The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 21, 1892 Page: 10 of 16
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10
SOUTHERN MEECUEY.
July 21,1892
National and State Platform.
PREAMBLE.
Assembled upon the 116th anniversary of
the declaration of independence, the People's
Party of America, in its first national conven-
tion Invoking upon its action the blessings of
Almighty God, puts forth in his name, and on
behalf of the people of this country the fol-
lowing preamble and declaration of principles
and the conditions which surround us best
justify our co-operation. We meet in the
midst of a nation brought to the verge of
political and material ruin. Corruption dom-
inates the ballot-box, legislatures, congress,
and touches even the ermine of the bench.
The people are demoralized, and most of the
states have bgen compelled to isolate voters
at polling places to'prevent universal intimi-
dation and bribery. The newspapers largely
subsidized or muzzled, public opinion is si-
lenced, business is prostrated. our homes are
covered with mort /ages, labor is Impover-
ished and land is concent ra ting in the hands
of capitalists. Urbane workmen are denied
the risrht of organization for self protection,
imported pauperized labor beats down wages,
a hireling standintr army unrecognized by our
laws is established to shoot them down and
the.v are rapidly dogencratintr into European
conditions. The fruits of millions are boldly
stolen to build up'colossal fortunes for a few,
unprecedented in the history of mankind and
the possessors of these in turn .despise the
republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific womb of govern-
mental injustice, we breed two great clusses—
tramps and millionaires, Tne national power
to create money is appropriated to enrich
bondholders and the vast public debt, paynble
in legal tender currency hns been funded into
rold-bcarinp bonds, thereby adding millions
to the burdens of the people. Silver, which
has been a coin since the dawn of history, has
been demonetized to add to the purchasing
power of gold, by decreasing the value of all
forms of property as woll as human Inbor, and
the supply of currency Is purposnly abridged
to fatten usurers, bunkrupt enterprises and
enslave Industry* A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two conti-
nents and is rapidly taking possession of the
world. If not met and overthrown at once,
it forebodes terrible social convulsions, the
destruction of civilization or the establish-
ment of absolute despotism.
Wo have witnessed for moro than a quarter
of a century'the struggles of tho great politi-
cal parties for power and plunder, while
grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon suf-
fering people. We charge that the controlling
Influences dominating both these parties have
permlttod the existlnir dreadful conditions to
develop without a serious effort to prevent or
restrain them. Neither do they promise any
substantial reform. They have agreed to-
gether to ignore in the coming campaign
every issue but one. They propose to drown
out the cries of tho plundered people with the
uproar of a sham bnltle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks,
trusts, watered stocks, demoneization of silver
and oppression of usurers may all tie km, siirlit
of. They proposo to sacrifice our homes, lives
and children on tho altar of Mammon, to de-
stroy the multitude in order to secure corrup
tion funds from the millionaires. Assembled
on tho anniversary of the birthday of tho na-
tion, and filled with a spirit of the crand gen-
eration who established our independence we
seek to restore the irovernmont of the repub-
lic to the hands of the plain people with whose
class it originated.
We assert our purposes to be identical with
the purposes of the nntional constitution—to
form a more perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for com-
mon defense, promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty for our-
selves and our posterity. We declare thnt tlils*
republic can onlv ondnreas a free overnmont
while built upon the love of the whole people
for each other and for the nation, thnt. It can-
not bo nlnned together by the bavonot, that
the civil war Is over and every passion and re-
sentment which grow out of It must dlo with
it, and that wo must in fact as in name, be one
united brotherhood of freemen,
'Hir countrv finds Itself confronted by con-
ditions for which there Is no precedent in the
history of the world. Our annual agricultural
productions amount to billions of dollars In
value, which must within n few weeks per-
haps, bo "xchnnged for billion dollar commod-
ities consumed in their production. The ex-
isting currency Bupply is wholly Inadequate to
make this exchange. Tho results are talllmr
orlces, formation of oombines and rings and
the impoverishment, of the producing 0*088.
We pledge ourselves that If trlven power we
will labor to correct these evils by wise and
reasonable legislation in accordance with the
term* of our platforms. Wo believe the pow-
ers of government, should be expanded, as in
the oase of the postal service, rapidlv and
as the good sense of an intelligent, people and
the teachings of oxperlence shall Justify, to
end that oppression, injustice and poverty
shall eventually cea«eln the land. While our
sympathies as a party of reform are naturally
upon the side of every proposition which will
tend to make men intelligent, virtuous and
temperate, wo will nevertheless, regard these
questions as secondary to the grear issues now
pressing for solution, and upon which not
only our Individual prosperity, but the very
oxistence of free institutions depend, and we
ask all men to first help us determine whether
we are to have tho republic to administer be-
fore we differ as to tjio conditions upon which
it is to be administered. Believing the foroos
of reform this day organized will nev r cease
to move forward until every wrong is reme-
died and equal rights and equal privileges
securely established tor all men and women in
tbts country.
