Hutchinson gazette., 1900-05-03
THE PLATFoRM.

Z We, the representatives Of the peo-
ple's party of the State Of Kansas, in
convention assembled, realllrm and en-
dorse the declaration Of human rights
embodied In the platform adopted by
the peoples party convention in ST.
Louis In 1896.
Believing that genuine democratic
government Is impossible until the
people have the power to initiate legis-
|1ation and to compel submission Of
Legislation enacted by the representa-
tives to popular vote, we declare in
favor of the initiative and referendum.
We condemn the financial legislation
enacted by the party in power in the
present Congress which has given to
the national banks a complete monop-
oily of the currency of the country;
which instead Of providing sound and
stable money, gives us merely an eX-
tension Of national bank credits, which
can have no other result, save undue
Initiation, causing first speculation, then
contraction, followed by disaster to the
business and industrial interests of the
country, And we declare that the
creating and issuing Of money Is an
exclusive governmental function which
should never be delegated to individ.
uals or corporations, We are there
fore opposed to banks of issue and de-
mand that the paper money of the
country shall consist Of full legal ten
der government issue only.
We demand the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver and gold at the ratio
of 16 to /.
The enormous growth of the combi-
nations Of capital known as trusts,
whereby the control Of the means of
and distribution are cen
tered in the hands of a few favored in
divlduals, presents a condition which |
is a menace to free government, The
republican party has had absolute con.
troll OF the government for the past
four years but has utterly failed to pre-
sent a remedy for these evils and we
charge that the leaders of the party
are dominated and controlled by the
trust interests of the country, We
believe that the practical solution of
the trust problem lies in the direction
of more extended application of the
of government ownership.
We therefore demand government
ownership of all public utilities in our
cities, the State and the nation. We
further demand the abolishment Of
al special privileges given to capital,
including protective duties on articles
manufactured and used by trusts or
combinations in restraint of trade and
ieclare that when any business be-
'omes q monopoly that 1t should be
aiken out of the control Of private in
lividuals and be owned and operated
" the government, and we favor such
to the State and national
constitutions as will place the COM
'lete control of all such combinations .
4 capital In restraint of trade in the
lands Of Congress and tie legislat- !
Tres of the several States.
We are in f"vor of direct instead of :
Indirect taxation to the end that labor {
nay be lightly burdened and that our
overnment may be more economic
lily administered.
We demand such changes in our con. 0
titution as will within the limitation c
rescribed by the Supreme Court of y
1e United States insNre to the people r
graduated income tax. o
We favor the election Of the United
tates senators and the federal judic-
Try by direct vote of the people. p
We reafllrm the immortal principles X
In the declaration of indie
sndence and call attention to the re- 2