Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1874 — Illinois and Indiana Independent State Platforms. [ARTICLE]

Illinois and Indiana Independent State Platforms.

ILLINOIS. During the proceedings of the recent convention at Springfield the following telegram was received from the Indiana State Convention: ■■■ Ixnu.KA.roua, Jane 10,1874. 7b the President of the farmers' Convention.Hu brethren in ceondl here, on behalf of the Independent voters of Indiana, send greeting to their brethren in Illinois, and ask a word of cheer. They are Ann and mean business. Every county Is represented and the Exposition Building crowded with delegates and friends. Indiana Convxntion. This dispatch was replied to as follows: Sranranaut, HI., June 10,1874. 2b the President of the Indiana Farmer*' Con venYour message received, and read amid cheers. Every district in Illinois fully represented and the greatest enthusiasm and harmony prevailing: Wc nave struck out for ourselves and we shall dght it out on this line, with glorious prospects of success. All hail 1 .Tanks Ali.kn, President, The following resolutions were adopted: Resolved, That this convention send greeting to the Governor of Wisconsin for the manly and noble stand he has taken in protecting the people of his State from the oppression and dictation of corporations. Resolved, That we hope two years hence to have a Governor of this Stale who will, with eqnal vigor, assert and maintain the sovereignty of the people over the railroad and other corporations, which have thus far defied the law and insulted as well as robbed the people. The platform adopted by the convention reads as follows: We, the farmers, mechanics, laboring men and other citizens of Illinois, in convention assembled, deeming it needful for the best interests of this Btate and nation that independent political action be taken by and in behalf of the producing, industrial and other business classes, and in opposition to the corporate monopolies that are influencing and even controlling onr Legislatures, courts and Executives, and oppressing onr citizens, appealing to the great fundamental principles of American liberty, and inviting the favorable judgment of our countrymen, do hereby Resolve— l. That the preservation of our national life Imperatively demands that every American voter should attend with care at the primary nominations and elections, so as to insure the election of competent and honest men to all offices in the government of the people. 2. That the recent record of the political parties of this country is snch as to forfeit the confidence Kind respect or the people, and that we are therefore absolved from all allegiance to them, and will act no longer with them. A That we insist upon severe retrenchment, reform and economy in all branches of our public affairs, and believe that with such economy the tax now collected from the people might be reduced at least one-half without impairing tha efficiency of any branch of the public service. State or NationaL 4. That we demand the immediate reform of abuses in the civil service through which the patronage of the Government is dispensed as a reward for partisan service rather than with regard to the public necessity. 5. That we are in favor of improving and perfecting the navigation of our lakes and rivers and water connections as soon as it can be properly done. 6. That we are opposed to any further grants of public, land or loans of the public credit and of National, State or local subscriptions in aid of careotaiiona. . 7. That we demand the repeal of onr National Banking law, and believe that the Government should issue a legal-tender currency direct from ' the Treasury, interchangeable for Government bonds, bearing the lowes t possible rate of interest. 8. That we hold our patent laws are too often made to subserve the interests of monopolies, and that they should be carefully revised and restricted. 9. That we are opposed to any construction of the State Constitution which will just ify. under any pretext whatever, annual instead of biennial sessions of our State Legislature. 10. That the existing railroad legislation of this State should be sustained and enforced until thoroughly tested before the courts; that we oppose any legislation by Congress, under plea of regulating commerce between the States, which shall deprive the people of their present control and influence through State legislation, and that the claim of railroad companies to the right to fix their freights and fares independent of the people involves the highest attribute of sovereignty, the right of a conqueror to levy contributions at will upon a subjugated people or State, and, as this power cannot coexist with a government of the people, it mnst be resisted. 11. That the right of the Legislature to regulate and control the railroads of the State mutt be vindicated, established and maintained as an essential attribute of State government, and that those holding the doctrine that railroad charters are contracts in the sense that they are not subject to legislative supervision and control have not a just appreciation of the necessary powers and rights of a free government, and we will agree to no truce, anbmit to no compromise short of complete supremacy of the State Government in its right, through its Legislature, to supervise and control the railroads of the State In such -manner as the pnblic interest may demand. 