Rock Island Daily Argus

The Farmers Formulate a Bill of Demands
SYNOPSIS OF THE DOCUMENT.
The National Bank Must Go, and Free Silver Coinage Added to the Greenback Idea Must Take Its Place—The Government to Start a Loan Agency for the Benefit of Grangers—President and Senators To Be Elected by the People—Other Planks.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills., Nov. 21.—There was more trouble over revising the constitution of the F. M. B. A. yesterday morning than was expected. It took over an hour to read it, and then it was read section by section for amendment by the convention. The first five sections were finished by noon. The only important change was enlarging the qualifications for membership section, permitting the wives, sons, and daughters of farmers, 18 years old and over, to join the subordinate lodges. In the afternoon the committee on resolutions presented a report which would occupy two columns of space.
Pressure on the Legislatures
The report recommends that this convention select one man from each and for each state herein represented, and an additional one from each of the states of Illinois and Indiana, to attend the coming sessions of their respective legislatures, and by every honest method work to secure the measures that are so necessary to the welfare of the farmers and laborers of these states; requires F. M. B. A. members of the legislatures to keep aloof from old party caucuses, and demands the suppression of all trusts.
No Monopoly for Inventors.
It then goes on to say: "We denounce that hoary-headed monopoly created and sustained by our system of patent laws by which our people, and more especially the farmers are annually taxed probably more than $100,000,000, the results of which are seldom to reward the inventor, but to increase the number of millionaires in our country, and we demand such revision of our patent laws as will eliminate all monopoly from the system and at the same time secure to the inventor, and not to the speculator, a liberal reward for his invention in proportion to its utility."
The Financial Planks.
The planks relating to the finances are simply the old Greenback platform more elaborated. A clause demanding the abolition of the national banks was adopted and also a clause demanding free and unlimited coinage of silver. The document then says: "While we do not favor the sub treasury or warehouse bill proposed by the F. A. and I. U., we do favor the loaning of money by the national government to the citizens in sums not exceeding $1,000 to any one citizen at time not exceeding five years, secured by real estate when the sum loaned shall exceed $500 or the time exceeds one year; in all other cases by ample personal security at interest not to exceed 4 per cent. per annum, payable semi-annually.
The Interconvertible Idea.
"We favor the issue and sale at par by the national government of United States bonds or notes in denominations of $10, $50, and $100, bearing an annual interest of 2 per cent., and redeemable in legal tender United States treasury notes at the option of either the holder or the government. We demand that our government, instead of using its influence as heretofore with European nations to maintain the single standard of gold as money, shall hereafter use all its influence with those nations which have demonetized silver and adopted the gold standard to restore silver coins to their former position as money."
A Radical Change Advocated.
After a sweeping declaration in favor of throttling the cormorant corporations and making them controllable by the government, the platform takes up the question of election of president and senators. It says that the reasons supposed to exist for electing the president and vice president by electors, and United States senators by legislatures have long since failed, and "we are in favor of electing them under a proper safeguard by direct ballot of the legal voters.
Geo. Wm. Curtis Take Notice.
We are uncompromisingly opposed to the creation or perpetuation of a class of officeholders. We believe that in a republican government the frequent return of the officeholder to the ranks of the people is as necessary as the frequent recurrence to the first principles of government. Therefore we are opposed to all tenure of office, either during life or good behavior, and demand the election of United States judges at stated periods, not longer than nine years, by the ballots of the legal voters. If this is not the people's government, whose government is it? If it is the people's government, who should choose the officers?
Even the Postmasters.
"We are in favor of the election of post masters by the legal voters in the vicinity of the postoffice. We favor the election of railroad and warehouse commissioners by ballot of the legal voters." The Australian ballot system is indorsed; a free vote and fair count demanded; opposition to a class of retired civil and military officeholders is declared; the immediate reclamation of all public lands granted to either persons or corporations to aid railways, the terms of which grant were not complied with in the prescribed time and manner is demanded, and the servants of the people are notified that the F. M. B. A. will keep tab on them in this regard.
The Tariff Plank
We believe that the production and use of all articles of necessity, convenience, and comfort should be encouraged, and the use of those of mere luxury and articles useless or injurious to health or morals should be discouraged. Hence we favor the removal or reduction of taxes on articles of necessity, convenience, and comfort to the poor, to the limit consistent with equal and exact justice to all and that the burden of taxation be placed on the articles of luxury, and especially on those injurious to health and morals and upon large and excessive incomes.
Other Features.
Reduction of salaries of officials is demanded; foreign immigration should be regulated; private ownership of real estate should be limited to the use and occupation of the owner, and corporate ownership be limited to an amount necessary for the convenient operation of their business; adulteration of food should be stopped; and the platform concludes as follows:
"We mean death to all monopolies of every kind, and we want it distinctly understood that we include in the number the organized liquor traffic."
The convention is still in session.