Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-08-29
poruIrsr NATIONAL pLArroRn.

PoPULlsT NATIONAL platform.
The Peoples party of the United States
in Convention assembled, congra tulatiug its
supporters on the wide extension of its prfn-
cfples in all directions, does hereby reafBrm
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
imperialistic power. to unite with il in bring
ing the government back to tho ideals OF
Washington. jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln.
1t extends to its allies in the struggle for the
financial and enconomic freedom assurance
of its loyalty to the principles which ami
mate the allied forces and the promise OF
honest and hearty cooperation In every effort
for their success. To the people of,he 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 long
series of conspiracies to deprive the people
OF their constitutional rights over tho money
of the nation and relegate to a gigantic mon
ey trust the control of the finances, and, hence
of the people. We denounce this act, first,
Tor making all money obligations. domestic
and 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 to make their payment improb
able abb and our debt perpetual; third: for tax
Ing from the treasury over $50,000,000 in q
time of war and presenting IL at q pre- MUM
to bondholders to accomplish the re funding
OF bonds not due; fourth, for doubling tho
capital of bankers by returning to them the
face va hue of their bonds in current money
notes. so that they may draw one in tercst
"a N mi and mn has fU<rVwx h.
people; NTH, for allowing banks to expand
and contract their circulation at pleasure,
for authorizing the secretary of the treasury
to issue new gold bonds to an unlimited
amount whenever he deems II necessary to re-
plentsh the gold hoard, thus enabling usurers
to secure more bonds and more bank curren-
cy by drawing gold from the treasury, tn ere
by creating an"endless oh ain, or perpetualiy
adding to perpetual debt; seventh, for
striking down the greenback in order to force
the people to borrow $346 100000 from the
While barring out the money of the constitu-
ton, this law opens the printng mints Of the
treasury to the free coinage of bank paper
money, to enrich the few and i'm pOverish the
many. Wc pledge anew the Peoples party,
never to cease the agitation until this eighth
ute books, and Lincoln green back restored.
the bonds all paid and all corporation money
forever retired.
We reafhrm the demand for the reopen
ing OF the mints of the United States to the
free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold
lie
mediate increase in the volume of silver coins
and certihcates 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 IA,
1900, and prior national banking laws the re-
naming portion of the bank notes to be r..
placed with full legal tender government pa
per money and its volume so controlled as to
maintain at all times stable money market
and stable price level.
We demand graduated income and in.
her1tance 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
cilitate exchange.
With Thomas Jefferson. we declare tho
| land, including all natural sources of wealth
the inalienabie 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 a public necessity, the government
interest of the people and on a non partisan
basis. to the end that all may be accorded tho
same treatment in transportation and that
the extortlon, tyranny, and political power
now exercised by the great railroad corpora
tons, which result in the impairment, If not
sne OF ft the rights and per
ed Such ownership 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-
nation; which instruments of commerce arc
public functions and which our forefashers
declared in the constitution should be con-
| for the public welfare. The one remedy for
the trusts Is that the ownership and control
De assumed and exercised exc by the people. We
trOlled by a 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
fuenced We therefore, demand direct legis-
lation, giving the people the law-making and
veto power under the initiative aud referen-
dunn. majority of the people can never DO
corruptiy influenced.
| Applauding the valor of our army md
navy in the Spanish war, we denounce the
conduct of the administration in changing a
war FOR humanity into war for conquest.
The action of the administration in tho Philip
pines is in conflict with all the presidents OF
our natippelgtifa, at war with the declaration
plain pressI z IL humanity. MUIR der and t aT.
son have been our response TO the appeals OF
the people. who asked only to establlah q free
stoppage OF this war of determination, by the
assurance to the Philippines of Independence
and protection under q stable government of
their own creation.
The declaration of independence, the con-
stitution and the American flag are one and
nseparabe. The Leland of Porto Rico Is n
part of the territory of the United States and
by levying special and extraordinary customs
dues on the commerce of that island, the ad.
minlstratiOn has violated the constitution
abandoned the fundamental prfncipIes Of
American liberty and has striven to give the
lie to the contention OF our forefathers that
there should be no taxation without rep
resentation.
Out of the Imperialism which would force
an undesirable domination on the people OF
in fha Avr.a
| for a large standing army. Nothing IN the
character or purposes OF our people justifios
us in ignoring the plain lesson of history and
putting our liberties In jeopardy By as
Stunning the burden of miliiarism. which
| Is crushing the people of the old world Wa
denounce the administration tor its SIMS
| ter efforts to substitute standing srmy
| for the citizen soIdiery which is the best
safeguard for the republic.
We extend to the brave Beers of South Az.
| RIGA our sympathy and moral support in their
patriotic struggle tor the right of self govern.
menr. We are unalterably opposed to alIianc-
es, open covert, between the United
States and any other nation, that tend to the
destruction OF human liberty.
And q further manifestation of Imperial.
ism is to be found in the mining districts OF
Idaho. In the Occur d. Alene district soldier2
have been used to OyeraWe miners etriyiu6
for a measure OF Industrial Independence and.
we denounce the state government Of Idaho
and the federal government to abrida6
| the civil rights OF the DeODe and tn enfor<x