REPUBLICAN. one free and unrestricted ballot in all public elections and that such ballot shall be counted and returned as cast; that such laws shall be enacted and enforced as will secure to every citizen, be he rich or poor, native or foreign born, white or black, this sovereign right guaranteed by the Constitution. The free and honest popular ballot, the just and equal representation of all the people, as well as their just and equal protection under the laws, are the foundation of our republican institutions, and the party will never relax its efforts until the integrity of the ballot and the purity of elections shall be fully guaranteed and protected in every State. We denounce the continued inhuman outrages perpe trated apon American citizens for polical reasons in certain Southern States of the Union. DEMOCRATIC. tion of their free institutions, that the policy of Federal control of elections to which the Republican party has committed itself is fraught with the gravest dangers, scarcely less momentous than would result from a revolution practically establishing a monarchy on the ruins of the republic. It strikes at the North as well as the South, and injures the colored citizen even more power, than the white; it means a horde of deputy marshals at every polling place, armed with Federal returning boards appointed and controlled by Federal authority; the outrage of the electoral rights of the people in the several States; the subjugation of the colored people to the control of the party in power and the reviving of race antagonisms, now happily abated, of the utmost peril to the safety and happiness of all-a measure deliberately and justly described by a leading Republican Senator as "the most infamous bill that ever crossed the threshold of the Senate." Such a policy, if sanctioned by law, would mean the dominance of a self-perpetuating oligarchy of officeholders, and the party first intrusted with its machinery could be dislodged from power only by an appeal to the reserved right of the people to resist op pression which is inherent in all selfgoverning communities. Two years ago this revolutionary policy was emphatically condemned by the people at the polls; but, in contempt of that verdict, the Republican party has defiantly declared, in its latest authoritative utterance, that its success in the coming elections will mean the enactment of the .Force bill and the usurpation of despotic control over elections in all the States. Believing that the preservation of republican government in the United States is dependent upon the defeat of this policy of legalized force and fraud, we invite the support of all citizens who desire to see the Constitution maintained in its integrity with the laws pursuant thereto which have given our country a hundred years of unexampled prosperity; and we pledge the Democratic party, if it be intrusted with power, not only to the defeat of the Force bill but also to relentless opposition to the Republican policy of profligate expenditure, which in the short space of two years has squandered an enormous surplus and emptied an overflowing Treasury, after piling new burdens of taxation upon the already overtaxed labor of the country. Civil Service, 1892. DEMOCRATIC. support, but this was denied by what were laws regulating the friends still painfully anxious. Gresham's composed largely of sented. his appointees, hold ing office at his The Ballot. The first ballot for President resulted as follows, only one ballot necessary, Weaver free popular institu- being successful: tions and a startling Alabama, Weaver, 43, Arkansas, Weaver illustration of the 12; Kyle, 20; California, Weaver, 25; methods by which a Colorado, Weaver, 6; Kyle, 10; ConnecPresident may ticut, Weaver, 8; Kyle, 2; Delaware, gratify his ambition. Weaver, 1; Florida, Weaver, 16; Georgia, We denounce a Weaver, 16; Kyle, 39; Idaho, Weaver, policy under which 12; Illinois, Weaver, 41; Kyle, 42; InFederal office- diana, Weaver 54; Kyle, 5; Norton, 1; holders usurp conIowa, Weaver, 52; Kansas, Weaver, trol of party con- 40; Kentucky, Weaver, 40; Louisiana, ventions in the Weaver, 32; Maine, Weaver, 6; Kyle, States, and we 3; Massachusetts, Weaver, 9; Kyle, 18; pledge the Demo-Page, 1; Michigan, Weaver, 56; Minne cratic party to the sota, Weaver, 27; Kyle, 9; Mississippi, reform of these and Weaver, 17; Missouri, Weaver, 61; Kyle, all other abuses; Montana, Kyle, 12; Nebraska, Weaver, which threaten in-23; Kyle, 3; Nevada, Kyle, 7; New dividual liberty and Jersey, Weaver, 4; New York, Weaver, local self-govern59; North Carolina, Weaver, 20; Kyle, 5; North Dakota, Weaver, 11; Kyle, 1; ment. Ohio, Weaver, 30; Kyle, 22: Oregon, Weaver, 16; Pennsylvania, Weaver, 29; Stanford, 1; South Dakota, Weaver, 1; Kyle, 15; Tennessee, Weaver, 45; Texas, The political wing of the Farmers' Al- Weaver, 60; Virginia, Weaver, 48; liance and the elements favoring the enter- Washington, Weaver, 15: West Virginia, ing of the Labor organizations into poli- Weaver, 17; Wisconsin, Weaver, 7; Kyle, tics, united in a National Convention at 41; Wyoming, Weaver, 3; District of Omaha on the 4th of July, 1892. This Columbia, Weaver, 8; Oklahoma, Weaver, Convention was the outcome of several 8. Total: Weaver, 995; Kyle, 265; previous efforts on the part of these several Norton, 1; Page, 1: Stanford, 1. organizations to enter national politics. In Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Ismany State Conventions of the Alliance land, South Carolina, Vermont, Alaska, its sub-treasury plan divided the organiza- Arizona, Indian Territory, New Mexico tion into two factions-political and non- and Utah are blank. The Third or People's Party. political, and as a result the representation Norton moved to make the nomination at Omaha did not reflect the views of the unanimous, and Schilling, of Wisconsin, entire organization. Washburn, of Massachusetts, and the Judge Gresham of Indiana, was