traced the existence of a privileged class, the corruption of government by that class, the alienation of public property, public franchises and public functions to that class, and the abject dependence of the mightiest of nations upon that class.

Again, through the perversion of democracy to the ends of plutocracy, labor is robbed of the wealth which it alone produces, is denied the means of self-employment, and, by compulsory idleness in wage. slavery, is even deprived of the necessaries of life.

Human power and natural forces are thus wasted, that the plutocracy may rule.

Ignorance and misery, with all their concomitant evils, are perpetuated that the people may be kept in bondage.

Science and invention are diverted from their humane purpose to the enslavement of women and children.

Against such a system the Socialist Labor party once more enters its protest. Once more it reiterates its fundamental declaration that private property in the natural sources of production and in the instruments of labor is the obvious cause of all economic servitude and political dependence.

The time is fast coming, however, when in the natural course of social evolution, this system, through the destructive action of its failures. and crises on the one hand, and the constructive tendencies of its trusts and other capitalistic combinations on the other hand, shall have worked out its own downfall.

We, therefore, call upon the wage workers of the United States, and upon all other honest citizens, to organize under the banner of the Socialist Labor party into a class-conscious body, aware of its rights and determined to conquer them by taking possession of the public. powers; so that, held together by an indomitable spirit of solidarity under the most trying conditions of the present class struggle, we may put a summary end to that barbarous struggle by the abolition of classes, the restoration of the land and of all the means of production, transportation and distribution to the people as a collective body, and the substitution of the Co-operative Commonwealth for the present state of planless production, industrial war and social disorder; a commonwealth in which every worker shall have the free exercise and full benefit of his faculties, multiplied by all the modern factors of civilization.

PLATFORM OF OHIO SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

The Social Democratic party and the Socialist Labor party of Ohio, in convention assembled in the City of Columbus, July 4, 1900, do on this historic day declare that union of the two parties be and the same is hereby consummated under the name of the Social Democratic party,

and that we endorse the nominations of Eugene V. Debs, of Indiana, and Job Harriman, of California, for President and Vice-President, respectively.

The Social Democratic party of Ohio reaffirms its allegiance to the revolutionary principles of International Socialism and declares the supreme political issues in America to-day to be the contest between the working class and the capitalist class for the possession of the power of government. The Party affirms its steadfast purpose to use those powers, once achieved, to destroy wage-slavery, abolish the institutions of private property in the means of production, and establish the Co-operative Commonwealth.

In the United States, as in all other civilized countries, the natural order of economic development has separated society into two antagonistic classes the capitalist, a comparatively small class, the possessors of all modern means of production and distribution (land, mines, machin ery and means of transportation and communication), and the large and ever increasing class of wage-workers possessing no means of production.

This economic supremacy has secured to the dominant class the full control of the government, the pulpit, the schools and the public press. thereby making them arbiters of the fate of the working class, while it is reducing it to a condition of dependence, economically exploited and oppressed, intellectually and physically crippled and degraded and its political equality rendered a bitter mockery; and the contest between these two classes grows ever sharper. Hand in hand with the growth of monopolies goes the annihilation of small industries and the middle class depending upon them; ever larger grows the multitude of destitute wage-workers and of the unemployed, and ever fiercer the struggle between the class of the exploiter and the exploited, the capitalist and the wage-workers.

The evil effects of capitalist production are intensified by the recurring industrial crisis continually rendering the existence of the greater part of the population more precarious and uncertain, which amply proves that the modern means of production have outgrown the existing social order based on production for profit.

Human energy and natural resources are wasted for individual gain. Ignorance is fostered that wage-slavery may be perpetuated. Science and invention are perverted to the exploitation of men, women and children.

The lives and liberties of the working class are recklessly sacrificed for profit.

Wars are fomented between nations; indiscriminate slaughter is encouraged; the destruction of whole races is sanctioned in order that the capitalist class may extend its commercial dominion abroad and enhance its supremacy at home.

The introduction of a new and higher order of society is the historic mission of the working class. All other classes despite their apparent or actual conflicts are interested in the upholding of the system of private ownership of the means of production. We therefore charge that in this country the Democratic, Republican and all other parties which do not stand for the complete overthrow of the capitalist system of production are alike the tools of the capitalist class.

The working class cannot, however, act as a class in the struggie against the collective power of the capitalist class except by constituting itself into a political party, distinct and opposed to all parties formed by the propertied classes.

We, therefore, call upon the wage-workers of the United States,. without distinction to color, race or sex, and upon all citizens in sympathy with the historic mission of the working class to organize under the banner of the Social Democratic party, as a party truly representing the interests of the toiling masses and uncompromisingly waging war upon the exploiting class, until the system of wage slavery shall be abol-、 ished and the Co-operative Commonwealth shall be established.

