'10 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



of the socially useful classes from the domination 

 of capitalism. 



" The working class and all those in sympathy 

 with their historic mission to realize a higher 

 civilization should sever connection with all capi- 

 talist and reform parties and unite with the Social- 

 Democratic party of America. The control of 

 political power by the Social-Democratic party 

 will be tantamount to the abolition of all class 

 rule. The solidarity of labor connecting the mil- 

 lions of class-conscious fellow-workers through- 

 out the civilized world will lead to international 

 socialism, the brotherhood of man. 



" As steps in that direction, we make the fol- 

 lowing demands: 



" First, revision of our Federal Constitution, in 

 order to remove the obstacles to complete control 

 of government by the people irrespective of sex. 

 Second, the public ownership of all industries con- 

 trolled by monopolies, trusts, and combines. 

 Third, the public ownership of all railroads, tele- 

 graphs, and telephones; all means of transporta- 

 tion and communication; all waterworks, gas 

 and electric plants, and other public utilities. 

 Fourth, the public ownership of all gold, silver, 

 copper, lead, iron, coal, and other mines, and all 

 oil and gas wells. Fifth, the reduction of the 

 hours of labor in proportion to the increasing fa- 

 cilities of production. Sixth, the inauguration of a 

 system of public works and improvements for the 

 employment, of the unemployed, the public credit 

 to be utilized for that purpose. Seventh, useful 

 inventions to be free, the inventor to be remuner- 

 ated by the public. Eighth, labor legislation to 

 be national instead of local, and international 

 when possible. Ninth, national insurance of 

 working people against accidents, lack of employ- 

 ment, and want in old age. Tenth, equal civil and 

 political rights for men and women, and the aboli- 

 tion of all laws discriminating against women. 

 Kleventh, the adoption of the initiative and refer- 

 endum, proportional representation, and the right 

 of recall of representatives by the voters. Twelfth, 

 abolition of war and introduction of international 

 arbitration." 



Early in January the national committee of the 

 Union Reform party, which favors direct legisla- 

 tion, appointed a canvassing board, which sent 

 out ballots to members of the party for votes 

 for candidates for President and Vice-President. 

 The balloting continued through February and 

 March. In April the canvassing board announced 

 that Seth H. Ellis, of Ohio, and Samuel T. Nichol- 

 son, of Pennsylvania, had been nominated for 

 President and V ice- President respectively on the 

 platform favored at Cincinnati on March 1, 1899: 

 " Direct legislation under the system known as 

 the initiative and referendum. Under the initiative 

 the people can compel the submission to them- 

 selves of any desired law. when, if it receives a 

 majority of the votes cast, it is thereby enacted. 

 Under the referendum the people can compel the 

 -uomi>sion to themselves of any law which has 

 been adopted by any legislative body. when, if 

 such law tails to receive a majority of the votes 

 ea-t, it will be thereby rejected." The convention 

 ;i il opted an appeal in part as follows: " We accept 

 the strong and unanswerable arguments of our 

 friends. We see no need or benefit from party ex- 

 cept a parly to secure direct legislation. We have 

 attached ourselves to the Union Reform party for 

 <liirrt I, ^'Nation only. This party, organised by 

 progressive and active men from 'tliis and othe'r 

 9 at a time when dominant parties had IcL'N- 

 lated to make the initiation of reform movements 

 inipii-i-iililr. acted while we were awaiting an op- 

 portune hour. We ask our honest, home-loving 



fellow-citizens to organize in their respective pre- 

 cincts, and to honestly and fairly extend their 

 organization to county and district, and to assist 

 in controlling and extending the party and move- 

 ment, until the desired object is attained. The 

 majority is with us in this desire for direct gov- 

 ernment, and with this sole purpose they must act 

 at last. The logic of events, the tyranny of the 

 bosses, and the necessities of the hour assure us. 

 Friends, this securing of a rightful voice is the 

 affair of the individual, of each and every one. 

 Government direct by the people will not come 

 as a voluntary concession from the holders of po- 

 litical power. These controllers of parties will 

 not permit of referendum of acts and expendi- 

 tures; they will not give to the people initiatory 

 and mandatory rights, because to do so would be 

 to destroy their own useless but lucrative occupa- 

 tions. These party bosses who monopolize politi- 

 cal opportunity are the allies and supporters of 

 all monopolies. We all believe that conditions 

 can be made better or worse by legislation. The 

 corporations know this and act accordingly. 

 Truly they contribute to the election of candi- 

 dates, but their great contributions are direct to 

 the machine." 



The United Christian party, a new organiza- 

 tion, met at Rock Island, 111., and on May '1 

 nominated by acclamation Silas P. Swallow, of 

 Pennsylvania, for President, and John G. Wool- 

 ley, of Illinois, for Vice-President. These candi- 

 dates withdrew, and the party, which is devoted 

 to the inculcation of religious and moral ideas 

 as controlling forces in politics and government, 

 put in nomination for the respective offices Jonah 

 F. R. Leonard, of Iowa, and David H. Martin, of 

 Pennsylvania. The convention adopted the fol- 

 lowing platform: 



" We, the United Christian party, in national 

 convention assembled, acknowledging Almighty 

 God as the source of all power and authority, 

 the Lord Jesus Christ as the sovereign ruler of 

 nations, and the Bible as the standard by which 

 to decide moral issues in our political life, do 

 make the following declaration: We believe the 

 time to have arrived when the eternal principles 

 of justice, mercy, and love as exemplified in the 

 life and teachings of Jesus Christ should be em- 

 bodied in the Constitution of our nation and ap- 

 plied in concrete form to every function of our 

 Government. We deprecate certain immoral laws 

 which have grown out of the failure of our na- 

 tion to recognize these principles, notably such as 

 require the desecration of the Christian Sabbath. 

 authorize unscriptural marriage and divorce, li- 

 cense the manufacture and sale of intoxicating 

 liquors as a beverage, and permit the sale of ciga- 

 rettes or tobacco in any form to minors. As an 

 expression of consent or allegiance on the part of 

 the governed, in harmony with the above state- 

 ments, we declare for the adoption and use of the 

 system of direct legislation known as the ' initia- 

 tive and referendum,' together with ' proportion- 

 ate representation ' and the ' imperative mandate.' 

 We hold that all men and women are created free 

 and with equal rights. and declare for the establish- 

 ment of such political, industrial, and social con- 

 ditions as shall guarantee to every person civic 

 equality, the full fruits of his or her honest toil, 

 and opportunity for the righteous enjoyment of 

 the same: and we especially condemn mob vio- 

 lence and outrages against any individual or class 

 of individuals in our country. We declare again-t 

 war and for the arbitration of all national and 

 international disputes. We hold that, the legal- 

 ized liquor trallic is the crowning infamy of civili- 

 zation, and we declare for the immediate abolition 



