People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1894 — People's Party State Platform. [ARTICLE]

People's Party State Platform.

In general terms we endorse I li* priorities ami declarations of the Omaha t.tstl form, and herewith submit the platform prepared by your committoe on resolution-.. THE FINANCIAL Lr'SLE. We demand a national currency of S3O per capita, including the five coinage of silver at the ratio of 10 to I. issued by the general government only, a lull le,-al tender for all debts both public and private dlstributeduo the people direct without the Intervention of banking corporations in payment of ail obligations of the government, and demand the Issue of non-interest bearing treasury notes of small denominations. We declare our unalterable opposition, as 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 We charge that the Ctlme of demonetizing silver In '73, by the Kepuhlican party, further consummated by the joint actlou of both tlie old parties at the extra session of congress In Hit 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 bf life. We pledge the People’s party, when glyen control of the government, that the gunholders, who put up life to save the Union from secession, shall be equalized with the 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 j of the people.

STATR 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; the 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 to revise our st~t“ constitution and include therein reform in the methods of ovation and the initiative and referendum system:. J legislation, with the veto power of all tht important laws In the hands of the people. We demand such equitable adjustment of the 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. We demand a law taxing all lnherltanoes coming to citizens of Indiana, both direct and collateral, at 5 per cent, above (2.000, 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 ad ministration of the public school fund. We demand that convict labor shall be taken as far as possible away from competition with honest, free labor in conduct of the state prisons, recommending that counties- 1 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 lawfnl money of the United States. We demand that our state naturalization laws conform to our national Jaws upon the subject. We view with alarm the evil influence of the liquor traffic. We heartily endorse the initiative and refeicndum 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 the employment of child! labor. We demand that a system of arbitration be established, whereby serious difficulties bet ween employer and employes may be 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 the 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 the 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 the protection of life and limb of the workingmen. - The right to vote is inherent in citizenship irrespective of sex.