Part 44

We arraign and condemn the Populist conventions of Chicago and St. Louis for their co-operation with the Republican party in creating these conditions, which are pleaded in justification of a heavy increase of the burdens of the people by a further resort to protection. We therefore denounce protection and its ally, free coinage of silver, as schemes for the personal profit of a few at the expense of the masses, and oppose the two parties which stand for these schemes as hostile to the people of the Republic, whose food and shelter, comfort and prosperity, are attacked by higher taxes and depreciated money. In fine, we reaffirm the historic Democratic doctrine of tariff for revenue only.

We demand that henceforth modern and liberal policies toward American shipping shall take the place of our imitation of the restricted statutes of the eighteenth century, which were long ago abandoned by every maritime power but the United States, and which, to the nation’s humiliation, have driven American capital and enterprise to the use of alien flags and alien crews, have made the Stars and Stripes almost an unknown emblem in foreign ports, and have virtually extinguished the race of American seamen. We oppose the pretence that discriminating duties will promote shipping; that scheme is an invitation to commercial warfare upon the United States, un-American in the light of our great commercial treaties, offering no gain whatever to American shipping, while greatly increasing ocean freights on our agricultural and manufactured products.

The experience of mankind has shown that, by reason of their natural qualities, gold is the necessary money of the large affairs of commerce and business, while silver is conveniently adapted to minor transactions, and the most beneficial use of both together can be insured only by the adoption of the former as a standard of monetary measure, and the maintenance of silver at a parity with gold by its limited coinage under suitable safeguards of law. Thus the largest possible enjoyment of both metals is gained with a value universally accepted throughout the world, which constitutes the only practical bimetallic currency, assuring the most stable standard, and especially the best and safest money for all who earn their livelihood by labor or the produce of husbandry. They cannot suffer when paid in the best money known to man, but are the peculiar and most defenceless victims of a debased and fluctuating currency, which offers continual profits to the money-changer at their cost.

Realizing these truths, demonstrated by long and public inconvenience and loss, the Democratic party, in the interests of the masses and of equal justice to all, practically established by the legislation of 1834 and 1853 the gold standard of monetary measurement, and likewise entirely divorced the Government from banking and currency issues. To this long-established Democratic policy we adhere, and insist upon the maintenance of the gold standard, and of the parity therewith of every dollar issued by the Government, and are firmly opposed to the free and unlimited coinage of silver and to the compulsory purchase of silver bullion. But we denounce also the further maintenance of the present costly patchwork system of national paper currency as a constant source of injury and peril. We assert the necessity of such intelligent currency reform as will confine the Government to its legitimate functions, completely separated from the banking business, and afford to all sections of our country uniform, safe, and elastic bank currency under governmental supervision, measured in volume by the needs of business.

The fidelity, patriotism, and courage with which President Cleveland has fulfilled his great public trust, the high character of his administration, its wisdom and energy in the maintenance of civil order and the enforcement of the laws, its equal regard for the rights of every class and every section, its firm and dignified conduct of foreign affairs, and its sturdy persistence in upholding the credit and honor of the nation, are fully recognized by the Democratic party, and will secure to him a place in history beside the fathers of the Republic.

We also commend the administration for the great progress made in the reform of the public service, and we endorse its effort to extend the merit system still further. We demand that no backward step be taken, but that the reform be supported and advanced until the un-Democratic spoils system of appointments shall be eradicated.

We demand strict economy in the appropriations and in the administration of the Government.

We favor arbitration for the settlement of international disputes.

We favor a liberal policy of pensions to deserving soldiers and sailors of the United States.

The Supreme Court of the United States was wisely established by the framers of our Constitution as one of the three co-ordinate branches of the Government. Its independence and authority to interpret the law of the land without fear or favor must be maintained. We condemn all efforts to degrade that tribunal or impair the confidence and respect which it has deservedly held.

The Democratic party ever has maintained, and ever will maintain, the supremacy of law, the independence of its judicial administration, the inviolability of contracts, and the obligations of all good citizens to resist every illegal trust, combination, or attempt against the just rights of property and the good order of society, in which are bound up the peace and happiness of our people.

