Willmar tribune., 1900-05-23
PEOPLES NATIONAL PLATFORM.
ADOPTED AT SIOUX FALLS. MAY ~.

convention assembled, congratulatng its sup
porters upon the wide extension of the princi-
pies in all directions. does hereby reaf1irm it's
adherence to the fundamental principles pro-
claimed in it's two prior platforms and calls
upon all who desire to avert the subversion
of free institutions by corporate and imperial
istic power to unite with it in bringing the gov
ernment back to the ideals Of Washington, Jef-
ferson and Lincoln.
It extends to its allies in the struggle for f.
nancial and economic freedom assurar ces of
it's loyalty to the principles which animate the
allied forces and the promise of honest and
hearty cooperation in every effort for their
success.
To the people of the United States we offer
the following platform as the expression of our
unalterable convictions:
MONEY.
Resolved, That we denounce the act of Mar
IA, 1900, as the elimination of long series of
cOnSpiracieS to deprive the people of their
constitutional rights over the money of the
nation and delegate to gigantic money trust
the control Of the purse and hence of the peo-
pie. We denounce this act:
First. for making all money obligations, DOM
este or foreign, payable in gold coin or its
equivalent, thus enormously increasing the
burdens of the debtors and enriching the cred
itOrs.
Second, for refundng "coin'' bonds not to
mature for years into long time gold bonds so
as to make their payment improbable and our
debt perpetual
Third, for taking from the treasury over $780,
0OD, ,OOO in time of and presenting it as a
premium to OOnd holders to accomplish the re-
funding of bonds not due.
Fourth, for doubling the capital of the bank
ers by returning to them the face value of their
h<o T thslff hoV
draw one interest from the government and
another from the people.
Fifth, for allowing banks to expand and con-
tract their circulation at pleasure, thus con-
trolling prices of all products.
Sixth, for authorizing the secretary of the
treasury to issue new gold bonds to an unlimi-
ted amount whenever he deems it necessary
to repensh the gold hoard. thus enabling uSu-
rers to secure more bonds and more bank cur
rency by drawing gold from the treasury. there
by creating an "endleSS chain" for perpetually
adding to perpetual debt.
Seventh. for striking down the greenback in
order to force the people to borrow 1916 900, 900
more from the banks, ut an annual cost OF over
100000
While barring out the money of the constitu-
tion, this law opens the printing mints of the
treasury to the free coinage of bank paper
money, to enrich the few and lmpoverish the
many.
We plSuSC ducW InS peOpIc ptIIIJ never W
cease the agitation until this eighth financial
conspiracy is blotted from the statute books,
the Lincoln greenback re stored, the bonds all
paid and all corporation money foreXer retired
We reafirm the demand for the re-opening
of the mints of the United States to the free
and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of Is to /, the immediate in
crease in the value of silver coins and certii-
Gates thus created to be be substituted, dol
lar for dollar, for the bank notes issued by pri-
vate corpol ations under special privileges
granted by law of March II, 1900, and prior to
national banking laws, the remaining portion
of the bank notes to be replaced with full le-
gal tender government paper money and it's
volume to be so controlled as to maintain at
all times stable money market and stable
price level.
INCOME TAX.
We demand graduated income and inheri-
tance tax, to the end that aggregated wealth
shall bear its just proportion of taxation.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS.
We demand that postal savings banks be es-
tablshed by the government for the safe de-
posit of the savings of the people and to facil-
itate exchange.
LAND MONOPOLY.
With Thomas Jefferson we declare that the
land including all natural sources of wealth the
inalienable heritage of the people Govern
ment should so act as to secure homes for the
people and prevent land monopoly. The orig
inal homestead policy should. be enforced and
future settlers upon the public domain should
be entitled to free homestead while all who
have paid an acreage price to the government
under existing laws should have their home
stead rights restored.
49,. ..~- TRANSPORTATION.
Transportation being means of exchange
and public necessity, the government should
own and operate the railroads in the interests
Of the people and on non.partisan basis, to