People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1895 — People's Party Platform. [ARTICLE]

People's Party Platform.

FGUNI) \TI ON Pill NCIPLES. First —That the nil ion of the lalior forces oftne United States tins day consummated shall be perniancnt and perpetual; may its sr'rit enter into all hearts for the salvation <ift.be nipuhlic and the uplifting of manhind. , , . . second - Wealth Ixdongs to Inui who creates it and ie;y iloliarlaken from industry ■without an equivalent is robbery. ‘‘lf any will not wo! h, a; itlter shall he eat.” The interests of e.t vie. a ml r urti I ial'or are t lie saute; their interests are identical. Third- Wo dc. eve that the time has votin' when the. railroad coi'iiorations will either own the people or the people must own the railroads, and should tiie government enter upon the v.or it of owning and managing any or all rati mans, we should favor an amendment to the constitution by which all p"r-•-»es engaged in the government service 'cl,all placed ttnd* r a civil service regulation of 11| i ;osi t igiti ciia meter. so as to pr<vent an ittm u'■* <*i the powerot the national administration by the use of such additional governc.elit ‘ mplo.ves. TIN AMP First vVe iliMiittnd a national currency, safe, sound ami ie*xihie. ; .sued hy tin; general government only, a full legal tender for alfdebts public and private, and that without tin: ui" of banking corporations, a just, equitable and elltcicnl means of distribution direct to the people at a tax not to exceed per ceil t. |>er annum to tie provided as set forth lit tfce st: tieastiry plan of I lie Farmers'Alliance or a better system; also by liaynu l.ts in tiisrharg" of it- obligations for public improYiiments. \Ve denutml free and unlimited coinage of silver at Ihe present legal ratio of Mi to I. VVe demand t ha! the amount of circulating medium be speedily increased to nut less than ISO per capita. We demand a graduated income tax. We believe that the money of the country should be kept as mueb as possible in the hands of tbe people, anil bunco we demand t hat. all siate and national revenues shall bo limited to the necessary expenses of the government, eennomicaliy and honestly administered. We. demand that postal savings bank be established by the government for the safe deposit of the earnings of the people and to facilitate exchange.

TRANSPORTATION. Second Transportation being a means of exchange and a pablic necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interests of the people. The telegraph and telephone, like the postofflee system, being a necessity for the t ransmission of news, should he owned and operated by the Government in the interest of the people. I.A Ni»S Third —The land, including all tlie natural sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people. and .should not tie monopolized for speculative purposes, and alien ownership of land should he prohibited. All lands now held by railroads and oLhor corporations in excess'll I i ndr ar'luil noli an i all lands now owned by aliens should be reclaimed by t lie government and !u;ld for actual settlers only. SUPPLEMENT A RY RESOLUTIONS. Whereas. Other questions have been presented for our consideration, we hereby submit tiie follo wing, not as a part of the platform of tin: People's Party, but. as resolutions expressive of the convention. Resolved; That we demand a free ballot and a fair count in all elections and pledge ourselves to secure it to every legal voter without federal intervention through tiie adoption ivy live States of the unperverted Australian or secret tail lot system. Resolved, That the revenue derived from a graduated income tax should lie applied to tins reduction of the burden of taxation, now levied up u the domestic industries of this country. Resolved. That we pledge our support to fair and liberal pensions toex-Umon soldiers and sailors. Resolved. That we condemn the fallacy of protecting American labor under tiie present system. which opens our ports to tiie pauper mid criminal classes of the world and crowds out our wage earners; and we denounce tiie present ineffective laws against contract labor and demand Im* further restriction of undesirable immigration. Resolved. That we cordially sympathize with the efforts of organized workmen to shorten the hours of labor and demand a rigid enforcement of the. exist ing eight hour law on government work and ask that a penalty clause be added to.the said law. Resolved. That we regard the muiintonani'e of a large standing army of mercenaries, known as the Pinkerton system, asa menace to our liberties, and we demand its abolition and wo condemn the recent invasion of the Territory of Wyoming by the hired assassins bf plutocracy, assisted ivy federal officers. Resolved, That we commend to the 1 boughtful consideration of the people and the reform press the legislative system known as the initiative and referendum. Resolved. That we favor a Constitutional provision limiting the office of President and Vice President to one term and providing for the election of senators of the United states by a direct vote of the people. Resolved, That we oppose any subsidy or national aid to any private corporation for tmy purpose.

The Chicago Times (weekly) and the People’s Pilot for §1.50. The odious income tax will yield $75,000,000 the first year. Tom Watson’s paper and the Pilot, both one year, for 51.50. The People's Pilot and Vincent's Searchlight both one year for §1.50, regular rates §2.00. The administration admits that the bankers have the nation by the throat. The reform press has so proven for twenty years. Seventy-two German societies in Chicago have effected a union organization to help the populists in the coming city election. Chicago will never be purged its official thieves until the corrupt machines of both old parties are smashed by the po x -- ulists. The late contract made by the president, to sell gold bonds to Ihe Rothchilds adds but another unsightly blot to many pages of liackesl financial history, . The redeeming legislators of Colorado and Indiana have killed anti-pass bills. The way to control railroad passes is to have the government own the roads.

What does the 2 per cent income tax equal upon investments that pay three per cent dividends? Does it exceed .0006 per cent on the capital, or 6 cents on one hundred dollars? The . republicans of Arizona and New Mexico are urging republicans in congress not to oppose the admission of those territories at this session. It is not probable, however, that any more silver states will be given a voice in national affairs either by this congress or the next. What about this criminal Debs, who is serving a term in jail for contempt, dare his accusers bring him to trial again before a jury? It is easy to send a man to jail when you refuse him a trial, and have a corrupt and prejudiced judge lo do your bidding: so different though when a man lias his constitutional right.

Already the immense block of bonds sold by Cleveland at par, though not yet issued, are at a premium of 121 per cent and are expected to reach 20 per cen'. The good people will please re member that this was a private sale, all competitive bidders barred, and was made to the Rothcliilds through the president’s es tee med f r ien d, Aug us t Bel mon t. Under the refunding act of 1870 Secretary Carlisle reports that there were sold a total of sl, - 395,5146,950 in bonds. And he further says: “The proceeds of these bonds were paid into the treasury in United States gold coin, gold certificates, called bonds, past due coin coupons, and in some instances uncalled 5-20 bonds subject to call. The entire proceeds were equivalent to United States gold. - ’ It is a matter of history which no one denies that there was no gold in this country, outside of *25,000.000 used as money in California, from July, 1861, until 1879. And gold never fell to par until John Sherman made the greenback a full legal tender with gold for the payment import duties just before the resumption of specie payments in 1879. Yet this lying statement is given to the people to deceive them, that the robbing system can go merrily on and the victims not know the cause of their miseries.