SOUTTO
M i M J
OREGON
ADVERTISERS I
Do you study your best Inter- I
THE MAIL
IS THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF
THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE
AND PEOPLE'S PARTY OK
SOUTHERN OREGON.
Do you study your best Inter-
chlh nou pairouizfl inifi pap:r. i
I
will be appreciated by all the best
farmers, from whom you get trade.
A Paper Of, By and For the People!
VOL. IV.
MEDFORD: OREGON, FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1802.
NO. 19.
STATE PLATFORM
Adopted by the People's Party, at
Oregon City, On March 16, 1892.
PLATFORM
Preamble: "An isjdrt to oss is thk cos
cxBsorAix."
I. We demand a national currency, issued by
the general government only, a full legal tender
tor all debts, public and private, and tbat with
out the use ot banking corporations, be distrib
uted direct to the people at not to exceed two
per cent tax, as set forth in the sub-treasury of
the Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union,
and at the St. Louis conference, and land loans,
or some bkttbr SYSTKM ; also by payments in
discharge of the government's obligations for
public improvements.
We demand the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, and we denounce the practice of the
government buying and storing bullion.
That the medium of exchange or currency
be based npon the wealth and law milking
power of the country, and that we demand that
the amount of the circulating medium be speed
ily increased to not less than $30 per capita.
We demand that postal savings banks be es
tablished by the government for the safe de
posit of the earnings of the people and to facili
tate exchanges.
3. The land, including all the natural sources
of wealth, is the heritage of all the people, and
should not be monopolized for speculation pur
poses, and alien ownership of land should be
prohibited.- All lands now held by railroads
and other corporations. In excess of their actual
needs, and all lands now owned by aliens should J
be reclaimed by the government and held for I
actual settlers only, and that any settlers who
may have acquired lands of such corporations
be protected in their rights to their homes and
in the sums paid to such corporations.
3. -Transportation beinga meansot exchange
and a public necessity, the government should
own and operate the railroads in the interests
of the people; and until such ownership can be
acquired, we demand the abolition of the rail
road commission and the establishment of a
maximum rate law withia the state, and that
the present rates be reduced one-third.
Tne telegraph and telephone, like the post
ofnee system, being a necessity for the trans
mission of news, should be owned by the gov
ernment in the interest ot the people.
We demand that all moneys asked and appro
priated tor the improvement of the Columbia
river be spent in building and operating a ruil
road parallel with the river said road to be
owned by the government and run at cost.
We demand that all national revenue shall be
raised by a 2 per cent lax on money loaned by
the goverumeut, and a graduated property tax.
No exemption for indebtedness should be al
lowed, auless the persoa claiming suh exemp
tion, should five in a corresponding taxable
credit.
5. Whsrbas, The working people are en
tirely aader sanjection to the plutocracy, which
compels one portion of them to work too many
hours, and thereby increasing the army ot the
unemployed; therefore be it
KxsoLWD. That we demand that our legisla
ture pass a law defining eight hours as a legal
day's work in factories, mines, shops and pub
lic works. And also that we recognize the
Knights of Labor in their controversy with the
Rochester Clothing Company.
. That we are unalterably opposed to the Pink
ertons, or like organizations, ever entering our
state.
That alcohol. In any form, shall be sold only
bv state agents, said (roods to be pure and sold
at cost, without profit to the agents, and shall I
sixty feet of the place where delivered nor in
aay place ot resort of gaming, thus abolishing
license, the saloon in society and the saloon in
politics. That the national government shall
not license the sale ot any alcoholic sub
stance in any states legally prohibiting the
sales thereof, nor shall it in any way interdict
or interfere with such prohibitory laws.
7. Resolved, That we affirm our unqualified
adherence tolfee doctrine ot equal rights to all
special privileges to none, and that will
never cease our efiorts till every citizen shall
stand before .the law equal in intellectual,
moral and civil privileges.
8. We demand the passage of a law which
will prevent the immigration ot Chinese to the
Unitea States.
o We demand that the state publish the
school books and cell the same to the people at
cost.
10. That county officials be paid a stipulated
salary.
1 1. We object to the government having any
thing to do with the Nicaraugua canal, unless
It owns and operates the same at cost.
13. Resolved. That we are in favor of elect
ing an officers by a direct vote of the people.
13. We demand that the government issue
legal tender notes and pay the union soldiers
between the price of the depreciated money in
which he was paid in gold.
E
B. PICKEL,
Physician and Surgeon
Medford. Oregon.
