Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-09-26
roruL1sr NATIONAL PLATFORM.

PoPULIsr NATIONAL PLATFORM.
The Peoples party of the United States
in Convention assembled. congrafulating dts
supporters on the wide extension of its prin-
ciples in all directions, does hereby rcaf3rm
its adherence to the fundamental principles
proclaimed in its two prior platforms. and
3alls upon all who desire to avert the sub
version of free Institutions by corporate and
imperialistic power. to unite with il in bring
ing the government back to the ideals Of
Washington, Jefferson. jackson aud Lincoln.
1t extends to it's allies in the struggle for the
financial and cnconomic freedom assurance
Of its loyalty to the principles which AMI
mate the allied forces and the promise OF
honest and hearty cooperation ia every effort
for their success. TO the people of the Unit
ed States we offer this platform as the express
sion OF onruaalterable convictions.
Resolved, That we denouuce tho act of
March IL. 1900, as the elimination of long
series of conspiractes to deprive the people
of their constitutional rights over tho money
OF the nation and relegate to gigantic mon
ey trust the control OF tho finances. and, hence
of the people. We denounce this act. first.
for making all money obligations. domestic
and foreign, payable in gold coin or its
equivalent, thus enormously increasing the
burdens of the debtors and enrlchlng the
creditors; second. for refunding coin bonds
not to mature for years, into longtime gold
bonds. so as to make their payment improb
able aud our debt perpetual; third, for TAX
ing from the treasury over $50.000.O 200 Ia .
a. tune od War and nc presensns T. At pre- ninm
OF bonds not due; fourth, for doubling the
capital of bankers by returning TO them the
face value of their bonus in current money
from the government and another from the
people; nftli, for allowing banks to expand
and contract their circulation at pleasure.
thus controlling prices or all products; sixth.
for authorizing the secretary of the treasury
to issue new gold bonds to an unlimited
amount whenever he deems Ii necessary to re-
plenish the gold hoard, thus enabling usurera
TO secure more bonds and more bank curren-
cy by drawing gold from the treasury, there
by creating an"endless chain, or perpetuxsly
adding to perpetual debt; seventh. for
striki ng down the greenback in order to force
the people to borrow $346, 900 from the
banks. at an annual cost of over S2OOO0.O00.
While barring out the money of the ooustitu.
ton, this law opens the printing niints of the
treasury to the free coinage of bank paper
money, to enrich the few and i'm poversh the
many. We pledge anew the Peoples party.
never to cease the agitation until this eighth
financial conspiracy is blotted from the stat
ute books and Lincoln greenback restored.
the bonds all paid and all corporation meney
We reaffirm the demand for the reopen.
ing 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 i'm
mediate increase in the volume of silver coins
and certificates thus created to be substitlIt-
ed, dollar for dollar, for the bank notes
issued by the private corporations under
special privilege granted by law of March Il.
1900 and prior national banking laws. the re-
manning 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 a stable money market
and a stable price level.
tod
nerltance tax. to the end that aggregated
wealth shall bear its just proportion OF taxa
| ton.
We demand that postal saving banks ba
established by the government for the safe do
post OF the savings of the people and to Ia
cilitate exchange.
With Thomas jefferson we DECLARE fho
land, including all natural sources of wealth.
the inalienabie heritage of the people. Tho
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 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 means of change
ana a pubic necessity. the government
| should own and operate the railroads in tho
interest inter; OF the people and ON non-partsan
! same treatment in transportation and that
| the extortion, tyranny, and political power
| now exercised by the great railroad CORPORA
| tons, 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 ownership is to be accom- plished in
| a 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
| stiilments OF cOmmerce-money, Transports.
ton, ana the means of Transmission of infor-
nation: which instruments of commerce are
| public functions and which our forefathe rs
| declared in the constitution should be con.
| trolied 10y 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 eon.
trolled by Il trust should be abolished.
To cope with the trust evil, the peopIe
must act directly. without the intervention OF
representatives who may be controlled or In
nuenced. we therefore, demand direct lcgis-
lation, giving the people the law-makipr and
veto power under the Initiative aud referen.
dum. majority of the people can never b
Applaudug the valor of our army and
navy in the Spanish war, we denounce the
conduct of the administra ton in Changing =
war <or humanity into a war for cOnonesf
The action of the administration in the Phiiip-
pines is in conflict with all the precedeuts OF
of Independence. the constitution and tha
plain precelts of humanity. Muir der and Ar.
son have been our response to the appeals q
the people, who asked only to establiai a frs
governmental their own land. We deman =
stoppage of this war of determination, by ~
assurance to the Philippines of Independents
and protection under q sta bic poyernmenf ~
their own creation.
The declaration OF Independence the con.
stitutiun and the American flag are one and
inseparable. The Island of Porto Rico A n
part of the territory of the United 6tatea NJ
by levyipg special and extraordinary cueffrns
dues on the commerce of that island. the al.
ministration has violated the constjtl,sion.
abandoned the fundamental principles OF
American liberty and has striven to e1ve the
lie TO the contention of our forefatbers that
there should be NO taxation without rep-
resenration.
Out Of the Imperialism which would foroe
an undesirable domination on the people az
the philippines, springs the un A merlean OF
for large standing army. Nothing in ths
character or purposes of our people iuefffIee
us in ignoring the plain lesson of history assd
putting our liberties in jeopardy by ~.
Stunning the burden of miliiarism. whick
Is crushing the people of the old world. Wa
cenounce the administration for il sfnIs.
Ter EFFORTS to substitute a standing armv
for the citizen soldierv which is the hest
safeguard for the republic.
we extend TO the brave Beers of South AZ.
rica our sympathy and moral support in their
patriotic struggle Tor the right of self. govern.
ment. We are uhalterably opposed to ALTA no.
es, open or covert. between the United
states and any other nation, that tend to Tn
destruction of human liberty.
And a further manifestation of imperfal.
ism rs 10 be found in the mining djstrjcfa ~
Idaho. In the Occur d. Alene district eoIdIers
nave been used to oyerawe miners etriyine
for measure of industrial Independence and