The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-07-30
INDEPENDENCE PARTY PLATFORM


| adopted at the Chicago convention Oh
the Independence party;
We. independent American citizens
representinE the Independence party III
forty-four states and two teIIl.ui 70 10
have met I'm national convention III
nominate absolutely independent OF a. 49,
other political parties, candidates ~
president and vice-presldeht % end
United States our action ,ha con
upon determination TO wreSl thY IA
duct of public affairs from tnS , nanr
of selfish interests, political t 49,
and corrupt bosses ana make tle So
eminent, as the founders lntohueu' a"
agency for the common GOOD. .,.,i
AT a period of unexampled natlohal
prosperity and promise. a stagserlhs
| blow was dealt to legitimate business
Nv the unmoIested practice of stock
| watering and dishonest fnancierlng.
Multitudes of defenseless investors;
thousands of honest business men ana
an army OF idle workingmen are pay
ing the penalty Year by year, los
tered by wasteful and reckless govern
mental extravaganza by the manipula-
creating tariff the cost of living
| mounts higher and higher Day py
| day the control of the government
drifts further away from the people
| and more firmly into the grip OF ma
| chine politicians and party bosses.
The Republican and Democratic par
| ties are not only responsible for these
conditions. but are committed to their
]
| promises, they are so barren of prefer
| ence that to n new party of indepen-
/ dent voters the country must JOCK Tor
I the establishment of new policy ana
| n return to genuine popular govern
| nent
Look for independence.
Our object is not to introduce violent
innovations or startling new theories.
We of the independence party look
back, as Lincoln did, to the Declare
ton of Independence as the fountain
head of all political inspiration. II Is
! not our purpose to attempt to reVolu-
tionize the American system of govern
ment but to restore the action of the
| government to the principles of WASH
ington and Jefferson and Lincoln.
1t is not our purpose either to effect
radical change in the American sys-
| TEN of government, but to conserve for
| the citizens of the United states their
| privileges and liberties won for them
| by the founders of this government
| and to perpetuate the principles and
| policies upon which the nations great
ness hps been built.
The Independence party is therefore,
| a conservative force in American poll
tics, devoted to the preservation of
American liberty and independence, to
| honesty in elections, to opportunity in
business. and equality before the law.
| Those who believe in the Independence
| party and work with it are convinced
| that a genuine democracy should eX-
list; that true republican form of
| government should continue, tnat the
| power of government should rest with
| the majority of the people, and that
| the government should be conducted
for the benefit of the whole citizenship
rather than for the special advantages
of any particular class.
or First Importance.
AS of first Importance, in order to
restore the power of government to the
people, to make their will supreme in
the primaries, in the elections, and in
n fa1 aft
they have been elected. we declare for
direct nominations, the initiative and
referendum, and the right of recall
1t is idle to cry out against the evil
of bossism while we perpetuate a sys-
tenn under which the boss is newt
able The destruction of an individual
boss is of little value. The people in
their politics must establish a system
winch VIII eliminate not only an OBJ
Jectionable boss, but the system of
bossism, Representative government Is
made mockery by the system of
modern party conventions dominated
by bosses and controlled by cliques
we demand the natural remedy of di-
rect nominations, by which the people
important, select their representatives.
The Referendum.
We believe In the principle of the
initiative and referendum and we par
ticularly demand that no franchise
grant go into operation until the terms
popular vote in the locality Interested
The Recall.
We demand for the people the right
10 recall public officials from the pub
&c service, The power to make Of
hcials resides in the people, and in
them also should reside the power To
unmake and remove from Office any Of
fetal who demonstrates his unfitness
or betrays the public trust.
Corrupt Practices mt Elections.
or next importance in destroying the
| power OF selfish special interests and
the corrupt political bosses whom
they control is to wrest from their
nand the main weapon, the corruption
i il, we demand severe and effective
leSlslation against all forms of cor
| ruptlon at elections and advocate pro-
hibiting the use of any money at cleo
lions except for meetings, literature
ana the necessary travelling expenses
OF candidates. Bidding for votes, he
republican and Democratic candidates
are making an cutlery about publicity
81 v1,ht,tirloutions, although both the
hepubIlcan and Democratic parties
nave Tor years consistently blocked
| every etfort to pass corrupt practices
acl, publicity Of contributions is de-
| sirable and should be required hut IN
main matter of Importance is the ne
| 10 which contributions are nut We
beneVe that the dishonest use of
,aoneS IN me past, whether contrib
uteu oy individuals or by corporations
mas oeen chiefly responsible for the
corruption which has undermined on o,,r
system of popular government, '
| Demand for Economy.
| We demand honest conduct of n,h,,o
| once and business like and econanoinaI
administration of public AFFAIRS and
we condemn the gross extravaganza az
ieueral administration and lis apnaljt
lng annual Increase in appropriations
unnecessary appropriations mean ms
necessary taxes, and unnecessar,.
taxes, whether direct or Indirect a.
| Pald by the people and add 20 The a,,ar
increasing cost of living.
oNercapitaIixatioG
| we condemn the evil of o, scani,o,
lzailoh. Modern Industrial cnnditta.i
make the corporation and stonit o otons
! pahy a necessity, but overcapitaii,ootoiiI
/ IN corporations is as harmful and 90 c ion
in5i as Is personal dishonestV ~ ii .,
| isnuiyldual Compelling the pny,,nnnt az ~
| oNluehds upon great sums maj w VI
watered stock not justlRod h', on
pIoperty, and overcapitalizntion r rae
vents the better wages. the better pre- pre-
nc lS service and the lower cost pup Pup,
should result from American jnco,,t,hilat
| genius, and that wide orpn,t st.iVe
| WHlcn is replacing t~.hNlDH