People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1894 — People’s Parly State Platform. [ARTICLE]

People’s Parly State Platform.

In general terms we endorse the principles and declarations of the Omaha platform, and herewith submit the platform prepared by your cornniitUM) on resolutions. THE FINANCIAL ISSUE. We demand a national currency of 150 p-»r c ipita. including the free coinage of silver at the ratio of IS to 1. issued by the general government only, a lull legal tender for ail debts I>otli public and private distributed to the people direct without tin; intervention of banking corporation- in payment of al! obligations of the government, and demand tho issue of non-interest bearing treasury notes of small denominations. W e declare our unalterable opposition, sts a party, to banks of issue, state or national. We also denounce the past and continued use of the government fiat by congress to create interest-bearing bonds. H e charge that the crime of demonetizing silver in '73, by the Republican party, further consummated by the joint action of lioth the old parties at the extra session of congress in !13, has fully accomplished the purpose of the monied aristocracy of the United States and England, in placing American producers of our great staple crops on a level with the poorest paid pauper labor of the world under English control, by changing through this crime against American producers and laborers, the pricing instrument for all products and wages to the single standard of gold only. We demand a national graduate income tax on salaries or incomes in excess of reasonable expenditures for the comforts and necessities of life. We pledge the People’s party, when given control of the government, that the gunholders, who put up life to save the Union from secession, shall be equalized with tho bondholders, who speculated in human life and the blood of our people, and their pensions shall be treated as a vested right. We favor the election of United States senators and all postmasters by direct vote of the people.

STATE ISSUES. We believe the people are yet capable of self-government and home rule, and demand of the next legislature the repeal of the metropolitan police law applied to cities. We also denounce the present unfair and unjust law that forbids minorities representation on election boards or witnesses to count of ballots, as a violation of the natural rights of the people; tho entering wedge to the destruction of free government; the very essence of party tyranny and taxation without representation, laws that no honest man can defend. We demand a constitutional convention (o revise our state constitution and include therein reform in the methods of taxation and the initiative and referendum system of legislation, with the veto power of all the important laws in the hands of the people. We demand such equitable adjustment cf tho statute for the listing of property for taxation'that will permit the deduction of all bona fide indebtedness from sum total listed. We demand a reasonable homestead law that no process of any court can touch. Wo demand a law taxing all inheritances coming to citizens of Indiana, both direct and collateral, at 5 per cent, above $2.0,00, for the benefit of the state sinking fund. We demand that most liberal educational facilities for the masses within the power of the state to provide, and a more efficient administration of the public school fund. We demand that convict labor shall be taken as fur as possible away from competition with honest, free labor in conduct of the state prisons, recommending that counties work their convicts building and Improving public roads.

We demand a law at the hands of the next legislature that will make it optional with debtors In this state, to pay any legal obligation in gold, silver or other lawful money of the United States. We demand that our state naturalization laws conform to our national laws upon the subject. We view with alarm the evil influence of the liquor traffic. We heartily endorse the initiative and referendum system of legislation. believing by this means the people can suppress this and other evils more effectually than by any other mode. We demand an effective enforcement of the laws prohibiting tho employment of child labor. We demand that a system of arbitration he established, whereby serious difficulties between employer and employes may bo speedily and impartially adjusted, before either party resort to measures detrimental to one and to both. We favor a reduction of the working hours by law In mines and factories in conformity with tlie progress of industry. ’ We demand that cities be specially empowered to assume ownership and control of public, water, transportation and lighting plants, in such manner as to operate wholly in the interest of the people, without imposing burdensome taxation. We are against tiie giving out .of public works under contract to the lowest bidder, state and the communities should carry out such work themselves under the supervision of experienced officers. We favor an efficient employer's liability law and the Inspection of mines and factories for tho protection of life and limb of the. workingmen. The right to vote 1* inherent in citizenship Irrespective of sex.