Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1902 — ANOTHER PARTY BORN. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER PARTY BORN.

Allied People's Organization Formed by Delegates at Louisville. The Populists have a new name. As the Allied People’s party of the United States, a title formally adopted at Louisville the other day, they expect to go forward until they have united under one banner all the reform elements opiwscd to the Democratic and Republican parties. The People's party and tbe Public Ownership party of St. Louis alone have formally joined the new organization, but the Fusion Populists, the Socialists, the Referendum League, the Union Labor party, the Prohibition party and the United Christian party had representatives present looking on at the birth and unofficially promising support. The convention was called last September “to unite reform forces against plutocracy.” About 250 delegates were present. One element in the People’s party • was opposed to any concessions to the other reformers, but finally a platform was adopted which provides for all. though expressly reaffirming the spirit of the platforms of the national conventions of the People’s party in St. Louis, Omaha and Cincinnati. This platform makes the demand for the initiative and referendum the chief point at igsue, holding that if this point could be carried the remainder of the principles desired would follow as a matter of course. The platform favors the public ownership of all public utilities; demands that land, including all natural resoqvces, the heritage of the people, shall not beJhogopolized for speculative purposes, and thnt alien ownership shall be prohibited; that all lands now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their needs or by aliens shall be reclaimed and held for actual settlers only; that money shall be based upon the entire ,wealth of ; the' people of the nation, and not redeemable in any specific commodity, but shall be full legal tender for all debts, private and public, to be issued by the government only, and without the intervention of individuals or corporations, sufficient in quantity to meet the requirements of commerce, and that taxation be just and natural. It also provides that the President, Vice President, Federal judges and Senators be elected by the people; that a cabinet office of the department of labor and equitable arbitration be established; that postal savings banks be and that such constitutional amendments be passed as may put the desired laws in effect. Chairman J. A. Park of the Populist National Committee, in urging that all minor differences be laid aside, said that the platform adopted was “the most unassailable document ever prepared by a politico bparty,” and denounced as a Judas Iscariot any man who “would attempt t« obstruct the work begun for mankind.”