12. That we uncompromisingly condemn the practice of onr public officials in receiving free; passes from railroad managers. 13. That the principle of protection as applied to duties on foreign imports is contrary to the spirit and intent of the Constitution, as it creates privileged classes, levying taxes on the large majority for the benefit of the favored few.- We are therefore opposed to all duties levied with this end in view as unjust and unequal, and we insist upon the repeal of all laws laying such duties, and that taxes shall be levied for revenue, and that only. 14. That this convention earnestly recommend to the independent voters of the various Congressional and legislative districts and counties of the State to put in nomination at an early day, and nse their best efforts to elect, candidates who support the principles herein enunciated. 15. That the contract system practiced in the construction of onr public -works, -National, Stare and Municipal, has'been a fruitful source of corruption and fraud, at the expense of the laboring and mechanical class, as well as against public interest, and snch system should be revised and reformed. , 16. That we, the Independent Reform party of the State of Illinois, invite the people of the State, regardless of past political affiliations, to unite with ns in the support of the platform and ticket of this and we appeal to the better judgment of all our business and professional men to lead us their aid and sympathy, remembering, as they well may, that upon onr prosperity and happiness depends their success in business The following resolution was also subsequently adopted: Resolved, That our State Central Committee be hereby instructed to join with like committees in other States in issuing a call for a National Delegate Convention to meet in Chicago, Indianapolis, or some other central city in the West, in January, 1875, for the purpose of taking into consideration the means and measures necessary to the protection of the citizen from the oppressions of aggregate capital, and for the further purpose of consolidating the various political elements in themation opposed to the present corrupt practices of the old party leaders into a national organization, representing the people, pledged to reform. INDIANA. The State Convention assembled at Indianapolis on the 10th adopted a resolution “ That we, the.farmers and workingmen of Indiana, fully determined to command due recognition, adopt as an expression of our sentiment and purposes the name of Independent.” The following is the platform adopted: In making this call and presuming to enter into competition with other parties, it is proper that we shonld give to the world onr reasons as well as the remedies we propose for the wrongs of which we complain. Starting, then, with the maxim that onr Government is founded on the sovereignty and consent of the governed, and that its purpose is to protect property and enforce natnral rigbts, we acknowledge the broad principle that difference of opinion is no crime, and hold that progress toward truth is made by differences of opinion, while the fault lies in bitterness of controversy. We desire a proper equality and protection for the weak, and restraint upon the strong; in short, jnstiy-distributed burdens and justly-dis tributed powers. These are American ideas, the very essence of American independence, and to advocate the contrary is unworthy of the sons and daughters of an American Republic. For onr business interests we desire to bring producers and consnmers, farmers and manufacturers, into the most direct and friendly relations possible. We urge no aggressive war against any other interest whatever; on the contrary, all oar acts and all onr efforts, so far as business is concerned, are not only for the benefit of producer and consumer, bnt also for all other legitimate orders that tend to bring these two parties Into speedy and economical contact. Bence we bold that transportation companies of every kind are necessary to our success, that their interests are intimately connected with onr Interest*. and harmonious action is mutually advantageous. We BtilL, therefore, advocate, for every State, an Increase, in every practicable way, of all facilities for transporting Cheaply to the seaboard, as between home producers and consnmers, all the productions of onr country. We adopt it as oar fixed purpose to open oat the channels Id nature's great arteries, that tbsi life-blood of commerce may flow freely. Wd are not enemies of railroads, navigation and irrigating canals, nor of any corporation that will advance onr industrial Interests, bnt are friendly to all laboring classes. We shall advocate all legislation whereby these original and common elementa, or the proceeds of the same, are enhanced by intelligent labor, and shall hold all measures whereby they are perverted from their original design and made to In are to the benefit of non-prodaeers and to the Injury of producers u wrong and anbveraive of the purposes of good government We bold that all able-bodied, intelligent peraona shonld contribute to the common stock, by naefnl Industry, a snm or quantity equal to their own support and legislation should tend, aa far as possible, to tM equitable distribution of surplus pradaets.

