Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-06-06
poPuL1sr NATIONAL PLATFORM.

ciples in all directions, does hereby reafirm
its adherence to the fundamental principles
proclaimed in its two prior platforms and
calls upon all who desire to avert the sub
version OF free institutions by corporate and
| imperlalistic power, to unite with it in bring
ing the government back to the ideals of
washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln.
Ii extends to its allies in the struggle for the
financial and enconomic freedom assurance
OF It's loyalty to the principles which ami
| mate the allied forces and the promise of
| honest and hearty cooperation in every effort
| 1or their success. To the people of the Unit
ed States we offer this platform as the express
sion OF our unalterable convictions
Resolved, That we denounce the act of
March IA. 1900, as the elimination of a long
/ series OF conspiracies to deprive the people
or their constitutional rights over the money
OF Inc nation and relegate to gigantic mon
| ey trust the control of the finances land hence
OF the people. We denounce this act, first,
for making all money obligations, domestic
anu foreign, payable in gold coin or its
| equivalent, thus enormously increasing the
burdens of the debtors and enrlching the
creditors; second, for refunding coin bonds
| not to mature for years, into longtime gold
bonds. so as 30 make their payment improb-
/
Ing from the treasury over S5O,GOO.OOO in a
| time of war and presenting if at a nre miu,n
10 oondholders to accomplish the refundine
OF bonds not due fourth, for doubling tho
capital of bankers by returning to them the
| face value of their bonos in current money
hotes, so that they may draw one in terest
from the government and another from the
people; hftli, for allowing banks to expand
ana Contract their circulation at pleasure
mus controlling prices OF all products; six th.
Iof authorizing the secretary of the treasury
10 issue new gold bonds to an unlimited
amount whenever he deems it necessary to re-
plenish the gold hoard, thus enablingiisurers
10 secure more bonds and more bankscurren-
cy by drawing gold from the treasury,s III ere
py creating an"endless chain, ''or per actually
! adding to perpetual debt; seventh for
striking down the greenback in order to force
the people to borrow S346, 0OO, 900 from the
banks, at an annual cost of over s2O. 900. 600
While barring out the money of the constitu-
ton, this law opens the printin g minis of the
treasury to the free coinage of bank paper
| money, to enrich the few and i'm poverish the
| many. We pledge anew the Peoples party
never to cease the agitation until this eighth
financial cons piracy is blotted from the stat
| ute books, and Lincoln green back restored.
forever retired.
we reafhrm the demand for the reopen-
| ing OF the minis of the United States to the
| free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold
| at the present legal ratio of 16 to l. the i'm.
| mediate increase in the volume of silver coins
and certificates thus created to be substitute
| ed, dollar for dollar, for the bank notes
issued by the private corporations under
| special privilege granted by law of March Il.
| $780, and prior national banking laws, the re-
naming portion of the bank notes to be re.
placed with full legal tender government pa-
per money and its volume so controlled as to
| maintain at all times stable money mark ct
and a stable price level.
We demand a graduated income and in
| heritance tax, to the end that aggregated
| wealth shall bear its just proportion of taxa
ton.
We demand that postal saving banks be
established by the government for the safe de-
post of the savings of the people and to ia.
! cftate exchange.
with Thomas Jefferson, we declare the
| land, including all natural sources of wealth.
the inalienable heritage of the people. The
government should so act as to secure homes
for the people and prevent land monopoly.
| The original homestead policy should be en-
forced and future settlers on the public do.
| main should be entitled to a free homestead.
while all who have paid an acreage price to
| the government under existing laws should
| have their homestead rights restored
transportation being a means of change
and public necessity, the government
| should own and operate the railroads in the
interest OF the people and on a non-partisan
basis, to the end that all may be accorded the
a Qy11n frnn
the extortion, tyranny, and political power
| now exercised by the great railroad corpora
tlons, which result in the impairment, if not
the destruction of the political rights and per-
sonal liberties of the citizen, may be destroy
ed. Such ownershi p is to be accomplished in
manner consistent with sound public policy
Trusts, the overshadowing evil of the age.
are the result and elimination OF the private
| ownership and control of the three great in.
struments of commerce-money, transporta-
t1on and the means of transmission of infor-
nation; which instruments of commerce are
public functions and which our forefathers
declared In the constitution should be con-
trolled by the people through their congress,
for the public welfare The one remedy for
the trusts is that the ownership and control
be assumed and exercised by the people, We
further demand that all tariffs on goods con-
trolled by trust should be abolished
To cope with the trust evil, the people
must act directly, without the Intervention of
representatives who may be controlled or in
hueuced. We therefore, demand direct legis-
lation, giving the people the law-making and
veto power under the initiative aud referen-
dunn. A majority of the people can never be
corruptly influenced.
Applauding the valor of our army and
navy in the Spanish war, we denounce the
conduct of the administra ton in changing a
war for humanity into war for conquest
The action of the administration in the Philip
pines is in conflict with all the precedents of
our national life, at war with the declaration
of independence, the constitution and the
plain precepts of humanity. Muir der and ar
son have been our response to the appeals of
the people, who asked only to establish a free
government In their own land We demand a
stoppage of this war of determination, by the
assurance to the Philippines of independence
and protection under a stable government of
their own creation.
The declaration of independence the con- |
stitution and the American flag are one and !
inseparable. The Island of Porto Rico is a |
part of the territory of the United States and |
by levyiDg special and extraordinary customs |
dues on the commerce of that island, the adj |