IOWA. 



451 



ibandonment of the present suicidal and destruc- 

 tive policy of contract ion. 



2. We demand the abolition of national banks, and 

 the issue of a full legal-tender paper money by the 

 Government, receivable for all dues, public and pri- 

 vate. 



3. We demand the remonetization of the silver 

 dollar, making it a full legal tender for the payment 

 of all coin bonds of the Government, and for all 

 other debts, public and private, and that the coin- 

 age of silver shall be placed on the same tooting as 

 that of gold. 



4. Congress shall provide said money adequate to 

 the full employment of labor, the equitable distri- 

 bution of its products, and the requirements of busi- 



5. We demand that Congress shall not, under any 

 circumstances, authorize the issuance of interest- 

 bearing bonds of any kind or class. 



6. The adoption of an American monetary sys- 

 tem, as proposed herein, will harmonize all differ- 

 ences in regard to tariit and Federal taxation, dis- 

 tribute equitably the joint earnings 'of capital and la- 

 bor, secure to the producers of wealth the results of 

 their labor and skill, muster out of service the vast 

 army of idlers, who, under the existing system, 

 grow rich upon the earnings of others, that every 

 man and woman may by their own efforts secure a 

 competence, so that the overgrown fortunes and ex- 

 treme poverty will be seldom found within the lim- 

 its of our republic. 



T. The Government should, by general enact- 

 ment, encourage the development of our agricultu- 

 ral, mineral, mechanical, manufacturing, and com- 

 mercial resources, to the end that labor may be fully 

 and profitably employed, but no monopolies should 

 be legalized. 



8. The public lands are the common property of 

 the whole people, and should not be sold to specu- 

 lators, nor granted to railroads or other corporations, 

 but should be donated to actual settlers in limited 

 quantities. 



9. It is inconsistent with the genius and spirit of 

 popular government that any species of private or 

 corporate property should be exempt from bearing 

 its just share of the public burdens. 



10. That while the interests of the labor and pro- 

 ducing classes throughout the nation are indentical, 

 North, South, East, and West; and while it is an 

 historic fact that the war of the rebellion was inau- 

 gurated in the interests of a class kindred to that 

 which oppresses us : therefore we declare that the 

 Government of the United States shall never pay 

 any part or portion of what is known as the Confed- 

 erate or rebel debt. 



11. We demand a constitutional amendment fix- 

 ing the compensation of all State officers, including 

 members and employees of the General Assembly. 

 We demand a general reduction of all county and 

 court expenses, with a reduction of offices, to lessen 

 oppressive taxes. 



12. We demand that all just and legal means shall 

 be used for the suppression of the evils of intem- 

 perance. 



We invite the considerate judgment of our fel- 

 low citizens of all political parties upon these, our 

 principles and purposes, and solicit the cooperation 

 of all men in the furtherance of them, as we do be- 

 lieve that upon their acceptance or rejection by the 

 people the weal or woe of our beloved country de- 

 pends. 



The Democratic State Convention assembled 

 at Cedar Rapids on May 29th, and organized 

 by the appointment of Edward Johnson as 

 President. The following candidates were nom- 

 inated : for Secretary of State, T. O. Walk- 

 er; for Auditor of State, Colonel Eihoeck; 

 for Treasurer of State, E. D. Fenn ; for Regis- 



ter of the State Land Office, T. S. Bardwell; 

 for Judge of the Supreme Court, Judge J. C. 

 Knapp; for Attorney-General, John Gibbons. 

 The following platform was adopted : 



We, the Democracy of Iowa, in convention assem- 

 bled, congratulate the country upon the restora- 

 tion of home rule to the South and the era of peace 

 brought about in response to the demands of the 

 National Democracy, and make this declaration of 

 principles : 



1. In favor of a tariff for revenue only ; honest and 

 economical home rule ; the supremacy of civil over 

 military power ; the separation of the church and 

 state ; the equality of all citizens before the law ; op- 

 position to granting by the General Government of 

 subsidies to any corporation whatever. 



2. We believe the financial system of the Bepubli- 

 can party has been one of favor to the moneyed mo- 

 nopolies, of unequal taxation, of exemptions of class, 

 and of a remorseless contraction that has destroyed 

 every enterprise which gave employment to labor ; 

 and therefore we denounce it, its measures, and its 

 men, as responsible for the financial distress, mis- 

 ery, and want which now afflict the nation. 



3. Labor and capital have an equal demand upon 

 and equal responsibility to the law. 



4. Public officials should be held to strict account- 

 ability ; defaulters should be severely punished, and 

 riot and disorder promptly suppressed. 



5. We deprecate the funding of our non-interest- 

 bearing debt, and insist that our bonded debt be re- 

 funded at a rate of interest not exceeding four per 

 cent. 



6. We favor an equal recognition of gold, silver, 

 and United States notes in the discharge of public 

 and private obligations, except where otherwise pro- 

 vided by contract, and, to tne end that the same be 

 secured, we favor the unconditional repeal of the 

 resumption act and the coinage of silver on equal 

 conditions with gold. We oppose any further retire- 

 ment of the United States notes now in circulation, 

 and favor the substitution of United States Treasury 

 notes for national-bank bills. 



7. We declare it as our opinion that it is the duty 

 of the Government to take immediate steps to im- 

 prove our great Western rivers, and that the means 

 provided should be commensurate with the impor- 

 tance and magnitude of the work. 



8. Thorough investigation into the election frauds 

 of 1876 should be made, the frauds should be ex- 

 posed, the truth vindicated, and the criminals pun- 

 ished in accordance with law wherever found. 



9. The management of our State institutions by 

 Republican officials has been and is notoriously cor- 

 rupt and a disgrace to our people ; we therefore de- 

 mand a thorough investigation of the same, and the 

 punishment of all parties who have betrayed their 



fiesolved, That we accept and reaffirm the doctrine 

 of Mr. Tilden upon the war claims as a proper ad- 

 justment of the national policy concerning that class 

 of claims upon the public Treasury. 



The Republican State Convention assembled 

 at Des Moines on June 19th, and was organized 

 by the election of George G. Wright as Presi- 

 dent. The nominations made were as follows : 

 for Secretary of State, J. A. T. Hlill ; for At- 

 torney-General, F. McJunkin (renominated) ; 

 for State Auditor, R. B. Sherman ; for State 

 Treasurer, George W. Bemis ; for Supreme 

 Court Judge, J. H. Rothrock (renominated). 

 The following platform was adopted : 



The Eepublican party of Iowa, in State Convention 

 assembled, declare: 



1. The United States of America is a nation not 

 a league. By the combined workings of the national 