Pending the accomplishment of this our ultimate purpose, we pledge every effort of the Social Democratic party for the immediate improvement of the condition of labor, and also for securing its progressive demands.

"Workingmen of all countries, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains, and a world to gain!"

As steps in that direction we make the following 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 controlled by monopolies, trusts and combines.

Third-The public ownership of all railroads, telegraphs and telephones; all means of transportation and communication; all waterworks, gas and electric plants, and other public utilities.

Fourth-The public ownership of all gold and silver, copper, iron, lead, coal and other mines, and all oil and gas wells.

Fifth-The reduction of the hours of labor in proportion to the increasing facilities 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 remunerated 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 employment and want of old age.

Tenth-Equal civic and political rights, for men and women, and the abolition of all laws discriminating against women.

Eleventh-The adoption of the initiative and referendum, proportional representation, and the right of recall of representatives by voters. Twelfth-Abolition of war and the introduction of international ar

bitration.

PARTY PLATFORM

FUSION POPULIST OR PEOPLE'S PARTY

[ADOPTED IN NATIONAL CONVENTION AT SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, MAY 10, 1900.]

The Peoples Party of the United States, in convention assembled, congratulating its supporters on the wide extension of its principles in all directions, does hereby reaffirm its adherence to the fundamental principles proclaimed in its two prior platforms and calls upon all who desire to avert the subversion of free institutions by corporate and imperialistic power to unite with it in bringing the government back to the ideals of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln.

It extends to its allies in the struggle for financial and economic freedom assurances of its loyalty to the principles which animate the allied forces and the promise of honest and hearty co-operation in every effort for their success.

To the people of the United States we offer the following platform as the expression of our unalterable convictions:

Resoived, That we denounce the act of March 14, 1900, as the culmination of a long series of conspiracies to deprive the people of their constitutional rights over the money of the nation and relegate to the gigantic money trust the control of the purse, and hence of the people. We denounce this act:

1. For making all money obligations, domestic and foreign, payable in gold coin or its equivalent, thus enormously increasing the burdens of the debtors and enriching the creditors.

2. For refunding "gold bonds" not to mature for years into longtime gold bonds, so as to make their payment improbable and our debt perpetual.

3. For taking from the treasury over fifty millions of dollars in a time of war and presenting it at a premium to bondholders to accomplish the refunding of bonds not due.

4. For doubling the capital of bankers by returning to them the face value of their bonds in current money notes, so that they may draw one interest from the government and another from the people.

5. For allowing banks to expand and contract their circulation at pleasure, thus controlling prices of all products.

6. For authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to issue new gold bonds to an unlimited amount whenever he deems it necessary to replenish the gold hoard, thus enabling usurers to secure more bonds and more bank currency by drawing gold from the treasury, thereby creating an "endless chain" for perpetually adding to a perpetual debt.

HIT AT GREENBACKS.

7. For striking down the greenback in order to force the people. to borrow three hundred and forty-six millions of dollars more from banks, at an annual cost of over twenty millions of dollars.

While barring out the money of the Constitution this law opens. the printing mints of the treasury to the free coinage of bank paper money, to enrich the few and impoverish the many.

We pledge anew the Peoples Party never to cease the agitation until this eighth financial conspiracy is blotted from the statute books, the Lincoln greenback restored, the bonds all paid and all corporation money forever retired.

We reaffirm the demand for the reopening of the mints of the United States to the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to 1, the immediate increase in the volume of silver coins and certificates thus created to be substituted, dollar for dollar, for the bank notes issued by private corporations under special privilege granted by the law of March 14, 1900, and prior national banking laws, the remaining portion of the bank notes to be replaced with full legal tender government paper money and its volume so controlled as to maintain at all times a stable money market and a stable price level.

We demand a graduated income and inheritance tax, to the end that aggregated wealth shall bear its just proportion of taxation.

We demand that postal savings banks be established by the government for the safe deposit of the savings of the people and to facilitate exchange.

With Thomas Jefferson, we declare the land, including all natural. sources of wealth, the inalienable heritage of the people. Government should so act as to secure homes for the people and prevent land monopoly. The original homestead policy should be enforced and future. settlers upon the public domain should be entitled to a free homestead, while all who have paid an acreage price to the government under existing laws should have their homestead rights restored.

NATIONS TO OWN RAILROADS.

Transportation being a means of exchange and a public necessity, the government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of the people and on the nonpartisan basis, to the end that all may be accorded the same treatment in transportation, and that the extortion, tyranny and political power now exercised by the great railroad cor