Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1878 — National State Platform. [ARTICLE]

National State Platform.

The National Greenback Labor Party of Indiana, in convention assembled, declare: 1. We declare our feaky to the American monetary system—ihe abolition of all bunk issues, the free and unlimited coljlago of gold and silver, and ihe issuing by the government of lull legal-tender paper money, receivable for all dues ana payable for debts, public an/private, in amount sufficient to meet the wautsfof trade, to give employment to all labor, und us enable the people to do a cash business, and to relieve them from the debt system which has made the industrial and commercial elusses the slaves and drudges of the creditmongers of the world. 2. We declare our opposition to every measurelooking to the resumption of specie payments, 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. 3. We proclaim our uncompomising hostility to the perpetuation of the system of govermeut bonded indebtedness which is intended to hind unborn generations in chains, and we declare that the government should use all the funds now hoarded lor resumption purposes to pay and cancel outstanding bonds, und that it should make new and liberul issues of money lobe applied to the same purposa; and that ihe issue of future interestbearing bonds should be prohibited by constitutional amendment 4. We demand that all legislation should be so enacted and so administered as to secure to each man, us nearly as practicable, the just reward of his own labor; and we denounce all lawlessness, violence and fraud that refuses submission to the will of the people honestly expressed through the ballot. 5. We denounce the red flag communism imported from Europe, which asks for an equal division of property, and we denounce the communism of the national banks, of the bond syndicates, and of the consolidated railroad corporations, which have secured aDd ure 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 ignores the 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 iucentiye to industry and exertion. 6. We declare that until the American monetary system, which will result hi the practical extinction of debt and usury is established the State should by all the powers that it can exert, limit and reduce the rate of interest so that it shall in no event exceed the average increase of wealth by productive industry. 7. We favor simple, plain and economical gov erument, as few laws as possible, and they rigidly enforced—as lew officials as practicable, andphey 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 aremudo to yield almost princely fortunes. It is the first duly ol the next general assembly of Indiana to secure such legislation as shall make it impossible for any local or State official to receive more lhau adequate pay for his services; and when practicable tho compensation should be fixed by a specific salary. 8. Wo denounce the conspiracy of the Democratic and Republican leaders of Indiana to build a costly and magnificent slate house, which, as experience has proved in all similar eases, 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 tbo 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. 9. 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 lire state, and which shall provide severe and adequate punishment for fraudulent voters, nnd for those who bribe voters or procure fraudulent votes. 10. We denounce the criminal and unfair apportionment ol the legislative and congressional districts of the slate in the interest, of the Republican party, and the equally unjust apportionments | made in me past by the Democratic party, and we pledge our members of the legislature to voto for a fair and equitable apportionment which shall secure a lull and untrammeled expression of the sentiments 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 lor tho pruper ventilation of themiues; aud the earnings of all employees of corporations should be a first lieu upon tile property of said corporations. 12. if it was wise and needful iu 1807, when money was plenty ami the country prosperous to enact a bankrupt law, it is certainly 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 Aud we favor the exemption of not less than SI,OOO worth of property to the householder from forced ! sale on execution. 13. The constitution should be so amended that the I‘resideni, Vice-President and Senators of the United States shall be elected by direct vote of tho people. 14. We are unalterably opposed to adding to the burthen's of the people by an increase of the standing army, believing with’Washington that “overgrown military establishments under any form of government are inauspicious to liberty, and particularly hostile to republican liberty.’ 15. We indorse and reaffirm ihe platform of principles acopted at Toledo. February 22. 1878, and we' congratulate the country upon the union of the political interests subserving the useful ranks of society, in one party which shall advance this decree to a higher and better civilization and this oldest gospel, that there shall be work for all aud that all shall work.