Believing these principles to be essential to the well-being of the Republic, we submit them to the consideration of the American people.

The National Prohibition party held its national convention at Pittsburg on the 27th of May. A. A. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, was temporary chairman, and Oliver W. Stewart, of Illinois, permanent president. The deliberations of the convention were seriously disturbed by the free-silver issue, and the opposing factions known as the “Narrow-Gaugers” and the “Broad-Gaugers,” the latter being favorable to a general platform covering free coinage and all other national questions, while the former wanted the issue confined to the liquor question. The majority and minority reports were made on the platform, and the convention decided to bring both reports before the body and pass upon them seriatim. It was finally decided by a vote of 427 to 387 to reject the free-coinage plank, and the “Narrow-Gaugers” then adopted their own platform as follows:

We, the members of the Prohibition party, in national convention assembled, renewing our declaration of allegiance to Almighty God as the rightful Ruler of the universe, lay down the following as our declaration of political purpose:

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 that it of right ought to control the political actions of all our patriotic citizens until such suppression is accomplished.

The urgency of this course demands the union, without further delay, of all citizens who desire the prohibition of the liquor traffic; therefore be it

_Resolved_, That we favor the legal prohibition by State and national legislation of the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. That we declare our purpose to organize and unite all the friends of prohibition into one party, and in order to accomplish this end we deem it of right to leave every Prohibitionist the freedom of his own convictions upon all other political questions, and trust our representatives to take such action upon other political questions as the changes occasioned by prohibition and the welfare of the whole people shall demand.

_Resolved_, That the right of suffrage ought not to be abridged on account of sex.

Immediately after the adoption of the platform, the “Broad-Gaugers” withdrew, and those who remained nominated Joshua Levering, of Maryland, for President by acclamation, and on a ballot for Vice-President, Hale Johnson, of Illinois, was chosen, receiving 309 votes to 132 for T. C. Hughes, of Arizona.

The seceders from the Prohibition convention met in Pittsburg on the next day, May 28th, with A. L. Moore, of Michigan, as chairman, and the roll-call showed 299 delegates present. Rev. Charles E. Bentley, of Nebraska, was nominated for President, and James A. Southgate, of North Carolina, was nominated for Vice-President, both by acclamation. The following platform was adopted:

The National party, recognizing God as the author of all just power in government, presents the following declaration of principles, which it pledges itself to enact into effective legislation when given the power to do so:

1. The suppression of the manufacture and sale, importation, exportation, and transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes. We utterly reject all plans for regulating or compromising with this traffic, whether such plans be called local option, taxation, license, or public control. The sale of liquors for medicinal and other legitimate uses should be conducted by the State, without profit, and with such regulations as will prevent fraud or evasion.

2. No citizen should be denied the right to vote on account of sex.

3. All money should be issued by the General Government only, and without the intervention of any private citizen, corporation, or banking institution. It should be based upon the wealth, stability, and integrity of the nation. It should be a full legal tender for all debts, public and private, and should be of sufficient volume to meet the demands of the legitimate business interests of the country. For the purpose of honestly liquidating our outstanding coin obligations, we favor the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold, at the ratio of 16 to 1, without consulting any other nation.

4. Land is the common heritage of the people and should be preserved from monopoly and speculation. All unearned grants of land subject to forfeiture should be reclaimed by the Government, and no portion of the public domain should hereafter be granted except to actual settlers, continuous use being essential to tenure.

5. Railroads, telegraphs, and other natural monopolies should be owned and operated by the Government, giving to the people the benefit of service at actual cost.

6. The national Constitution should be so amended as to allow the national revenues to be raised by equitable adjustment of taxation on the properties and incomes of the people, and import duties should be levied as a means of securing equitable commercial relations with other nations.

7. The contract convict labor system, through which speculators are enriched at the expense of the State, should be abolished.

8. All citizens should be protected by law in their right to one day of rest in seven, without oppressing any who conscientiously observe any other than the first day of the week.

