Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-10-01
Peoples Party Platform.


First-we reaffirm the principles OF the Peo-
pies party as declared in our last national
platform.
Second-We demand the initiative end ref
erendum as necessary to secure needed legis-
lation in the Interests of the labOrer and pro-
Queer and to reform existing abuses.
Third-We demand the enactment of a pri-
mary election law, which Will secure fair eX-
preston by the voters Of ali political parties
in the selection of candidates for county and
other offices.
Fourth-We approve and endorse the dec
laratious Of the democratic state platform up
on the subjects of trusts, railway commission,
taxation OF corporations, ownership by the cit
les OF their public utilities. discriminating
freight rates and free transportation Of per-
sons. government ownership OF railroads, d.
rect legislation, minority representation, also
it's declaration with respect to Cuba and the
Philippine islands.
tifth-W rejoice over the practically unani-
nous adoption of the initiative and referen-
DUN amendment TO the constitution of the
state OF Oregon, which was endorsed by
all parties. at the recent election there.
Sixth-We denounce the repu bllcan party
for its suDserviency to trusts and combines,
its maintenance of an unnecessary and bur-
densOme tariff on trust-made goods and for it's
refusal TO afford promised relief to Cuba, by
reducing the enormous duty charges on sugar
the chief product Of that island.
Seventh-We denounce the election law en-
acted by the republicans as masterpiece OF
injustice and an abuse of power for partisan
purposes unparalleled in our history.
1t deprives any party of the right to noml-
nate the candidates of its choice, where such
candidates have been previously nominated
by any other party. 1t puts premium on ig-
nOrance and blind devotion to party, and in
every way harnesses the independent voter in
the exercise of his franchise. 1t renders it
more difficult for the voter to express his pref
erence and seeks to disfranchise to as great
an extent as possible, the opposition to the
party in power. 1t pervelts the Australian
ballot law to an instrument of oppression and
puts countless obstacles in the way of an hon.
est ballot and d fair count.
The liberty of the people is not only menac-
ed bat overthrown by such q perversion of
the election law; and until this Infamous law
can be wiped from our statutes we are depriy-
ed OF our equal rights under the laws, in plain
violation OF the provisions of our constitution.
E19hJh-Ihe failure or the reDu blican party
to fulfill its pledge to give Us railroad COM
mission elcctrdby people may explain the omis-
sion to make any allGSiOn to state issues in it's
| late st platform.
Ninth-We denOunce the extravaganza and
partiSanShip of the last republican legislature,
whose appropriations were hundreds of thou.
| SANDS OF dollars larger than ever before, and
which in all things made the Interests of the
| people subsery1eut to the interests of the re-
publican machine.
Tenuh-It appears to us that the people s
money has been sQuandered IN providing for
a tax commission which has drawn up bill
| taking the assessment of property out of the
hands of officers elected by the people and
putting it into the hands OF high -salaried set
| of appointed officials.
EieVenth-We demand that railroad proper
/ ty shall be assessed at as high rate as the
! property Of natural citizens. We call atten-
| riOn to an increase of millions of dollars in
railroad charges since the railroad law enact.
ed by the last populist Legislature was wiped
out by republican partsans on the bench.
Twelfth-We favor graduated taxation
state insurance and reduction of the eXtrav-
agant expenditures for state printing, by the
establishment Of printing plant owned by
! the state.
| Thirteenth-We regard the continuous and
| persistent effort of the American Book Com
pany, through the connivence and subservien
cy of certain officials and of the agents and
employees of that school book trust, to destroy
| our text book law, as the most dangerous and
| corTupting influence perry aiding this state as il
| attempts TO destroy the usefulness of our e4
| cellent school system; and we demand of the
next legislature rigid examination of its
methods and an exposure of its acts and of the
| officials it has corrupted and is using to &C
| cOmpliSh its purpose.
| Fourteen th-Reaizng that all political re
form is initiated by the independent voter
and that all footing of the public treasury anG
| official boodling are carried on by the parti
san, we denounce w. j. Bailey, the republican
| nominee for governor, for his Oft-repeateC
statement that THE independent voter is
bushWbacker''
Fifteenth-We congratulate the people O
! the state upon the record Of Mayor W. II
| CraddOck, of Kansas City, Kansas, in his eff
| forts to secure equitable basis of taxation
ter the public corporation Of his city.
Sixteenth-Tbe course of Senator w. A
Harris in our uaJiOral legislature command
the hearty approval of every honest and fair
minded citizen, regardless of party utilization
| and we edge ourselves to do all in our powe
to secure his reelection to the position b.
| now adOrnS.
ed:
Resolved, too. That we sincerely mourn tn,
| death of President Mckinley and denounc
| the assassination as one of the most mon
| StrOuS crimes in history.
Resolved, That we demand the stampin
out by wise legislation OF the whole viperOu
! brood of murderOus anarchists in the Unite
States.