Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-31
ACTIVE
PARTY IN WAPELLo COUNTY is.
SUES A DESCRIPTIVE LEAFLET.
GIVES TICKET AND PARTY PLATFORM
Five ottumwans on the Ticket and
Two Residents of keb Are UP for
office-Party is Making a Strong
Campaign in This County.

The socialists of Wapello county
have been more active than usual dur
ing this campaign. A circular has just
been issued giving the names OF the
candidates for the various county Of
fees and also giving the platform in
full upon which they are running. The I
candidates are as follows:
Representative-W c. Minnick,
of Ottumwa.
Sheriff-James Nevin of Keb.
Treasurer-Leroy Christie of Ottum-
wa.
Member board of supervisors-E. G.
Mathers. OF Ottumwa.
Superintendent of schools-M. G.
Morrow, of Ottumwa.
Coroner-Miles Martin, of Keb.
Surveyor--Albert Gillett, of Ottum--
wa.
The Platform.
The following is the socialist party
/ platform of Wapello County: THE
socialist party is the American ex-
preston of the international move
ment of modern wage workers
| for better food, better houses,
sufficient sleep, more leisure, more
education and more culture. Those
! who work with hand and brain are the
producers of all wealth. but as laws
are now made in the interest OF prop
| ertv and the men who own property,
the rights of the workers are ignored,
although they are in the great major
lily.
1 ELECTRICITY, steam and modern in
MENTIONS have struck the death blow
at production on small scale. Pro
ductton on the largest scale makes
monopoly a necessary condition. Mo
nopoly is here, whether we wish 1T or
not.
"The question is whether it shall
be public or private monopoly.
THE socialist party demands that
> the production of this country snall
I be taken away from the control OF
. a small number of irresponsible men
:, whose only aim is to exploit us TO the
: limit of our endurance.
..rrhe republican and the democratic
4 Iiparttes and all sorts of reformers ana
j. anti monopoly humbugs are making
= a dishonest bid for votes when they
: promise to annihilate the trusts by
y law. These parties are powerless
q against the trusts because they cannot
consistently oppose property rights OF
any kind. These rights are more sa
;, cred to them than the rights of man:
L but. alarmed by the growing strength
L of socialism, they are now trying to
e use phrases that sound soeialistic' To
j. them. vet none of them dare attack
r the only vital point in the present eco
). nomic system, the private ownership
=, of the means of production and dis
:, tribution. t
q The trust question is nationa
o question, but in state affairs also the
IT socialist party stands for every radi-
v. cal change that willebring more wealth
! more culture and more safety to thu
Z masses of the people. The socialis
II party believes in self government TO
). cities. in a. just and equitable taxa
e. ton, and in The highest development
" of a reasonable public service. We al
so demand better legislation for thu
protection OF life and limb in factories
and mines, the public ownership o
N public utilities as fact and not a.
!, hardship and misery in old age-no
y as a charity, but as right II W.
le get the political power in this stat
~ we will carry these and othe
d. social reforms.
Ne But we call attention to the fac
an that the measures we urge are IN n
- tway a cure all for the existing evils
10 nor are they all socialist institutions
1T They are to be viewed rather as mer
ne palliatives of this kind. The peopl
III should move onward to the conques
o. of all public powers, to an entif
to change of the present system for on
" which will secure to the people col
IS, lectively the blessings of our moder
is inventions and a standard of civiliza
he ton and culture hitherto unknown i
IS history.
NV with this in view the socialist pI
=, ty of Wapello county, in convention as
eu sembled. reaffirms it's allegiance TO til
oil
ng and declares it's adherence to the plat
Id form of the national socialist part
adopted at the convention III Indian
apolis and pledges itself at the pres
ent time to the following:
TO Our Demands For the Present Tim
by THAT the state legislature, the gov
ng ernor and our representatives in cor
ch gress shall take such action as is ca
oh culated to bring about the nationalizt
i'll ton of all the trusts, notably the co
We trust the meat trust, the oil trus
I, the sugar trust, the farming machinel
~ trust, and others of the same XII
1t and pay the actual value for Il
same.
THAT the state legislature, the go
ernor and our representatives in COZ
eh gress as shall take such action as w
M be calculated to bring about the III
ny tional ownership of the railroads, te
ngti egraphs, telephones, express comps
re. MES and steamship lines, and pay Il
al actual value of the same
"a THAT the state legislature, the go
Gu -, ernor and our representative in co
III gress shall take such action as W
in be calculated to enact law grant
~ every wage worker over sixty years
To tage who has earned less than $40
~ a year and has been citizen of I
United States for sixteen years
least, a pension of not less than
month for the rest of his life.
ais "That no city in Wapello coun
or shall have the right to sell. lease
ne give away public franchises Th
uS every every city shall have the rig
an to take possession of all its pub
ley utilities by paying to the present ow
me ers the price of the same as fixed
it'll an impartial jury. and that every ci
The and township shall have the right
an issue bonds up to the amount of fl
~. per cent of the entire taxation
,ch that purpose.
up That the state legislature, the GO
are ernor and our representative in co
gress shall take steps calculated
are bring about the enactment of a i
mo tional law by Which The goyernme
~. of the United States will lend the c
,iiiA les and township money on bonds