698 



READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



13- 



14- 



Establishment of postal-deposit 

 and savings banks. 



Adoption of constitutional amend- 

 ment requiring the election of 

 president and vice-president by 

 the direct vote of the people. 

 Also providing for election of the 

 United States senators by direct 

 vote of the people. 

 Rigid enforcement of eight-hour 

 law in all public departments. 



Adoption of the initiative and of 

 the referendum. 



" We demand that postal savings 

 banks be established by the govern- 

 ment for the safe deposit of the 

 earnings of the people and to facili- 

 tate exchange." 



" That we favor a constitutional pro- 

 vision limiting the office of presi- 

 dent and vice-president to one term 

 and providing for the election of 

 the senators by a direct vote of the 

 people." 



" That we demand a rigid enforcement 

 of the existing eight-hour law on 

 government work, and ask that a 

 penalty clause be added to the said 

 law." 



" That we commend to the thoughtful 

 consideration of the people and the 

 reform press the legislative system 

 known as the initiative and refer- 

 endum." 



The fourteen demands of socialism have been selected with care 

 and with the desire to secure a representative list of the various 

 principles and tenets set forth by them. They are taken from 

 the planks of the various socialistic parties and truly reflect the 

 opinions of socialism. In comparing the planks of the People's 

 Party platform, we find that nine of them correspond closely to 

 those of the socialists. Such a similarity is not an accident, but 

 the result of thought along the same lines. The People's Party 

 could not have adopted a platform in so many ways akin to that 

 of the socialists if there had not been a previous tendency in that 

 direction. It is true that the great fundamental principles of 

 common ownership and equality of income are not expressed, nor 

 is the last even hinted ; yet the national ownership of the railroad 

 and telegraph, coupled with a demand for increased State action, 

 can only characterize the platform as socialistic in its tendency. 



