People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1895 — People’s Party Platform. [ARTICLE]

People’s Party Platform.

FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES. First.—That the union of the labor forces of the United States this day consummated shall be permanent and perpetual; may its spirit enter into all hearts for the salvation of the republic and the uplifting of mankind. . Second.—Wealth belongs to him who creates it, and every dollar taken from industry without an equivalent is robbery.. ‘’lf any will not work, neither shall he eat.” The interests’of civic and rural labor are the same; their interests are identical. Third—We believe that the time has come when the railroad corporations will either own the people or the people must own the railroads, and should the government enter upon the work of owning and managing any or all railroads, we should favor an amendment to the constitution by which all persons engaged in the government service shall be placed under a civil service regulation of the most rigid character, so as to prevent an increase of the powerof the national administration by the use of such additional government employes. FINANCE First—We demand a national currency, safe, sound and flexible, issued by the general government only, a full legal tender for all debts public and private, and that without the use of banking corporations, a just, equitable and efficient means of distribution direct to the people at a tax not to exceed 2 per cent, per annum to be provided as set forth in the sub-treasury plan of the Farmers’Alliance or a better system; also by payments in discharge of its obligations for public Improvements. We demand free and unlimited coinage of silver at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1. We demand that the amount of circulating medium be speedily increased to not less than WO per capita. We demand a graduated income tax. We believe that the money of the country should be kept as much as possible in the bands of the people, and hence we demand that all state and national revenues shall be limited to the necessary expenses of the government, economically 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 public necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interests of the people. The telegraph and telephone, like the postoffice system, being a necessity for the transmission of news, should lie owned and operated by the Government in the interest of the people. LANDS Third—The land, including all the natural sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people, and should not be monopolized for speculative purposes, and alien ownership of land should be prohibited. All lands now held by railroad* and other corporations In excess of their actual needs and all la n ds now owned by aliens should be reclaimed by the government and held for actual settlers only.

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOLUTIONS. Whereas. Other questions have been presented for our consideration, we hereby submit the following, net as a part of the platform of the People's Party, but us 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 the adoption by the Slates of the unperverted 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 levied upon the domestic industries of this country. Resolved. That we pledge our support to .fair and liberal pensions toex-Unfou soldiers and sailors. Resolved. That we condemn the fallacy of protecting American labor under the present system, which opens our ports to the pauper and criminal classes of the world and crowds out our wage earners; and we denounce the present ineffective laws against contract labor and demand the further restriction of undesirable immigration. Resolved, That we cordially sympathize with the efforts ot 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 maintenance of a large standing army of mercenaries. known as the Pinkerton system, asa meuac* to our liberties, and we demand its abolition and we condemn the receut invasion of the Territory of Wyoming by the Rired assassins of plutocracy, assisted by federal officers. Resolved, That we commend to the thoughtful consideration pf the people and the reform press the legislative system JMiown 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 1 lie United States by a direct vote of the people. Resolved. That we oppose any subsidy or national aid to any private corpoiation for «uy puroose. Nearly every reader of the Pilot has a friend some where who would like to hear from Jasper county. It costs but 2c a week to send them all the news, beautifully printed; why not do it? 7 wenty-flve cents for three months including Coin’s Financial School.