Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1878 — National State Plstform. [ARTICLE]

National State Plstform.

Tbs National Greenback Labor Party of Indiana, ia convention assembled, declare: 1. Ws declare oar fealty to the American monetary system—the abolition of all bank issues, the free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver, and the issuing by the government of tall legal-tender paper mosey, receivable for all does and payable for debt*, public ana private, in amount sufficient to most the wants of trade, to give employment to all labor, and to enable the people to do a cash business, and to relieve them from the debt system which hM made the industrial and commercial classes the slaves and drudges of the creditmongera of the world. t *Ve declare our opposition to every measure looking to the resumption of specie paymenU, the monarchical system of finance which puts all the interests of industry, trade and commerce in the hands of the few, and enforces a monopoly of wealth destructive of the highest material good of society. S. We proclaim our uncompomising hostility to the perpetuation of the system of goverment bonded indebtedness which la intended to bind unborn generations In chains, and we declare that the government should use all the funds now hoarded for resumption purposes to pay and cancel outstanding bonds, and that it should auks new and liberal issues of money to be applied to the same purpoM; and that the issue of tatnre interestbearing bonds should be prohibited by constitutional amendment 4. We demand that all legislation shonld be so enacted and so administered as to secure to each man, as nearly as practicable, ths Inst reward of his own labor; and we denounce all lawlessness, violence and fraud that refuses submission to the still of the people honestly expressed through the ballot. 5. We denounce the red flag eommnnlsm imported from Europe, which asks for an equal division of property, and we denounce the communism of tne national banks, of the bond syndicates, and of the consolidated railroad corporations, which have secured and are enforcing an unequal division of property, having already divided among themselves ten thousand millions of the pioperty of the people by corrupting the representatives and servants of the people. The one system of communism ignores tne Inequalities of capacity which have been planted by nature in the human family, and both systems are destructive of the rewards of toil and of the incentive to indastry and exertion.

6. We declare that until the American monetary system, which will result in the practical extinction of debt and usury is established the State should by ail the powers that it can exert, limit and reduce the rate of interest so that it shall in no event exceed the average increMe of wealth by productive industry. 7. We favor simple, plain and economical government, M few laws m possible, and they rigidly enforced—m few officials as practicable, andithey held to a close accountability. To this end we demand the abolition of all useless offices, and the overthrow of the system by which offices are made to yield almoat princely fortunes. It is the first duty ot the next general assembly of Indiana to secure such legislation as shall make it impossible for any local or State official to receive more than adequate pay for his services: and when practicable the compensation should be fixed by a specific salary. 8. We denounce the conspiracy of the Democratic and Republican leaders of Indiana to build a costly and magnificent state house, which, as experience has proved in all similar cues, would result in the general plundering of the people.— We denounce the action of the governor in calling a special session of the legislature for the purpose of fostering this scheme. We denounce the indecent haste with which the state house commissioners are proceeding to let a contract to bind the people of the state, and we demand that no contract shall be let until the voters of the state have had an opportunity to express their will upon the subject through the legislature to be chosen in October next. 8. We protest against the weak and ineffective election laws of Indiana, and we ask that the next legislature shall enact statutes which shall secure fair elections in the state, and which shall provide severe and adequate punishment for fraudulent voters, and for those who bribe voters or procure fraudulent votes. 10. W e denounce the criminal and unfair apportionment of the legislative and congressional districts of the state in the interest of the Kcpnblicau pwty, and the equally unjust apportionments mode in the past by the Democratic party, and we pledge our members of the legislature to vote for a lair and equitable apportionment which shall secure a full and untrammeled expression of the sen* timents of the people. 11. The State shall enact laws which will abrogate the abuses and protect the interests of men who work in mines, by providing for the proper ventilation of the mines; and the earnings of all employees of corporations should be a first lien upon the property of said corporations. 12. If it was wise and needfol in 1867, when money was plenty and the country prosperous to enact a bankrupt law, it ia certaiuly humane now to amend such law so to prevent frauds and to continue- in force this last escape of the oppressed debtor from the extortions of the money power And we favor the exemption of not less than *I,OOO worth of property to the householder from forced sale on execution. 11. The constitution should be so amended that the President Vice-President and Senators of the United States shall be elected by direct vote of the people. 14. We are unalterably opposed to adding to the burthens of the people by an increase of the standing army, believing with Washington that “overgrowu military establishments under any form of government are inauspicious to liberty, and particularly hostile to lepublican liberty." 16. He indorse and reaffirm the platform of principles acopted at Toledo, February 2*, 1878, and we congratulate the country upon the union of the political interests subserving the usetal ranks of society, in one party which shall advance this decree to a higher aud better civilisation and this oldest gospel, that there shall be work for all and that allsball work.