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"The People's party assembled in National Convention, reaffirms its allegiance to the principles declared by the founders of the republic, and also to the fundamental principles of just government as enunciated in the platform of the party in 1892 We recognize that, through the connivance of the present and preceding administrations, the country has reached a crisis in its national life, as predicted in our declaration four years ago, and that prompt and patriotic action is the supreme duty of the hour.

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INCOME TAX.-"We demand a grad-d uated income tax, to the end that gregated wealth shall bear its just portion of taxation, and we regard the Supreme recent decision of and an relative to the Income Tax law as a misof Coninterpretation of the Constitution invasion of the rightful powers gress over the subject of taxation." POSTAL BANKS.-"We demand postal savings banks be established by the Government for the safe deposit of the savings of the people and to facilitate exchange.

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RAILROADS.-"Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, the Government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people and on a non-partisan basis, to the end that the that all may be accorded the same treatment in transportation, and which We realize that while we have political tyranny and political power now exercised independence, our financial and industrial by the great railroad corporations independence is yet to be attained by reresult in the impairment, if not the deof the functions storing to our country the constitutional struction, of the political rights and pergovernment, control and exercise to sonal liberties of the citizen, may be depeople's a stroyed. Such ownership is to be accomnecessary which functions have been basely surplished gradually in a manner corsistent DEBTS. "The rendered by our public servants to with sound public policy." more has been porate monopolies. The influence of Eurothe pean money changers potent in shaping legislation than voice of the American people. Executive power and patronage have been used to corrupt our Legislatures and defeat the will of the people, and plutocracy has thereby been enthroned upon the ruins of democracy. To restore the Government intended by the fathers, and for the welfare and prosperity of this and future we demand the establishgenerations, ment of an economic and financial system which shall make us masters of our own affairs and independent of European control, by the adoption of the following:

NATIONAL MONEY.-"We demand a national money, safe and sound, issued by the general Government only, without the intervention of banks of issue, to be a full legal tender for all debts, public and private; a just, equitable, and efficient means of distribution direct to the people and through the lawful disbursements of the Government."

SILVER.-"We demand the free and unrestricted coinage of silver and gold at the present legal ratio of sixteen to one, without waiting for the consent of foreign nations."

CIRCULATION.-"We demand the vol-
ume of circulating medium be speedily
increased to an amount sufficient to meet
the demands of the business and popula-
tion, and to restore the just level of prices
of labor and production."

BOND ISSUE.-"We denounce the sale
of bonds and the increase of the public
interest-bearing debt made by the present
Administration as unnecessary and with-
out authority of law, and demand that no
more bonds be issued except by specific
We demand such legis-
act of Congress.
lation as will prevent the demonetization
of the lawful money of the United States
by private contract. We demand that the
in payment of its obliga-
Government,
tions, shall use its option as to the kind
of lawful money in which they are to be
paid, and we denounce the present and
preceding Administrations for surrender-
ing this option to the holders of Govern-
ment obligations."

PACIFIC RAILROAD interest of the United States in the public highways built with public moneys, and the proceeds of extensive grants of land to the Pacific railroads, should never be alienated, mortgaged, or sold, but guarded and protected for the general welfare as provided by the laws organizing such roads on these railroads. The foreclosure of existing liens United States of the should at once follow default in the payment thereof by the debtor companies; and at the foreclosure sales of said roads the Government shall purchase the same be purif it becomes necessary to protect its interests therein, or if they can chased at a reasonable price; and the Government shall operate said railroads as public highways for the benefit of the whole people, and not in the interest of provisions for the few, under suitable protection of life and property, giving to all transportation interests equal privileges infamous and equal rates for fares and freights. the present We denounce schemes for refunding these debts, and demand that the laws now applicable thereto be executed and administered according to their interest and spirit."

TELEGRAPH."The telegraph, 'like the postoffice system, being a necessity for the transmission of news, should be owned and operated by the Government in the interest of the people."

LAND.-"True policy demands that the enable every National and State legislation shall be will ultimately as such prudent and industrious citizen to secure a home, and therefore the land should not be monopolized for speculative purposes. All lands now held by railroads and other of their actual corporations in excess needs should by lawful means be reclaimed by the Government and held for actual settlers only, and private land We condemn the monopoly, as well as alien ownership, should be prohibited. land grant frauds by which the Pacific railroad companies have, through the connivance of the Interior Department, robbed multitudes of actual bona fide set

tlers of their homes and miners of their claims, and we demand legislation by Congress which will enforce the exception of mineral land from such grants after as well as before the patent. We demand that bona fide settlers on all public lands be granted free homes, as provided in the National Homestead law, and that no exception be made in the case of Indian reservations when opened for settlement, and that all lands not now patented come under this demand."

DIRECT LEGISLATION.-"We favor a system of direct legislation through the initiative and referendum, under proper constitutional safeguards."

GENERAL PROPOSITIONS.-"We demand the election of President, VicePresident, and United States Senators by a direct vote of the people. We tender to the patriotic people of Cuba our deepest sympathy in their heroic struggle for political freedom and independence, and we believe the time has come when the United States, the great republic of the world, should recognize that Cuba is and of right ought to be a free and independent State.

"We favor home rule in the Territories and the District of Columbia and the early admission of the Territories as

States.

"All public salaries should be made to correspond to the price of labor and its products.

"In times of great industrial depression idle labor should be employed on public works as far as practicable.

"The arbitrary course of the courts in assuming to imprison citizens for indirect contempt and ruling them by injunction should be prevented by proper legislation.

"We favor just pensions for our disabled Union soldiers.

"Believing that the elective franchise and an untrammelled ballot are essential to government of, for, and by the people, the People's party condemn the wholesale system of disfranchisement adopted in some of the States as unrepublican and undemocratic, and we declare it to be the duty of the several State Legislatures to take such action as will secure a full, free, and fair ballot and an honest count. "While the foregoing propositions constitute the platform upon which our party stands, and for the vindication of which its organization will be maintained, we recognize that the great and pressing issue of the pending campaign upon which the present election will turn is the financial question, and upon this great and specific issue between the parties we cordially invite the aid and co-operation of all organizations and citizens agreeing with us upon this vital question."

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A minority submitted a substitute platform, taking the ground that the one of the majority was too elaborate and much like that adopted at the Democratic Convention. The substitute denounced "the methods and policies of the Democratic and Republican parties" for their "mutual co-operation with the money power''; also their policies of tariff and the issuance of interest-bearing United States bords in time of peace; demanded a National currency; the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at a ratio of 16 to 1; that the circulating medium

shall consist of gold, silver and paper currency; a graduated income tax; economy in Federal administration; Government ownership of the telegraph and telephone; the prohibition of alien ownership of land and pauper immigration, and legislation by means of the initiative and referendum. The minority platform was overwhelmingly defeated, and the majority platform, as above, was adopted.

SILVER PARTY.

The first National Convention of the Silverites met at St. Louis on July 22, 1896. Francis G. Newlands, of Nevada, was made temporary chairman, and W. P. St. John, of New-York, was permanent chairman. William J. Bryan and Arthur Sewall, the candidates of the Democratic Convention for President and Vice-President, respectively, were indorsed on July 24, by acclamation.

THE PLATFORM.

The following is the platform as adopted on July 23:

MONEY.-"The National Silver party of America, in convention assembled, hereby adopts the following declaration of principles:

"The paramount issue at this time in the United States is indisputably the money question. It is between the British gold standard, gold bonds and bank currency on the one side, and the bimetallic standard, no bonds, Government currency (and an American policy) on the other. On this issue we declare ourselves to be in favor of a distinctively American financial system. We are unalterably opposed to the single gold standard and demand the immediate return to the constitutional standard of gold and silver, by the restoration by this Government, independently of any foreign power, of the unrestricted coinage of both gold and silver into standard money at the ratio of 16 to 1, and upon terms of exact equality as they existed prior to 1873; the silver coin to be of full legal-tender, equally with gold, for all debts and dues, public and private; and we demand such legislation as will prevent for the future the destruction of the legal-tender quality of any kind of money by private contract. hold that the power to control and regulate a paper currency is inseparable from the power to coin money, and hence that all currer.cy intended to circulate as money should be issued and its volume controlled by the General Government only, and should be a legal-tender."