If there propositions are not tree, onr Government la wholly perverted from Its true design, the sacred names Democracy and Republicanism become the synonyms of despotism, and the parties represented thereby, as now organized, are made the engines of oppression, crashing ont the lives •f the people. —■' ' —- We need only point to the fact that. In this beneficent country of unlimited resources, with the land annually groaning beneath the products of hnman effort, tne mass of the people have no supply beyond their daily wants, and are compelled, from nnjust conditions, in sickness or misfortune, to become panpers. Pauperism and crime are the perplexing questions of all modern statesmanship, and it is with these we have to deal. How far those evils are connected with the abuses Inflicted on labor, a superficial statesmanship seems not to perceive. Chattel slavery ha* been abolished, bnt the rights and relations of labor s.and jnst where they did before the emancipation, in respect to the divisions of its products. The difference lies only in the methods of abstracting the results and conccntratingthem In the hands of a few capitalists. Capital ts now the master and dictates the terms, and thus all laborers arc practically placed In the same condition a* the slave before the emancipation. In thus placing them, the interests of all laborers become common, and they must fight the battle in unity If they would succeed. What, then, are the instrumentalities by which these wrongs are inflicted! First, banking and moneyed monopolies, by which, through ruinous rales of interest, the products of hnman labor arc concentrated in the hands of non-producers. This Is the grcat'centrai source of these wrongs, in and through which all other monopolies exist and operate. Second, consolidated railroads, and other transit monopolies, whereby all industries are taxed to the last mill they will bear for the benefit of the stockholders and stock-jobbers. Third, manufacturing monopolies, whereby all small operators are cruebed out and the prices of labor and product* are determined with mathe malical certainty in the interest of the capitalists. Fourth, land monopolies, by which the public domain is absorbed by a few corporations and speculators. Fifth, commercial and grain monopolies and speculation, enriching the bloated corporations on human necessities. Wc propose to restore the Government to its original purpose, and, as far as possible, te remedy these evils and remove their results: First, by abandoning the gold-basis fallacy and establishing a monetary system based ob the faith and resources of the Government of the nation, in harmony with the genius of the Government, and adapted to the exigencies of legitimate commerce. To this end, the circulating notes of the National and State Banks, as well as all local currency, shonld be withdrawn from circulation, and paper currency be issued by the (government which shall be a legal-tender in the payment of all debts, public and private, duties on imports included, and be declared eqnal with gold, the lawful money of the United States. This currency, or money, to be interchangeable at the pleasure of the holders for Government bonds, bearing a low rate of interest, say 3.65 per cent., the Government creditors to have the privilege of taking the money or bonds at their election, reserving to Congress the right to regulate the rate of interest on the bonds and the volume of the currency so as to effect the equitable distribution of the products of labor between money, or non-producing capital, and productive industry; and we advocate paying the national debt in strict accordance with the laws under which it was originally contracted, in gold where specifically promised, bnt all other forms of indebtedness, including the principal of the 6-20 bonds, shonld be discharged at the earliest option of the Government in the legal-tender currency of the United States withoutfundingit in long bonds, or In any way increasing the gold-paying and untaxed obligations of the Government. Resolved, That we are In favor of the office seeking the man, and not the man the office; that we will endeavor-to select men to fill the various office* who are honest and capable, without regard to former political opinions; that we detest bribery, corruption and fraud in obtaining votes, either by the use of money or whisky, and will not support any man for office known to he guilty of the same; and that we are opposed to electing any man to fill the same office for more than one term in succession, from the President down. Resolved, That we uncompromisingly condemn the practice of our pnblic officials in receiving free passes from railroad managers. Resalted, That we denounce the actiorn of our Legislature and representatives in Congress and in the Senate for the increase of taxes, fees and salaries, and we will use all honorable means in onr power to reduce the taxes, fees and salaries of all to a reasonable basis. Resolved, That we demand a reduction of all public expenditure, to the end that taxation may be reduced to the lowest possible limit. Resolved, That it is contrary to the policy of good government to encourage litigation, and that the allowing 10 per cent, on judgments and the collecting of attorneys’ fees from the defendant encourages litigation and favors capital, and is a source of corruption, subserves no good purpose, and, therefore, ought to be remedied by appropriate legislation. Resolved, That the present Assessment law of real estate imposes nnequal and unjust burdens on the producing class, and favors capital and corporate wealth, and we demand its speedy amendment.’ Resolved, That we demand a change in onr Grand Jury system that their jurisdiction extend to felonies only. Resolved, That no party is worthy our confidence which denies the right of the peoplo to restrict the abuses of the liquor traffic. STATE FARMERS’ ASSOCIATION. The Indiana State Farmers’ Association was permanently organized on the 10th by the adoption of a constitution and by-laws and the election of officers. A resolution was adopted declaring as follows: That this Association is to work in conjunction with the Patrons of Husbandry politically, and, as that Order is not a political Order, we invite them to join with ns politically, the object of the organization being the promotion of the educational, agricultural and all material interests of the Indiyidnais comprising the Association. The next meeting of the Association will be held in Indiauapolistke second" ~ WedhesdayofTanu ary, 1875.