People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 May 1896 — PEOPLE'S PARTY PLATFORM. [ARTICLE]

PEOPLE'S PARTY PLATFORM.

FOUNDATION PRINCIPLES. First—That union of the labor forces of the United States this day consummated shall be permanent and perpetual; may its spirit enter all hearts for the salvation of ithe republic and the upliftings of mankind. ' Second —Wealth belongs to him who creates it, and every dollar taken from industry without an equivalent is robbery. “If any will not work, neither shall he eat.” The interests of rural and civic labor are the same; their intesests 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 or managing any or all of the 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, as to prevent the increase of the power of 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 geneial 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 subtreasury 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 and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1. We demand that the amount of circulating medium be speedily increased to not less than SSO per capita. We demand a graduatad income tax. We believe that the money of the eouptry should be kept as much as possible in the hands of the people, and hence, wff demand that all state and national revenues shall be , limited t to the necessary expenses of the government economically' and houestly administered _ We demand that the postal savings b£ak be established by the government for the safe deposit pf llhe earnings of the people and to facilitate exchange. I I TRANSPORTATION; I Second —Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people, ft land. I, Third—The land, including all the material rescources of wealth, is the heritage of the people, and should not be monopolized for speculative purposes, aim alien ownership of land should be prohibited. And lands now held by railroads and other corporations in excess of their actual needs and all lands now owned by aliens should be 1 reclaimed by the government for actual settlers only.