
for fares and freights.
Ihird-We denounce the present infamous
schemes for refunding these debts and de-
niand that the laws now applicable thereto he
executed and administered according to their
true intent and spirit.
Fourth-The telegraph like tho most Office
system, being a necessity for the transmission
OF news. should be owned and operated by
the government in the interests OF the people.
First-the true policy demands that the na-
uona snd state legislation shall be such AZ
VIII uLpinasei enable every prudent and in
dustrle,tfs citizen to secure home and there-
tore the land should not be moRopoized for
speculative purposes. All lands now held by
railroads and other corporations in excess Of
tDeif actual needs should nv lawful h.
reclaimed by the government and held for ac-
tuaI settlers only, and pri Tate land monopoly.
tied. no H'0o
Second-We condemn the frauds by which
the iand grants to Pacific railroad Companies
nave, through the connivance of the interior
department, robbed multitudes of actual bona
hde settlers of their homes and miners OF their
clainis, and we demand legislation by congress
which will enforce the exemption OF mineral
laid from such grants, after as well as before
patent
Third-We demand that all bona f,de .e,tl.-.
on all public lands be granted free homes a.
provided IN the national homestead law and
that no exception be made in the case OF In.
dlan reservations when opened for settlement,
ana ana Inat all lands now patented come under
Fourth-Direct Legislation: We favor n
system OF direct legislation through the initis
I'VE AID referendum under proper constitu
GENERAL PROPOSITIONS.
f1rst-We demand the election Of president
vice president and United States Senators nv =
direct vote of the people.
Second-Ne tender to the patriotic naomi. -
CuDa our deepest sympathy in their struggle
Tor political freedom and Independence and
we DeheYe the time has come when the United
states, the great republic of the world, SHOULD
recognize that Cuba is, and of right ought to
DE: a Tree and independent state
Ihlrd-We favor home rule in the territories
ana the District of ColumbIa and the earIy ad-
mIsslono OF the territories as states
Fourth-All public salaries should be msds
70 correspond to the price of laborand its pro-
ducts. 80 Pio
oFifth-ln these times of industrial depre.
sion idle labor should be employed on piIbiis
WORKS as far as practicable.
Slxth-The arbitrary course of the courts 4,
assuming to imprison citizens for indirect con.
tempt ana ruling them by Injunction should
be prevented by proper legislation
SeveDth-We favor just pensions for every
disabled Union soldier.
Misunderstanding that the elective franchise
ana untrammeled ballot are essential to row
eminent OF, for and by the people the PeopIes
party condemns the wholesale system of dis-
reimbursement adopted in some of the states
as un-repubiican and un-democratic aud VA
declare Ii to be the duty of the several sfatss,
legislatures to take such action as will secure
a full,free and fair ballot and an honest count
Nintb-While the foregoing propositions con-
stituie the Platform upon which our party
STANDS. and for the vIndication of which its or
ganlzatlon will be maintained, we recognize
that the great aud pressing issue of the pend
ing campaign upon which the present nresi.
denfJai election will turn is the financial nua..
ton, and upon this nd epacif;o -.