9. The American public schools, taught in the English language, should be maintained, and no public funds should be appropriated for sectarian institutions.

10. The President, Vice-President, and United States Senators should be elected by direct vote of the people.

11. Ex-soldiers and sailors of the United States army and navy, their widows and minor children, should receive liberal pensions, graded on disability and term of service, not merely as a debt of gratitude, but for service rendered in the preservation of the Union.

12. Our immigration laws should be so revised as to exclude paupers and criminals. None but citizens of the United States should be allowed to vote in any State, and naturalized citizens should not vote until one year after naturalization papers have been issued.

13. The initiative and referendum, and proportional representation should be adopted.

The Socialist Labor party held a national convention in New York on the 4th of July, and gave a full week to the deliberations of the body, which were devoted almost wholly to disputation as to the policy and purposes of the organization. The attendance was limited, as Charles H. Matchett, of New York, was nominated for President on the 1st ballot, receiving 43 votes to 23 for Matthew Maguire, of New Jersey, and 4 for William Watkins, of Ohio. Matthew Maguire was then nominated for Vice-President by acclamation. The following platform was adopted:

The Socialist Labor party of the United States, in convention assembled, reasserts the inalienable right of all men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

With the founders of the American Republic, we hold that the purpose of government is to secure every citizen in the enjoyment of this right; but in the light of our social conditions, we hold, furthermore, that no such right can be exercised under a system of economic inequality, essentially destructive of life, of liberty, and of happiness.

With the founders of this Republic, we hold that the true theory of politics is that the machinery of government must be owned and controlled by the whole people; but in the light of our industrial development we hold, furthermore, that the true theory of economics is that the machinery of production must likewise belong to the people in common.

To the obvious fact, that our despotic system of economics is the direct opposite of our democratic system of politics, can plainly be traced the existence of a privileged class, the corruption of government by that class, the alienation of public property, public franchises, and public functions to that class, and the abject dependence of the mightiest nations upon that class.

Again, through the perversion of Democracy to the ends of plutocracy, labor is robbed of the wealth which it alone produces, is denied the means of self-employment, and, by compulsory idleness in wage slavery, is even deprived of the necessaries of life. Human power and natural forces are thus wasted that the plutocracy may rule. Ignorance and misery, with all their concomitant evils, are perpetuated, that the people may be kept in bondage. Science and invention are diverted from their humane purpose to the enslavement of women and children.

Against such a system the Socialist Labor party once more enters its protest. Once more it reiterates its fundamental declaration, that private property in the natural sources of production and in the instruments of labor is the obvious cause of all economic servitude and political dependence.

The time is fast coming when, in the natural course of social evolution, this system, through the destructive action of its failures and crises on the one hand, and the constructive tendencies of its trusts and other capitalistic combinations on the other hand, shall have worked out its own downfall.

We therefore call upon the wage-workers of the United States, and upon all other honest citizens, to organize under the banner of the Socialist Labor party into a class-conscious body, aware of its rights and determined to conquer them by taking possession of the public powers; so that, held together by an indomitable spirit of solidarity under the most trying conditions of the present class struggle, we may put a summary end to that barbarous struggle by the abolition of classes, the restoration of the land, and of all the means of production, transportation, and distribution to the people as a collective body, and the substitution of the co-operative commonwealth for the present state of planless production, industrial war, and social disorder; a commonwealth in which every worker shall have the free exercise and full benefit of his faculties, multiplied by all the modern factors of civilization.

With a view to immediate improvement in the condition of labor, we present the following demands:

1. Reduction of the hours of labor in proportion to the progress of production.

2. The United States to obtain possession of the mines, railroads, canals, telegraphs, telephones, and all other means of public transportation and communication; the employés to operate the same co-operatively under control of the Federal Government and to elect their own superior officers, but no employé shall be discharged for political reasons.

3. The municipalities to obtain possession of the local railroads, ferries, water-works, gas-works, electric plants, and all industries requiring municipal franchises; the employés to operate the same co-operatively under control of the municipal administration and to elect their own superior officers, but no employé shall be discharged for political reasons.

4. 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.

5. The United States to have the exclusive right to issue money.

6. Congressional legislation providing for the scientific management of forests and waterways, and prohibiting the waste of the natural resources of the country.

7. Inventions to be free to all; the inventors to be remunerated by the nation.

8. Progressive income tax and tax on inheritances; the smaller incomes to be exempt.

9. 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.

10. Repeal of all pauper, tramp, conspiracy, and sumptuary laws. Unabridged right of combination.

11. 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.

12. Employment of the unemployed by the public authorities (county, city, state, and nation).

13. 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.

14. Laws for the protection of life and limb in all occupations, and an efficient employers’ liability law.

15. The people to have the right to propose laws and to vote upon all measures of importance, according to the _referendum_ principle.

16. Abolition of the veto power of the executive (national, State, and municipal) wherever it exists.

17. Abolition of the United States Senate and all upper legislative chambers.

18. Municipal self-government.

19. 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.

20. All public officers to be subject to recall by their respective constituencies.

21. Uniform civil and criminal law throughout the United States. Administration of justice to be free of charge. Abolition of capital punishment.

The great battle of 1896 is yet fresh in the memories of the people. Its most notable feature was the unexampled campaign made by Bryan, the Democratic candidate for President. He covered a larger portion of territory and delivered more speeches during the campaign than had ever before been accomplished by any man in our political history, and he enthused his followers to a very remarkable degree. Considering the complications which confronted him, resulting from the internal feuds of his own household, and an open split on the Vice-Presidency, he made the most memorable Presidential campaign of the Republic and swept every State west of the Mississippi, with the exception of California, Oregon and North Dakota. Even Kansas and Nebraska, two rock-ribbed Republican States, gave Bryan large majorities, but Bryan did not carry a single electoral vote east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and the Potomac. The following tables exhibit the popular and electoral votes of 1896:

POPULAR VOTE.

══════════════╤═════════╤═════════╤═══════════╤═════════╤═════════╤══════════╤══════════ │ William │ William │ Bryan │ John M. │ Joshua │Charles E.│Charles H. STATES. │McKinley,│J. Bryan,│ and │ Palmer, │Levering,│ Bentley, │Matchett, │ Ohio. │Nebraska.│Watson.[31]│Illinois.│Maryland.│Nebraska. │New York. ──────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────────┼─────────┼─────────┼──────────┼────────── Alabama │ 54,737│ 131,226│ 24,089 │ 6,462 │ 2,147 │ ―― │ ―― Arkansas │ 37,512│ 110,103│ ―― │ ―― │ 839 │ 893 │ ―― California │ 146,688│ 144,766│ 21,730 │ 2,006 │ 2,573 │ 1,047 │ 1,611 Colorado │ 26,271│ 161,269│ 2,389 │ 1 │ 1,717 │ 386 │ 160 Connecticut │ 110,285│ 56,740│ ―― │ 4,336 │ 1,806 │ ―― │ 1,223 Delaware │ 20,452│ 16,615│ ―― │ 966 │ 602 │ ―― │ ―― Florida │ 11,257│ 31,958│ 1,977 │ 1,772 │ 644 │ ―― │ ―― Georgia │ 60,091│ 94,672│ 440 │ 2,708 │ 5,716 │ ―― │ ―― Idaho │ 6,324│ 23,192│ ―― │ ―― │ 181 │ ―― │ ―― Illinois │ 607,130│ 464,523│ 1,090 │ 6,390 │ 9,796 │ 793 │ 1,147 Indiana │ 323,754│ 305,573│ ―― │ 2,145 │ 3,056 │ 2,267 │ 324 Iowa │ 289,293│ 223,741│ ―― │ 4,516 │ 3,192 │ 352 │ 453 Kansas │ 159,541│ 171,810│ 46,194 │ 1,209 │ 1,921 │ 630 │ ―― Kentucky │ 218,171│ 217,890│ ―― │ 5,114 │ 4,781 │ ―― │ ―― Louisiana │ 22,037│ 77,175│ ―― │ 1,915 │ ―― │ ―― │ ―― Maine │ 80,461│ 34,587│ 2,387 │ 1,866 │ 1,589 │ ―― │ ―― Maryland │ 136,978│ 104,746│ ―― │ 2,507 │ 5,922 │ 136 │ 588 Massachusetts │ 278,976│ 105,711│ 15,181 │ 11,749 │ 2,998 │ ―― │ 2,114 Michigan │ 293,582│ 237,268│ ―― │ 6,968 │ 5,025 │ 1,995 │ 297 Minnesota │ 193,503│ 139,735│ ―― │ 3,222 │ 4,363 │ ―― │ 954 Mississippi │ 5,123│ 63,793│ 7,517 │ 1,071 │ 485 │ ―― │ ―― Missouri │ 304,940│ 363,652│ ―― │ 2,355 │ 2,169 │ 293 │ 599 Montana │ 10,494│ 42,537│ ―― │ ―― │ 186 │ ―― │ ―― Nebraska │ 103,064│ 115,999│ ―― │ 2,797 │ 1,243 │ 797 │ 186 Nevada │ 1,938│ 8,377│ 575 │ ―― │ ―― │ ―― │ ―― New Hampshire │ 57,444│ 21,650│ 379 │ 3,520 │ 779 │ 49 │ 228 New Jersey │ 221,367│ 133,675│ ―― │ 6,373 │ 5,614 │ ―― │ 3,985 New York │ 819,838│ 551,369│ ―― │ 18,950 │ 16,052 │ ―― │ 17,667 North Carolina│ 155,222│ 174,488│ ―― │ 578 │ 676 │ 245 │ ―― North Dakota │ 26,335│ 20,686│ ―― │ ―― │ 358 │ ―― │ ―― Ohio │ 525,991│ 477,497│ 2,615 │ 1,858 │ 5,068 │ 2,716 │ 1,167 Oregon │ 48,779│ 46,662│ ―― │ 977 │ 919 │ ―― │ ―― Pennsylvania │ 728,300│ 433,230│ 11,176 │ 10,921 │ 19,274 │ 870 │ 1,683 Rhode Island │ 37,437│ 14,459│ ―― │ 1,166 │ 1,160 │ 5 │ 558 South Carolina│ 9,313│ 58,801│ ―― │ 824 │ ―― │ ―― │ ―― South Dakota │ 41,042│ 41,225│ ―― │ ―― │ 683 │ ―― │ ―― Tennessee │ 148,773│ 166,268│ 4,525 │ 1,951 │ 3,098 │ ―― │ ―― Texas │ 167,520│ 370,434│ 79,572 │ 5,046 │ 1,786 │ ―― │ ―― Utah │ 13,491│ 64,607│ ―― │ 21 │ ―― │ ―― │ ―― Vermont │ 50,991│ 10,607│ 461 │ 1,329 │ 728 │ ―― │ ―― Virginia │ 135,388│ 154,985│ ―― │ 2,127 │ 2,350 │ ―― │ 115 Washington │ 39,153│ 51,646│ ―― │ 1,668 │ 968 │ 148 │ ―― West Virginia │ 104,414│ 92,927│ ―― │ 677 │ 1,203 │ ―― │ ―― Wisconsin │ 268,135│ 165,523│ ―― │ 4,584 │ 7,509 │ 346 │ 1,314 Wyoming │ 10,072│ 10,655│ 286 │ ―― │ 136 │ ―― │ ―― ──────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────────┼─────────┼─────────┼──────────┼────────── Totals │7,111,607│6,509,052│ 222,583 │ 134,645 │ 131,312 │ 13,968 │ 36,373 ══════════════╧═════════╧═════════╧═══════════╧═════════╧═════════╧══════════╧══════════

[31] Bryan and Watson’s vote is included in the vote for W. J. Bryan.

ELECTORAL VOTE.