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BOND ISSUE. "We are unalterably opposed to the issue by the United States of interest-bearing bonds in time of peace, and we denounce as a blunder worse than a crime the present Treasury policy, concurred in by a Republican House. of plunging the country into debt by hundreds of millions in the vain attempt to maintain the gold standard by borrowing gold; and we demand the payment of all coin obligations of the United States as provided by existing laws, in either gold or silver coin, at the option of the Government and not at the option of the creditor. The demonetization of silver in 1873 enormously increased the demand for gold, enhancing its purchasing power and lowering all prices measured by that

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standard; and since that unjust and inde-
fensible act the prices of American prod-
ucts have fallen upon an average nearly
50 per cent, carrying down with them
Such fall of
proportionately the money value of all
other forms of property.
prices has destroyed the profits of legiti-
mate industry, injuring the producer for
the benefit of the non-producer, increas-
ing the burden of the debtor, swelling the
gains of the creditor, paralyzing the pro-
ductive energies of the American people,
relegating to idleness vast numbers of
willing workers, sending the shadows of
despair into the home of the honest toiler,
Alling the land with tramps and paupers,
and building up colossal fortunes at the
In the effort to maintain
money centres.
the gold standard, the country has, within
the last two years, in a time of profound
peace and plenty, been loaded down with
$262,000,000 of additional interest-bearing
debt under such circumstances as to allow
a syndicate of native and foreign bankers
to realize a net profit of millions on a
single deal."

GOLD. "It stands confessed that the
gold standard can only be upheld by so
depleting our paper currency as to force
the prices of our products below the Euro-
pean, and even below the Asiatic level, to
enable us to sell in foreign markets, thus
degrading
aggravating the very evils of which our
bitterly complain,
people so
American labor and striking at the foun-
dations of our civilization itself. The ad-
vocates of the gold standard persistently
claim that the real cause of our distress
is overproduction; that we have produced
so much that it made us poor-which im-
plies that the true remedy is to close the
factory, abandon the farm and throw a
multitude of people out of employment; a
doctrine that leaves us unnerved and dis-
heartened and absolutely without hope for
the future.

Over and

We affirm to be unquestioned
that there can be no such economic para-
dox as over-production, and at the same
time tens eof thousands of our fellow-
citizens remaining half-clothed and half-
fed, and who are piteously clamoring for
the common necessities of life.
above all other questions of policy, we are
in favor of restoring to the people of the
United States the time-honored money of
the Constitution-gold and silver, not one,
but both-the money of Washington and
Hamilton, and Jefferson and Monroe, and
Jackson and Lincoln, to the end that the
American people may receive honest pay
for an honest product; that the American
debtor may pay his just obligations in an
honest standard, and not in a dishonest
and unsound standard, appreciated 100 per
cent in purchasing power and no appreci-
ation in debt-paying power, and to the
end, further, that silver-standard coun-
tries may be deprived of the unjust ad-
vantage they now enjoy, in the difference
in exchange between gold and silver-an
advantage which tariff legislation cannot
We therefore confidently ap-
overcome.
peal to the perple of the United States to
hold in abeyance all other questions, how-
ever important and even momentous they
may appear: to sunder, if need be, all
former party ties and affiliations, and
unite in one supreme effort to free them-
selves and their children from the domi-
nation of the money power-a power more

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any destructive than any which has ever been fastened upon the civilized men of And, upon the conrace or in any age. summation of our desires and efforts, we evoke the aid of all patriotic American citizens and the gracious favor of Divine the patriotic Inasmuch Providence. majority of the Chicago Convention in the bodied in the financial plank of its platBimetallic form the principles enunciated American of the platform party, promulgated at Washington, D. January 22, 1896, and herein reiterated, which is not only the paramount but the only real issue in the pending campaign, therefore, recognizing that their nominees these patriotic principles, embody recommend that this Convention nominate for William J. Bryan, of Nebraska, for President, and Arthur Sewall, of Maine. Vice-President."

PROHIBITION.

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The National Convention of the Prohibition party was held at Pittsburg, Penn., Joshua Levering, of MaryMay 28, 1896. land, was nominated for President, and Hale Johnson, of Illinois, for Vice-President. Close to midnight, when contribuWoman's tions to the campaign fund were being Free Silver, received, Suffrage and Populist delegates, numbering about 200, bolted the convention. THE PLATFORM.

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the Committee The majority of Resolutions reported a platform, the first six planks of which were adopted unanimously by the committee, and were denunciatory of the liquor traffic and prono citizen posed straightout prohibition. The seventh which declared that plank, should be denied the right to vote on account of sex, was adopted by only a small The other planks, which majority. ferred to one day's rest a week, the English language in non-sectarian schools, the election of President, Vice-President and Senators directly by the people, liberal pensions, exclusion of pauper and criminal emigrants, arbitration, etc., there was some division on.

