Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-11-23
COMMON PEOPLES
PARTY PLATFORM
Zone Of the Common People" Presents
Strong, Progressive Platform on Which
He Thinks All Glasses May Uaite.
TENTATIVE PLATFORM.

ana permenence OF a democratic form
of government must rest. The aristo-
crat must be brought down; the ignor-
ant must be elevated, and the criminal
punished, by in6icting such punishment
as is best adapted to secure his reforma-
tion. Capital punishment shall be abol-
ished. The high criminal who steals a
railroad shall be punished as surely as
the low criminal who steals chicken.
End. Renouncing allegiance to all
other political parties, we hereby de-
clare our purpose to support that party
and to maintain that form of govern
ment which will, in our judgment, more
effectually recognize that all power of
government is vested in, and derived
from the people, whose right it IS to Sc
lect their officers (hired mem in free
and fair election, by vote of major
ity of all citizens having sufficient evil
dence of permanent common interest
with, and attachment to, the communi-
ty, which right of suffrage shall not be
restricted by property qualification or
the prepayment of poll tax.
Bird. In addition to the inaliensble
rights enumerated in our Virginia Bill
of Rights, we declare further that the
four Indispensable gifts of God to the
race are: Earth, Air.. Water and Sun
shine; that each individual is entitled by
divine right and inheritance, to the pos
session and use of all these as his needs
may require, and no restriction shall be
placed thereon except as punishment
for crime.
ALL OFFICERS ELECTED BY THE
PEOPLE.
4th. All State, county and district
officers, including division superinten-
dents of public schools, all judges of
courts and the State corporation COM
mission. shall be elected by the people
of the State, county and district IN
which they serve.
INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND RECALL.
9th. The initiative, referendum and
recall, regulated by conservative stat
utes, are essential to the maintenance
of government of the people, by the
people and for the people.
EDUCATIoN-PENsIoNs TO TEACHERS.
9Th. We favor larger appropriations
to our common, high, industrial and
normal school; better pay for teachers,
and an appropriation from the State
supplementing the present fund for pen
eions for teachers. Till this can be
accomplished we do not favor appropri-
ations to professional or higher educa-
ton.
All children between the ages of
and IL years shall be required to attend
school, if within their reach, unless they
shall be excused by the school authori-
ties for good cause.
GOOD ROADS.
7th. The movement for good roads
must be continued until all the thor
oughfares of travel may become a cred
it to the State.
TARIFF.
Sth. A scientific commission, con-
sisting of not less than five commission
ers chosen from as many sections of the
Union, and who shall not be interested
in subject upon which tariff duties are
levied. shall annually lay before Con-
gress its findings and recommendations
as to the necessary changes in the sew
eral schedules which in the judgment of
the commission needs revision in the in
terests of the consumer and for the pur-
pose of raising revenue.
CONTROL OF TRUSTS.
9th. To obtain corner" on any of
the annual products of the soil shall be
a felony, and the Government shall con-
ktrol the means of distribution in respect
to such products. 1t shall control the
means of production and distribution cf
the mines and manufactured produc-
tions of all other commodities.
In event the consumer shall not re-
ceive the protection by these and such
other measures as may be adopted, then
as an ultimate measure we favor the
policy of Government ownership of all
public utilities, the entering into and
competition by the Government against
such trusts and combines which shall
have obtained monopoly of the neces-
saries of life.
LABOR UNnoNs-sTRIKEs AND LocKoUTs.
10th. The right Of labor to combine
and to contract collectively shall be the
same as the right enjoyed by capital.
Each laborer to receive the fruits of his
toll in proportion to his efficiency as
laborer in comparison with that of his
fellow toiler in the same kind of work.
The employe and the employe are
parties of the first and second parts,
and the public is party of the third part
to every industrial strike or lockout: