Show parta RATION the following is the platform adopted at the chicago convention of the independence pirty we independent american citizens rep representing sent ing the dence party in forty four states and two territories I 1 ave net n et in national convention to non on binate absolutely independent of all other political parties candidates for president and vice president of tl 0 e united states our action is based upon a determination to wrest the con duet of public affairs from the hands of selfish interests political tricksters and corrupt bosses and make the gov as the founders intended an agency tor for the common good at a period of unexampled national prosperity and promise a stagger ng blow was dealt to legitimate business by the unmolested practice of stock watering water ng and dishonest finan ciering multitudes of defenseless investors thousands of h honest 0 nest business men and an army of idl idle e workingmen are pay ing the penalty year by year fos by wasteful and reckless govern mental extravagance by the mant pula tion of trusts and by a privilege creating tariff the cost of it living v ing mounts higher and 1 eigher day by day the control of the government drifts further away from the people and more I 1 amly into the grip of ma chine clans and party bosses the republican and Deno den cratic par tie ties ar are not only responsible tor for these condit lens conditions but are committed to their inde nite continuance prodigal of promises they are so barren of prefer ence that to a new party of dent vote note a the country must look for the establishment of a new policy and a return to genuine popular govern ment look for independence our object is not to introduce violent inn innovations ovations or startling nev ne v theories we of the independence party look back as lincoln d d to the declara tion of independence as the fountain head of all political inspiration it is not our purpose to attempt to revola the an system of govern ment but to restore the action of the government to the principles of wash ington ai d jefferson and lincoln it Is n not O 0 t our purpose e either ther to effect a rad cal change hange in the american tern of government but to ron conserve serve for the citizens of the united states their privileges priNi lieges leges and liter liberties ties won for them by the founders of this government and to perpetuate the principles and policies upon which the nation nations s great i 1 ess I 1 as ag been built ahe independence party Is therefore a conservative force in american poll ties tics devoted to the preservation of american liberty and independence to honesty in elections to opportunity in business and equality before the law tl ose who believe in the independence party and work with it are convinced that a genuine democracy should ex 1st that a true republican form of government should continue that the power of government should rest with the majority of the people and that the government should be conducted tor for the beneat of the whole citizen citizenship sh p rither than for the special advantages of any particular class of first ii 11 ortance As of first importance in order to restore the power of government to the people to make their will supreme in the primaries in the elections and in the control of public officials after they have been elected we declare for direct nominations the initiative and referendum and the right of recall it Is idle to cry out against the evil of bossism while we perpetuate a tern tera under which the boss la is able the destruction of an individual boss Is of little value the people in their politics must establish a system which will eliminate not only an ob lable boss but the system of bossism representative govern government mentis is made a mockery by the system of modern party conventions dominated by bosses and controlled by cliques we demand the natural remedy of dl di nominations by which the people not only elect but which Is tar more rt r t e important select their representatives the I 1 im we believe in the principle of the initiative and referendum and we par ticul arly demand that no franchise grant go into operation u until the terms conditions have been b and approved by popular vote in the locality Inte interested resteS tl TI e recall we demand tor for the people the right to recall public officials from the pub lie service the power to make of ficiala resides in the people and in them also should reside the power to unmake and remove from office any of f ecial who demonstrates his unfitness or betrays the c trust corrupt practices at election elections of 04 next importance in destroying the po ver of selfish special interests and the corrupt political bosses whom they control Is to wrest from their hand the main weapon the corruption fund we demand severe and effective leg legislate islat on against all forms of cor at elections and advocate pro hi hibl biting ting the use of any money at elec eions except for meetings literature and the necessary traveling expenses of cand dates B adding tor for votes the republican and democratic cand dates are making an outcry about publicity of contributions although both the republican and democratic parties have for years consistently blocked every effort to pabs pass a corrupt practices act publicity of contributions is de and should be required but the main matter of importance is the use to which contributions are put we believe that the dishonest use of money in the past whether contrib b buted by individuals or by corporations has been chiefly responsible tor for the corruption which has undermined our s system of popular government dei iau 1 for economy we demand honest conduct of public office and business like and economical a administration dinini of public affairs and we condemn the gross extravagance of federal administration and its appall ing annual increase in appropriations unnecessary appropriations mean un necessary taxes and unnecessary taxes whether direct or indirect are paid by the people and add u u the ever increasing cost of living we condemn the evil of 0 capital pItal modern industrial conditions make the corporation and stock corn com pany a necessity but overcapitalization in corporations is as harmful and crim antl as is personal dishonesty in an individual compelling the payment of dividends upon great sums that have never been invested upon masses of watered stock not justified by the property and pre vents the better wages tl e be better t ter pub lie lic service and the lower cost that 1 sl I result fron american inventive genius and that wide organization which is replacing costly individual competition the collapse of dishon esty inflated enterprises robs invest ors closes banks destro destroys vs confidence and engenders pan cs es the dence party advocates as a primary necess ty for sounder business condl alons and improved public service the enactment of laws state and national to prevent watering of stock dishonest issues of bonds and other forms of cor po horation por atlon ration frauds labor we denounce the so called labor planks of the republican I 1 can and demo cr cratic abic platforms plat forns as political buncombe a and nd con contemptible temp tible clap trap unworthy of national parties claiming to be seri serl ous and sincere ahe republican declaration that no injunction or temporary restraining order should be issued without notice except where irreparable injury would i result from delay Is empty verbiage tor for a showing of irreparable injury can always be made and is always made in affidavits the democratic declaration that in junctions should not be issued in any case in which injunction should not issue if no industrial dispute were in evolved Is meaningless and worthless buch insincere and meaningless beclar actions place a low estimate upon the intelligence of the average working man and exhibit either ignorance of or indifference to the real interests of labor rhe independence party condemns the arbitrary use of the writ of in junction and contempt proceedings as a violation of the fundamental ameri amerl can right of trial by jury tl TI e ci arency the independence party declares that the right to issue money Is inner ent in the government and it favors the establishment of a central govern mental bank through which the money so issued shall be put into general cir cu cul atlon lation the tariff we demand a revision of the tariff not by the friends ot the tariff but by the friends of the people and declare for a gradual reduction of tariff duties with just consideration tor for the rights of the consuming public and of dished industry there should be no protection tor for oppressive trusts which sell cheaply abroad and take advantage of the tariff at home to crush compe raise prices control production and limit work and wages tl TI e 11 II laroa 11 li the railroads must be kept open to all upon exactly equal terms every form of rebate and discrimination and railroad rates la is a crime against busl bust ness and must be stamped out we de mand adequate railroad facilities and advocate a bill empowering 8 shippers lit pp ers in time of need to compel railroads to provide sufficient cars for freight and passenger traffic and other railroad fa cintins through summary appeal to the courts we favor the creation of an interstate commerce court whose sole function it shall be to review speedily and enforce summarily the or ders of the interstate comerce commis slon the interstate commerce corn com mission should have the power to ini diate investigation into the reasonable ness of rates and practices and no in crease in rates should be put into ef feet until opportunity for such hinves ti gatlon gation Is afforded the interstate commerce commission should proceed at once with a physical valuation oi 01 railroads engaged in interstate c coni 0 rd merce I 1 lue be truitt we believe that legitimate tion in business designed to secure an economy of operation and increased production are beneficial wherever the public participates in the advant advantages arca which result we denounce all combinations for re of trade and tor for the establish ment of monopoly in all products of labor and declare that such bombina eions are not combinations tor for prodoc tion but tor for extortion and that actis ity in this direction is not industry but robbery in cases of infractions of the anti ant I 1 trust laws of the interstate commerce act we believe in the enforcement of a prison penalty against the guilty and ie individuals controlling the management of the offending corpora eions rather than a EL fine imposed upon stockholders public Onner nhip we advocate the extension of the principle of public ownership of publio utilities including railroads as rap idly as municipal state or national government shall demonstrate ability to conduct public utilities for the pub lie benefit national resources we rejoice I 1 11 i the adoption by both the democratic and republican plat forms of the demand of the dence party for improved waterways ind nd the mississippi inland deep water ways project to complete a ship chan nel net from the gulf to the great lakes we favor the extension of this system to the tributaries of the mississippi by means of which thirty states shall be served and twenty thousand miles added to the coast line of the united states the reclamation of arid lands should be continued and the irrigation pro gramme now contemplated by the government extended and steps taken for the conservation of the country natural resources which should be guarded not only against devastation and waste but against falling into the control of monopoly the abuse growing out 0 of f the administration of our forest preserves must be corrected and provision should be made for tree free grazing from the public lands linds outside of forest reservations in behilo of the people residing in arid nort portions ions of our western states we protest vigor bously against the policy of the federal government in selling the exclusive use of water and electric power de rived from public works to private corporations thus creating a monopoly and subjecting citizens living in those a sections to exorbitant charges tor for light and power and diverting enterprises primarily started for public benefit in the channels of corporate greed and oppression and we demand demind that no more exclusive contracts be made |