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The minority reported a platform which contained this money plank:

"Resolved, That all money be issued by the Government only and without the intervention of any private citizen, corporaIt should be tion or banking institution. based upon the wealth, stability and integrity of the Nation, and be full legal tender for all debts, public and private, and should be of sufficient volume to meet the demands of the legitimate business interests in this country and for the purpose of honestly liquidating all our outstanding obligations payable in coin. We demand the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at a ratio of 16 to 1 without consulting any other nation." The other points on which the minority Preserving public action were: asked lands from monopoly and speculation; Government control of railroads and telegraphs; favoring an income tax and imposing only such import duties as are necessary to secure equitable commercial relations with other nations; favoring the adoption of the initiative and referendum as a means of obtaining free expression of the popular will. On the motion to make these recommendations part of the

majority report the fight began. A vote to lay it on the table resulted in 492 nays, 310 yeas. The free silver plank was defeated by a vote of 427 nays to 387

yeas.

A substitute platform was proposed by Mr. Patton, of Illinois, which omitted mention of every subject, woman suffrage included, except prohibition, and it was adopted and became the sole platform of the party. The following is the full text: "The Prohibition party, in National Convention assembled, declares its firm conviction that the manufacture, exportation, importation and sale of alcoholic beverages has produced such social, commercial, industrial and political wrongs and is now so threatening the perpetuity of all our social and political institutions that the suppression of the same by a national party organized therefor is the greatest object to be accomplished by the voters of our country, and is of such importance as that it, of right, ought to control the political action of all our patriotic citizens until such suppression is accomplished. The urgency of this cause demands the union without further delay of all citizens who desire the prohibition of the liquor traffic.

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"Therefore, be it resolved, That favor the legal prohibition by State and National legislation of the manufacture, importation, exportation, interstate transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages.

"That we declare our purpose to organize and invite all the friends of prohibition into our party, and in order to Accomplish this end we declare it but right to leave every Prohibitionist the freedom of his own conscience upon all other political questions, and trust representatives to take legislative action upon cther political questions as the changes occasioned by prohibition and the welfare of the whole people shall demand."

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PROHIBITION BOLTERS. The new National party (Prohibition bolters) held its first convention at Pittsburg, Penn., on May 28, 1896. Rev. Charles E. Bentley, of Nebraska, was nominated for President, and J. H. Southgate, of North Carolina, was nominated fr Vice-President. On the money question the platform said: "All money should be issued by the general Government only, and without the intervention of any private citizen, Corporation, or banking institution. should be based upon the wealth, stability and integrity of the nation. It should be a full legal tender for all debts, public and Pirate, and should be of sufficient volme to meet the demands of the legitimate business interests of the country. For the purpose of honestly liquidating ur outstanding coin obligations we favor the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold, at the ratio of 16 to 1, ithout consulting any other nation." SOCIALIST-LABOR.

The National Convention of the Socialist-Labor party held in New-York City

July 9, 1896, nominated Charles H. Matchett, of New-York, for President, and Mathew Maguire, of New-Jersey, for Vice-President. The platform, divided into twenty-one items, was as follows:

"With a view to immediate improvement in the condition of labor we present the following demands: Reduction of the hours of labor in proportion to the progress of production. The United States to obtain possession of the mines, railroads, canals, telegraphs, telephones and all other means of public transportation and communication; the employees to operate the same co-operatively under control of the Federal Government and to elect their Own superior officers, but no employe shall be discharged for political reasons. The municipalities to obtain possession of the local railroads, ferries, water works, gas works, electric plants and all industries requiring municipal franchises; the employes to operate the same co-operatively under control of the municipal administration and to elect their own superior officers, but no employe shall be discharged for political reasons. The public lands to be declared inalienable, revocation of all land grants to corporations or individuals, the conditions of which have not been complied with. The United States to have the exclusive right to issue money. Congressional legislation providing for the scientific management of forests and waterways, and prohibiting the waste of the natural resources of the country. Inventions to be free to all; the inventors to be remunerated by the nation. Progressive income tax and tax on inheriances; the smaller incomes to be exempt. School education of all children under fourteen years of age to be compulsory, gratuitous and accessible to all by public assistance in meals, clothing, books, etc., where necessary. Repeal of all pauper, tramp, conspiracy and sumptuary laws. Unabridged right of combination. Prohibition of the employment of children of school age and the employment of female labor in occupations detrimental to health or morality. Abolition of the convict labor contract system. Employment of the unemployed by the public authorities (county, city, State and Nation). All wages to be paid in lawful money of the United States; equalization of women's wages with those of men where equal service is performed. Laws for the protection of life and limb in all occupations, and an efficient employers' liability law. The people to have the right to propose laws and to vote upon all measures of importance, according to the referendum principle. Abolition of the veto power of the Executive (National, State and municipal), wherever it exists. Abolition of the United States Senate and all upper legislative chambers. Municipal self-government. Direct vote and secret ballots in all elections; universal and equal right of suffrage without regard to color, creed or sex; election days to be legal holidays; the principle of proportional representation to be introduced. All public officers to be subject to recall by their respective constituencies. Uniform civil and criminal law throughout the United States: administration of justice to be free of charge; abolition of capital punishment.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL LEAGUE. August 26, 1896.-"We heartily indorse the platform adopted at St. Louis by the National Republican Convention, June 17, 1895. The Republican party was right

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when it elected Abraham Lincoln. It was right in its effort to save the Union. It was right when it struck the chains from 4,000,000 slaves and made them free men. It was right in carrying into successful operation the resumption of specie payment. It was right in making Protection to American industries a cardinal doctrine of the American people. It was right in insisting that Reciprocity should be come It is the permanent law of the land. right now and always has been right in advocating a safe and stable currency, worth its face the world over, whether It was in the hands of rich or poor. right when it confided in the leadership of Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and Harrison. It was right when it nominated William McKinley, of Ohio, and Garret A. Hobart, of New-Jersey, and we pledge them our hearty and loyal support.

We believe that a return to the Republican policy of protection is as essential to the solvency of the Nation as is the

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maintenance of the present financial standard to her credit and honor. cheap dollar means low wages, a financial panic, distress to the people, obligations repudiated, a dishonored country, a blot on our fair history. The Republican party stands for honest money, honest treatment of our country's defenders, an honest system of revenue, protecting our industries and producing sufficient income to conduct the affairs of the Nation, an honest system of exchange with foreign countries, as embodied in the reciprocity idea of the immortal Blaine, an honest administration of public affairs.

The name of its candidates is synonymous with honesty, patriotism, statesmanship and the highest ideal of life, duty and government. Our policies and candidates inspire the student, quicken the best thought of the voter, elevate the citizen and add new lustre to our country's history.

POLITICAL STATE PLATFORMS.

ALABAMA.

REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

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April 28, 1896.-We contend for honest money, for a currency of gold, silver and to measure our expaper, with which change, that shall be as sound as the as untarnished Government and as honor, and to that end we favor bimetallism and demand the use of both gold and silver as standard money, under such restrictions to be determined by legislation as will secure the maintenance of the parities of the values of the two metals; also, that the purchasing and debt-paying power of the dollar, whether of gold, silver or paper, shall be at all times equal, and we believe the best way to continue the parity of our dollars and at the same time enlarge the circulating medium commensurate with the growth of population is the unlimited use of the domestic silver product of our own monetary system and the prohibition of foreign silver, modified by financial reciprocity.

We are unalterably opposed to any scheme that will give to this country a depreciated and debased

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currency. favor the use of silver as currency, but to the extent only that its parity with gold can be maintained, and in consequence are opposed to a free and unlimited and independent coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. We believe that every American dollar should be an honest 100-cent dollar, always and everywhere, whether gold, silver or paper.

DEMOCRATIC.

April 22, 1896.-The platform favors the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the ratio of 16 to 1, as the standard money of the country, without dismetal crimination either and against without the consent of foreign nations. It also calls for the repeal of the 10 per cent tax on State bank issues, and for the government of the State by white men. President Cleveland was commended for his attitude on the Monroe Doctrine, but The his financial policy was condemned.

minority report, which was in opposition to free coinage, was tabled by a vote of 331 to 173. The National Convention delegates were instructed to vote as a unit for free silver.

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SOUND MONEY DEMOCRATS. August 27, 1896. Resolutions unanimously adopted indorsing Secretary Herbert's course in bolting the Chicago Convention; declaring in favor of nominating a National Democratic candidate in each district in Alabama; deploring the death of ex-Governor Russell of Massachusetts; indorsing the action of the National Provisional Executive Committee, and especially the work of J. M. Falkner, Alabama's member; providing for a thorough organization in every county in Alathe National bama; demanding that Democracy be treated fairly at the polls in Alabama; declaring in favor of the Indianapolis Convention placing a National ticket in the field.

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