We declare therefore, first, the union of the
labor forces of tho United States this day con-
summated shall be permanent and perpetual.
May its soirlt come Into all héarts for the sal-
vation of the republic and the uplifting of
raatfrind"
9. vfeattfr belongs to him ^Jjo creates it and
nvtñrñtmmr talton from Industry without an
equivalent is robberv. "If he will not work
neither shall he eat." The Interests of rural
and civio labor are the same, their enemies
are identical,
8. We brieve tho time has come when rail-
road corporations will either own the people
or the people must own the railroads, and
ihould the government enter upon the work
Of owning and managing any or all railroads
we should favor an amendment to the consti-
tution by which all persons engaged in gov -
ernment services be placed under civil service
regulations of the most rigid charaoter so as
to prevent an increase of power of the na-
tional administration by the use of such addi-
tional goverment employes.
NATIONAL PLATFORM,
riXANCB.
Fir3t—We demand a national currency, safe
«ound, and flexible, issued by the general
government only, which shall bo a full legal
tender for all debts, publio and private, and
that without the use of banking corporations,
a just, equitable and efficient means of distri-
bution direct to 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 some better systems; also by pay-
ments in discharge of its obligations for pub-
lio improvements.
a. We demand the free and unlimited coin-
age of silver and gold at the present legal ratio
of 10 to 1.
b. We demand that the amount of the circu-
lating medium be speedily increased to not
loss than $00 per capita.
c. Wo demand a graduated income tax.
d. We believe that the money of the
country should be kept as much as possible in
the hands of the people, and hence we demand
that all national and state revenue shall be
limited to the necessary expenses of the gov-
ernment, economically and honestly adminis-
ter* d.
We demand that postal savings banks be
established by tho government for the safe de-
posit of the earnings of the people, and to
facilitate exchange.
LAND.
Second—The land, Including all the natural
resources of wealth, 19 the heritage of the peo-
ple and should not be monopolized for specula-
tive purposes, and alien ownership of land
should be prohibited. AH land now held by
railroads and other corporations in excess of
their actual needs and all lands now owned by
aliens should be reclaimed by the gonernment
and held for actual settlers only.
TRANSPORTATION.
Third—Transportation being a means of ex-
change and a publio necessity, the government
should own and operate the railroads in the in-
terests of the people.
a. The telegraph and telephone, like the
post-ofllce system, being a necessity for the
transmission of news, should be owned and
operated by tho government in the interest of
tho people.
STATE PLATFORM.
Section 1. All the public lands of Texas re-
maining and that can be recovered should be
reserved as homesteads for actual settlers. All
lands heretofore granted to individuals or
corporations in which the grantees have not
complied with the conditions of the grant
should be forfeited to the state for homestead
purposes', no alien ownership of lands should *
bo allowed In Texas. Corpor tions shall n"t be
allowed to own more land than they actually ;
use in tho prosecution of their business. |
Sec. 2. We favor an effective system of pub- ,
He schools for six months in tho year for all
tihi dren between the ages of 0 and 20. Wo de-
mand the adoption of a uniform series of text
books f"i* the publio schools of this state and
that thev be published at the expense of the
state, and furnished to tho children in the
schools at cost.
Sec. 3 We demand an amendment to our
state consutution authorizing the loaning of
our permanent school fund not otherwise in-
vest d. up n lands of the people of this state,
• t« low rate of interest with proper limita-
tions upon tne quantity of land and tho
amount of money.
See. 4. Wo demand reformation in the pun-
ishment of convicts that convict labor be
taken out of competition with citizen labor:
that oonvicts be given intellectual and moral
instructions, and that the earnings of the con-
vict, bovo the expense of keeping, shall go
to his family.
Seo. r>. Wo demand that railroads be com-
pelled to pav their employes monthly In the
lawful money of the country, and in cose of
discharge bepald at the nearest station imme-
diately upon tliolr discharge.
See. 0. Wo demand fair elections and an
honest count of the votoa, under either tho
Australian or some similar system of voting.
