People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1895 — People's Party Platform. [ARTICLE]

People's Party Platform.

FOUNDATION PP.INCI PLES. First. ~T'nat the union of the labor forcenf the United State- till- day consummated .-hall be permanent ai d perpetual: may itspirit enter into all heart- for t lie salvation ot the republic and tin- uplifting of mankind. Sec ini».- Wealth belongs to luni who creates it., and every dollar i.a hen from industry without an equivalent i- robticrv. ‘ If any will not work, neither snail ic eat. The interests of civic and rural Labor are the same; their interest.- are identical. Third -We helh-ve tie.! t }.-■ time lias come when the railroad corporation- will either own tin- people or the people niit-t own tic rail loads, and should the government enter upon the work of owning and managing any or all railroads, we -iiouhi fa vor an ameiKtment, to the cotist.itut.ioti by which all person- engaged in the government service shall be placed under a civil service regulation of ! lit- most rigi-l : i -ter. mi as to prevent an increase of tin* powerqf tin- national adininist ration by the use- of such additional government emp*'"*fU! NANCE First —Wc ilemami a national currency, safe, sound and flexible, issued by the general government. only, a lull legal tender for all debts public and private, and that without the Use of banicing corporations, a .ju.-t. equitable and efficient means of distribution direct to tin-people at a tax not to exceeds per cent, per ainmm to be provided as set forth in the suh-l*rt-a>itry plan of the Farmers’Alliance or a better system; also Inpayments indisi’liat ge of its obligations for public improvements. We demand free and unlimited coinage of stiver at the present legal ratio of lii to 1. We demand that the amount of circulating medium be speedily increased to not less than *SO per capita . Wo demand a graduated income tax. We believe that the money of the country should lie kept a-* much as possible In the bunds of the people, and lienee we d ‘mand that all statu and national revenues shall be limited to Die necessary expenses of the government, economically and honestly administered.

We domand tint postal savings hank be established by the uoverniiient for the safe deposit of the eurnhitjs of the people and to facilitate exeban.se. TRA N>I'(>RTATIp.N. Second—Trun«pdrtat ion beinj{ a means of exchange and a publte necessity, the Kovernment should own ami operate the railroads in the interests of the people. Tin' telegraph and telephone, like the p< stoffice system, being a necessity for the transmission of news, should he owned and <iterated by the Government in the interest o'-lhe people. LANDS. Third —The hum, including all the natural sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people, and should not lie monopolized for speculative purpus**s, and alien ownership of land should lie prohibited. All lands now held by railroad- and other corporations in excess of their actual u ir Is an 1 ail lands now owned try aliens should he reclaimed by the noveliimen: and held for actual settlers only. SUPPLEMENTARY RESOLUTIONS. Whereas, Other questions have been presented for our consideration, we hereby submit the following, not as a part of the platform of tiie People s Party, hut as resolutions expressive of the convention. Resolved. That we demand a free ballot .-nid a fair count in all elections and pledge ourselves to secure it to every legal voter without federal intervention through the adoption'l>y tin 1 States of the tin perverted Australian or secret ballot system. Resolved. That the revenue derived from a graduated income tax should be applied to the reduction of the burden of taxation, now ti-vied upon til-- domestic industries of this country.

iiD. That we pledge our support to fair and liberal pensions toex-Uoion soldiers and sailors. I’KSoi.vi.o. That we condemn the fallacy o; protecting American labor under the present system. which opens our ports to the pauper and criminal classes of the world and crowds out. our w age earners; and we denounce the present ineffective laws against contract labor and demand the further restriction of undesirable immigrat ion. lt;;sot.VEi>. That we cordially sympathize v.ith the efforts of organized workmen to shorten the hours of labor and demand a 1 i .id enfor em-nt of the existing eight hour law on government work and ask that a penalty olai;-” lx.- added to the said law. Hksoj.vkd. Tiiat we regaid the maintenance of a large standing army of mercenaries. known a' the I’inkcrton system, asa menaco to our liberties, and we demand its a noli! ion ttird we condemn the recent invasion of tin* Territory of Wyoming by the hired assassins of plutocracy, assisted by fedcrat officers. ItKsut.vKii Tiiat we commend to the thoughtful consideration Of the people and the reform press the legislative system known as tin* initiative and referendum. Ih.soiA'Kl). Tlint we favor a Constitutional provision limiting the office of President and Vice President to one term and providing f.g the election of senators of the United S'Acs by a dir *et vote of tin* people. hfisAf.yEi). That we oppose any subsidy or national aid to any private corporation for any purDose.

American gold is no more money in Europe than American silver. The difference between those who teach that it is and those who believe it, is one is a liar and knows it. while the other is a fool and don’t know it.

Our statesmen are very anxious to get an American dollar that will go in England for a dollar, but the Englishman don’t seem to worry much about getting a Pound Sterling that will go in America. Perhaps he has too much sense,

American gold and silver coin does not go in Europe as money but as stuff at so much a pound. Our golden eagles would be worth just as much there if they bore the image of a turkey buzzard. and our “In God We Trust’' silver dollars would sell just as well if we declared our confidence in the other fellow.

\\ hen $5,000,000,000, which is 5,0*>0 million, or 100 times 50 million, when that is the size of our bonded indebtedness, all drawing interest six months in advance it will be a good time to f>ay it all up in greenbacks. ». o ; interest and burn the bond*. It would give us just, r Vujr..#7s per capita of money of > kinds, gold, silver and green- . u*ks, just about enough to uakc us a prosperous nation.

What nonsense to talk about coining money to trade with Europe. Justus well expect the brand on the barrel of—The-Star-Spangled - Banner In - God-We-Trust—pork would raise the price over plain “sow belly,” as that any inscription or stamp we might put on our coins would have anything to do with their value abroad. It's the stuff that counts abroad and not the stamp.

The function of money is. to facilitate barter. No nation does or can carry on a.one-sided trade with any other nation. All trade is barter and the swapping of goods is effected with the use of the current money of the country where the trade is. made, or its exenange value in bank drafts, and gold or shiver coins are neither a basis of the trade or used in the transaction, except it be incidentally.

With one mad bcuxid the producer will one day seize the reigns of government, and with the iron muscles of a Hercules, set the wild steeds of the money power upon their haunches. Then with thesame whip will he wheel about and lash them, blood flecked, and dripping with the gore of the past, back over the gastly trail, and their deadi.y hoofs will crush the masters that trained them so well, and forever w.iiL bonds and interest cease.

Reader please read this state ment over twice or three times; it contains a whole argument which you can easily apply. This: The dollar, be it gold, silver or paper, may it contain ’of intrinsic metalic value 100. cents, .”0 cents or nothing, so long as it buys a dollars worth of produce in this country, pays a dollar’s worth on taxes on a dollar's worth of our debts., it will purchase a dollar’s worth: of the product of any country.-on earth or a dollar’s worth oLthe. money of any nation.

Let the bonds come; Ibtt the satanic thirst of the geithgamblers be fed to the fullest;, let the iiood of usurous bi-sod po»ur down the'.r red throats, unrestrained; let the fires od'their insatiable greed devour bonds, and bonds and bonds, until the limit, of burden bearing, shall b© readied and passed,, and \yith mad exultation the nation awakens to the infamous- imposition and tramples the institution to death. Bonds, bonds, bonds, let the millions now given be followed by pillions and millions more; while the people can do nothing to stop the roll of the [nesses, they can look quietly on and bide their time..