promi- delegates from South Dakota, Montana nently named as a Presidential candidate, and Massachusetts seconded the motion. It and he finally consented to the use of his was carried with a hurrah and loud cheername if it could command unanimous ing. General James G. Field, of Virginia, the formation of combines and rings, the and of the Confederate service, was nomi- impoverishment of the producing class. nated on the first ballot for Vice President. We pledge ourselves that, if given power, we will labor to correct these evils by wise and reasonable legislation, in accordance with the terms of our platform. People's Party Platform. Preamble: Corruption dominates the ballot box, the Legislatures, the Congress The platform proper, declares: and touches even the ermine of the bench. First. That the union of the labor forces The people are demoralized, most of the of the United States this day consummated States have been compelled to isolate the shall be permanent and perpetual. May voters at the polling places to prevent uni- its spirit into all hearts for the salvation versal intimidation or bribery. The news- of the Republic aid the uplifting of manpapers are largely subsidized or muzzled, kind. public opinion silenced, business pros- Second.-Wealth belongs to him who trated, our homes covered with mortgages, creates it, and every dollar taken from inlabor impoverished and the land concen-dustry without an equivalent is robbery. trating in the hands of the capitalists. "If any will not work, neither shall he The urban workmen are denied the right eat." The interests of rural and civic of organization for self-protection; impor-labor are the same: their enemies are ted pauperized labor beats down their identical. wages; a hireling standing army, unrec- Third. We believe that the time has ognized by our laws, is established to shoot come when the railroad corporations will them down, and they are rapidly degenera- either own the people or the people must ting into Europern conditions. The fruits own the railroads, and should the governof the toil of millions are boldly stolen to ment enter upon the work of owning and build up colossal fortunes for a few, unpre- managing all railroads, we should favor an cedented in the history of mankind, and amendment to the Constitution by which the possessors of these in turn despise the all persons engaged in the government serrepublic and endanger liberty. From the vice shall be placed under a Civil Service same prolific womb of govermental injustice regulation of the most rigid character, so we breed the two great classes-tramps as to prevent the increase of the power of and millionares. the national administration by the use of The national power to create money is such additional government employés. appropriated to enrich bond-holders; a Finance.-We demand a national curvast public debt payable in legal tender rency, safe, sound and flexible, issued by currency has been funded into gold-bearing the general government only, a full legal bonds, thereby adding millions to the bur- tender for all debts, public and private, dens of the people. and that without the use of banking cor Silver, which has been accepted as coin porations, a just, equitable and efficient since the dawn of history, has been de- means of distribution direct to the people, monetized to add to the purchasing power at a tax rate not to exceed two per cent. of gold by decreasing the value of all per annum to be provided as set forth in forms of property as well as human labor, the sub-Treasury plan of the Farmers' and the supply of currency is purposely Alliance or a better system: also by payabridged to fatten usurers and bankrupt ments in discharge of its obligations for enterprise and slave industry. public improvements. (a).-We demand free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1. We declare that this republic can only endure as a free government while built upon the love of the whole people for each other and for the nation; that it cannot be (b).-We demand that the amount of pinned together by bayonets; that the circulating medium be speedily increased civil war is over, and that every passion to not less than $50 per capita. and resentment which grew out of it must (c). We demand a graduated income die with it, and that we must be, in fact, tax. as we are in name, one united brotherhood of free men. (d).-We believe that the money of the country should be kept as much as possiOur country finds itself confronted by ble in the hands of the people, and hence conditions for which there is no precedent we demand that all State and national in the history of the world. Our annual revenues shall be limited to the necessary agricultural productions amount to billions expenses of the government, economically of dollars in value, which must within a and honestly administered. few weeks or months be exchanged for (e).-We demand that postal savings billions of dollars of commodities consumed banks be established by the government for in their production. The existing currency the safe deposit of the earnings of the peosupply is wholly inadequate to make this ple and to facilitate exchange. exchange. The results are falling prices, Transportation.-Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, natural sources of wealth, is the heritage the government should own and operate of the people and should not be monopothe railroads in the interests of the people. lized for speculative purposes, and alien (a). The telegraph, telephone, like the ownership of land should be prohibited. post-office system, being a necessity for the All land now held by railroads and other transmission of news, should be owned and corporations in excess of their actual needs, operated by the government in the inter- and all lands now owned by aliens, should est of the people. be reclaimed by the government and held Land. The land, including all the for actual settlers only. |