Soo. 7. Wo favor a railway commission with
power to fix and maintain rates that will in-
sure equal and exact justice to the peoplo and
the railways. Tho commission to bo compos
ed of throe qualified citizens of the state to bo
elected by a dircct vote of the people. But
we regard government ownership as the ulti-
mate solution of the railroad problem in the
limits of tho state.
S o. 8. Wo demand an efficient lien law, that
will protect the artisan, mechanic, laborer and
material men.
Sec. 9. We demand that a law be passed de
daring olght hours to be a legal day's work,
where it is not otherwise provided by con-
tract. . ,
Sec.lO.We demand thit the maximum salari-
es of county officers shall not exceed 820001
annum, after all expenses of any suoh office
have been paid, and all surplus in excess of
such salary and expenses shall be paid into
and become a part of the available publio
school fund of such county and that said ex-
cess be prorated In suoh counties.
Sec. 11. Wo demand the estabtishment of a
state bureau of labor. We favor the creation
of a s ate board of arbitration to adjust all
differences between corporations and em-
Galveston Bagging and Cordage Co.
.Joe 12." We demand that commissioners'courts
bo not allowed to contraot a delt against a
county for more than ¿i,000, unless the same
be ordered by a maj >rlty vote of the county.
Sec 13. We favor suoh a ohange in the consti-
tution as shallprohibit national bankers and
members of nulway, telegraph an "
companies and their attorneys, or.
have held such positions within two years
if
or: who shall
irior to an eleotion from holding any legisla-
iva or Judicial office within this state.
We don't need any inore of the
sort of colleges that create the im.
pression that higher education has
quit associaing with honest toil.
/
Capacity 8,000,000 Yards Jute Bagging annually. Large production of baling twines. Pre-
pared to meet all competition.
Officers: B. Adoue, President; W. F. Ladd, Secretary and Treasury; W. S. Davis, Vice
President; F. J. Demerit, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer; E. L. Andrews, Salosman.
Factory 38th and Avenue G, Office 28th Street and Strand.
ISTON. TB
Mention the Meroury when you write.
tTETRICYCLE SULKY PLOW
We have made exhaustive tests of several valu-
able improvements on the TRICYCLE during
the past year, and they prove to be valuable
addition* to the plow. These experiments
have not been made at the farmer'* expense.
We spend thousands of dollars annually in test-
ing our improvements, (many makers of plows
do it at your expense, detriment and loss.) We
are therefore able to place
before our patrons goods of
known reliability, and which
can be purchased with perfect
safety. Space forbids Riving
a description of the TRICYCLE
here. Our circulars, which are
mailed free to any address, give
full description and testimon-
ials. We will say. however, that
for durability, lightness of draft,
ease of management and perfect
work in Texas Black, Waxy
■log Wallow Land the Tricycle
-s " in it," and is warranted as rep.
resented or money will be refunded.
We manufacture all kinds of «an* Plow*, Dlik Harrow*, Steel
Canton Clipper Plow*, and are State Agent for the world-renowned Superior «rain Prill*,
Slower*, Hay Presses, Pitt* Threshers. Wagon Seales^Sweep Baltes. So^um Hill*
and Evaporator*, Bumle*, Carriage*. Cart*. Harnea*. Bain, Cooper and Old* Wagon*.
Write us for your wants. PARLIN St- ORENDORIT CO. Mfr*„ P ALLAS.TEX.
Wit h Front or Flat Top Feeders and Condensers.
PRATT HULLER GINS.
HOWARD F. SMITH, Manager, HOUSTON, TEXAS.
ALSO DEALER IN WW*
Engines. Bjilers, Self-Packing Cottoa Presses, Cotton Elevators, Straub™ Mills,
Scales, Belting, Etc.
hü8uBAIHIÜ!!&£9S
TOE KING OF WA60NS
3' raiJj
FARMERS, a word to you
about WAGONS f
Tbere is no country that requires as strictly a first-class
Wagon as Texas, because its changeable climate subjects
the material to much swelling and shrinking; therefore it
is folly to bay any but the best. The BAOÍ Waj
has stood the test of forty years, and Its quality
never been sacrificed to meet the demand for a low
Wacon
y nas
priced Wagon. It Is to-day the King of Wagons. Tho
Ifrt finished, best Ironed, most durable aad
lightest Draft W agon made. Ask your dealer for It and
take no other. Write us for circulars and prices, deliv-
ered if you can't get them from him. mentioning this
jpaper. Also State Agents for COOPEB 4k STEBUNU
PA RUN * 0REND0RFF CO., State Acento, DALLAS,TEXAS,
V
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Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 11, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 21, 1892, newspaper, July 21, 1892; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185474/m1/10/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .