assure to each his share of a constantly increasing sum of possessions. In line with this tendency the Democratic party of to-day believes in Government ownership, while the Republican party believes in Government regulation. Ultimately, Democracy would have the Nation own the people, while Republicanism would have the people own the Nation.

Upon this platform of principles and purposes, reaffirming our adherence to every Republican doctrine proclaimed since the birth of the party, we go before the country, asking the support not only of those who have acted with us heretofore, but of all our fellow-citizens who, regardless of past political differences, unite in the desire to maintain the policies, perpetuate the blessings, and make secure the achievements of a greater America.

NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE PLATFORM.

ADOPTED AT CHICAGO, ILL., JULY 29, 1908.

We, the independent American citizens representing the Independent party in forty-four States and two Territories, have met in National Convention to nominate, absolutely independent of all other political parties, candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States.

Our action is based upon a determination to wrest the conduct of public affairs from the hands of selfish interests, political tricksters and corrupt bosses, and make the Government, as the founders intended, an agency for the common good.

At a period of unexampled national prosperity and promise a staggering blow was dealt to legitimate business by the unmolested practice of stock-watering and dishonest financiering. Multitudes of defenseless investors, thousands of honest business men and an army of idle workingmen are paying the penalty.

Year by year, fostered by wasteful and reckless governmental extravagance, by the manipulation of trusts and by a privilege creating tariff, the cost of living mounts higher and higher. Day by day the control of the Government drifts further away from the people and more firmly into the grip of machine politicians and party bosses.

The Republican and Democratic parties are not only responsible for these conditions, but are committed to their indefinite continuance. Prodigal of promises, they are so barren of performance that to a new party of independent voters the country must look for the establishment of a new policy and a return to genuine popular government.

To Restore Nation's Principles. -Our object is not to introduce violent innovations or startling new theories. We, of the Independent party, look back, as Lincoln did, to the Declaration of Independence as the fountain-head of all political inspiration.

It is not our purpose to attempt to revolutionize the American system of government, but to restore the action of the government to the principles of Washington and Jefferson and Lincoln.

It is not our purpose, either, to effect a radical change in the American system of government, but to conserve for the citizens of the United States their privileges and liberties won for them by the founders of this Government, and to perpetuate the principles and policies upon which the Nation's greatness has been built.

The Independence party is, therefore, a conservative force in American politics, devoted to the preservation of American liberty and independence and to honesty in elections, to opportunity in business and to equality before the law. Those who believe in the Independence party and work with it are convinced that a genuine democracy should exist, 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 for the benefit of the whole citizenship rather than for the special advantages of any particular class.

For Direct Nominations.-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 to recall.

It is idle to cry out against the evil of bossism while we perpetuate a system under which the boss is inevitable. 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 objectionable boss, but the system of bossism.

Representative government is made a mockery by the system of modern party conventions dominated by bosses and controlled by cliques.

We demand the natural remedy of direct nominations by which the people not only elect, but, which is far more important, select their representatives.

We believe in the principles of initiative and referendum. We particularly demand that no franchise grab go into operation until terms and conditions have been approved by popular vote in the locality interested.

We demand for the people the right to recall public officials in the public service. The power to make public officials resides in the people, and in them also should reside the power to unmake and remove from office any official who demonstrates his unfitness or betrays the public trust.

Money in Campaigns.-Of next importance in destroying the power of selfish special interests and the corrupt political bosses whom they control is to wrest from their hands their main weapon, the corruption fund. We demand severe and effective legislation against all forms of corrupt practices at elections and advocate prohibiting the use of any money at elections ex

cept for meetings, literature and the necessary traveling expenses of candidates. Bidding for votes, the Republican and Democratic candidates are making an outcry about publicity of contributions, although the Republican and Democratic parties have for years consistently blocked every effort to pass a corrupt practices act. Publicity of contributions is desirable 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 contributed by individuals or by corporations, has been chiefly responsible for the corruption which has undermined our system of popular government.

We demand honest conduct of public officers and businesslike, economical administration of public affairs, and we condemn the gross extravagance of the Federal Administration and its appalling annual increase in appropriations. Unnecessary appropriations mean unnecessary taxes, and unnecessary taxes, whether direct or indirect, are paid by the people and add to the increasing cost of living.

We condemn the evil of overcapitalization. Modern industrial conditions make the corporation and stock company a necessity, but overcapitalization in corporations is as harmful and criminal 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, overcapitalization prevents the better wages, the better public service and the lower cost that should result from American inventive genius and that wide organization which is replacing costly individual competition. The collapse of dishonestly inflated enterprises robs investors, closes banks, destroys confidence and engenders panics.

The Independence party advocates as a primary necessity for sounder business conditions and improved public service the enactment of laws, State and national, to prevent watering of stock, dishonest issues of bonds and other forms of corporate frauds.

Labor Plank Buncombe.-We denounce the so-called labor planks of the Republican and Democratic platforms as political buncombe and contemptible clap-trap unworthy of national parties claiming to be serious and sincere.

The Republican declaration that "no injunction or temporary restraining order should be issued without notice, except where irreparable injury would result from delay," is empty verbiage, for a showing of irreparable injury can always be made and is always made in ex parte affidavits.

The Democratic declaration that "injunctions should not be issued in any case in which injunctions would not issue if no industrial dispute were involved" is meaningless and worthless.

Such insincere and meaningless declarations place a low estimate upon the intelligence of the average American workingman and exhibit either ignorance of or indifference to the real interests of labor.

The Independence party condemns the arbitrary use of the

writ of injunction and contempt proceedings as a violation of the fundamental American right of trial by jury.

Demands Jury Trial.-From the foundation of our Government down to 1872 the Federal Judiciary act prohibited the issue of any injunction without reasonable notice until after a hearing. We assert that in all actions growing out of a dispute between employers and employes concerning terms or conditions of employment no injunction should issue until after a trial upon the merits, that such trial should be had before a jury, and that in no case of alleged contempt should any person be deprived of liberty without a trial by jury.

The Independence party believes that the distribution of wealth is as important as the creation of wealth, and indorses those organizations among farmers and others which tend to bring about a just distribution of wealth through good wages for workers and good prices for farmers and which protect the employer and the consumer through equality of price for labor and for product, and we favor such legislation as will remove them from the operation of the Sherman anti-Trust law.

We indorse the eight-hour day, favor its application to all Government employes and demand the enactment of laws requiring that all work done for the Government, whether Federal or State, and whether done directly or indirectly through contractors or sub-contractors, shall be done on an eight-hour basis.

We favor the enactment of a law condemning as illegal any combination or conspiracy to blacklist employes.

We demand protection for workmen through enforced use of standard safety appliances and provision of hygienic conditions in the operation of factories, railways, mills, mines and all industrial undertakings.

Against Child Labor.-We advocate State and Federal inspection of railways to secure a greater safety for railway employes and for the traveling public.

We call for the enactment of stringent laws fixing employers' liabilities and a rigid prohibition of child labor through cooperation between the State Governments and the National Government.

We condemn the manufacture and sale of prison-made goods in the open market in competition with free-labor manufactured goods. We demand that convicts be employed directly by the different States in the manufacture of products for use in State institutions, and in making good roads, and in no case shall convicts be hired out to contractors or sub-contractors.

We favor the creation of a Department of Labor, including mines and mining, the head of which shall be a member of the President's Cabinet.

The great abuses of grain inspection, by which the producers are plundered, demand immediate and vigorous correction. To that end we favor Federal inspection under a strict Civil Service law.

The Independence party declares that the right to issue money is inherent in the Government, and it favors the estab

lishment of a central governmental bank through which the money so issued shall be put into general circulation.

For Tarif Revision.-We demand a revision of the tariff, not by the friends of the tariff, but by the friends of the people, and declare for a gradual reduction of tariff duties with just consideration for the rights of the consuming public and of established industry. There should be no protection for oppressive trusts which sell cheaply abroad and take advantage of the tariff at home to crush competition, raise prices, control production and limit work and wages.

The railroads must be kept open to all upon exactly equal terms. Every form of rebate and discrimination in railroad rates is a crime against business and must be stamped out. We demand adequate railroad facilities and advocate a bill empowering shippers in time of need to compel railroads to provide sufficient cars for freight and passenger traffic and other railroad facilities through summary appeal to the courts.

We favor the creation of an inter-State commerce court, whose sole function it shall be to review speedily and enforce summarily the orders of the Inter-State Commerce Commission.

The Inter-State Commerce Commission has the power to initiate investigation into the reasonableness of rates and practices, and no increase in rates should be put into effect until opportunity for such investigation is afforded. The Inter-State Commerce Commission should proceed at once with a physical valuation of railroads engaged in inter-State commerce.

Urges Strong Anti-Trust Law.-We believe that legitimate organizations in business designed to secure an economy of operation and increased production are beneficial wherever the public participates in the advantages which result.

We denounce all combinations for restraint of trade and for the establishment of monopoly in all products of labor, and declare that such combinations are not combinations for production, but for extortion, and that activity in this direction is not industry, but robbery.

In case of infractions of the Anti-Trust law or Inter-State Commerce act, we believe in the enforcement of a prison penalty against the guilty and responsible individuals controlling the management of the offending corporations, rather than a fine imposed upon stockholders.

We advocate the extension of the principle of public ownership for public utilities, including railroads, as rapidly as municipal, State or National Government shall demonstrate ability to conduct public utilities for the public benefit. We favor specifically government ownership of the telegraphs, such as prevails in every other civilized country in the world, and demand as an immediate measure that the Government shall purchase and operate the telegraphs in connection with the postal service.

The parcels post system should be rapidly and widely extended, and Government postal savings banks should be established where people's deposits will be secure, the money to be loaned to the people in the locality of the several banks and at a rate of interest to be fixed by the Government.