Office: Rooms 2 & 3. LO.O.F. Bldg
B. WAIT,
Physician and Surgeon.
Medford, Oregon.
Office: In Childers Block.
E,
P. GEARY,
U Physician and Surgeon.
Medford, Oregon.
Office: Cor. C and 7th sts.
I
S. JONES.
Physician and Surgeon.
Medford, Oregon.
Office: Hamlin block, up stairs.
D
R. O. F. DEMOREST,
Resident Dentist.
Makes a specialty of first-class
work at reasonable rates.
Office in opera house, Medford, Or
ROBT. A. MILLER.
Att'y and Couhsbiaor-at-law.
Jacksonville, Oregon.
Will practice in all courts of the
State.
J.
H. WHITMAN,
Abstractor and Attorney- '
At-Law.
Medford, Oregon.
Office in bank building. Have the
most complete and reliable ab
stracts of title in Jackson co unty
TJTILLARD CRAWFORD.
Attorney and Counsellok.-
-At-Law. '
Medford, Oregon.
Office: In Opera block.
AUSTIN S. HAMMOND, ,
Attorney-At-Law.
Medford, Oregon.
Office: I.O.O.F. Building. '
N
Leading Topics of the Day Im
partially Discussed.
WORTH READING.
The First President Elected Under
Ballot Reform This Tear.
THE CHANCE OF THE -PEOPLE'S PARTY.
It had 'been thought that the tre
mendous ''Farmers' Alliance" wave of
1S90 was subsiding, and that the Peo
ple's party, which has grown out of
that movement, would make very lit
tle trouble for the old parties in the
presidential, congressional and state
elections of this year. But the fate of
the Bland bill has given the third
party move just the fresh impetus that
it could most have desired. The prin
cipal part of the platform of the Peo
ple's party is the monetary and finan
cial creed it contains, and the cardinal
article of that creed reads as follows:
"We demand free and unlimited coin
age of silver." The new party that
swept several southern and western
states in 13S0 is not going to lose the
opportunity that Mr. Bland's defeat
gives it to enter the field this summer
with a radical and unequivocal plat
form, and to attempt to capture the
electoral vote of several states. If the
logic of its position will further com
pel the democratic party to adopt a
delphic silver plank at Chicago that
will mean everything and nothing,
and if to crown it all Mr. Cleveland
whose anti-silver message was the
strongest and ablest state paper of his
entire administration shoul'd be the
nominee, it is hard to see what excuse
great masses of men in several western
and southern states could find to support
either the democrats or the republi
cans. But the republican position will
have the merit of distinctness, while
the democrats seem now condemned to
awkward ambiguities on the coinage
question until election day. Such men
as President Polk, of the Farmers' Al
liance, Mr. Weaver, of Iowa, and Mr.
Donnelly, of Minnesota, will not be re
luctant to utilize this chance for ag
gression. THE COUNTRY'S INTERNAL PROGRESS.
This country is so vast in its extent
and in its interests that few people are
placed at a vantage ground which
would make it possible for them to per
ceive and realize the great internal
movements and changes that are add
ing new chapters to the story of our na
tional development. But secretary
Noble, of the department of the inte
rior, might from . his pose of outlook
tell a strangely fascinating story of
what he has seen with 141 the past few
weeks.- Particularly interesting would
be his report of the speed with which
the allotment of lands to Indians is
progressing, accompanied by the open
ing of large tracts of excellent land to
settlement by white pioneers. Never
before has the administration of Indian
affairs been half so comprehensive;
and it is not impossible tbat the revo
lutionary improvements that have been
made in the treatment of the aborigines
may be accounted in history as tho
most creditable of the achievements of
the Harrisonian period. Under Mr.
Noble's supervision the general land
office and the various other concerns of
the great portfolio of the interior have
had prosperous management. The
flurries that have brought the pension
office under congressional investiga
tion affect minor questions, and no se
rious discredit has been thrown upon
the general operations of that bureau.
The country at large is entering upon
a marvelous period of internal devel
opment. -
MR. RUSK'S DEPARTMENT.
While Mr. Chaplin, who is the
English minister of agriculture, is
busying himself with socialistic pro
jects for the distribution of the land
among the farm laborers, Mr. Rusk,
the first incumbent of our new Ameri
can department of agriculture, has
conceived of his mission as one chiefly
of education and scientific inquiry.
The department is really accomplish
ing a great work. Its statistical bu
reau grows more and more valuble to
the producing interests of the country.
Its experimental stations are working
out hundreds of local problems in dif
ferent parts of the land. Its horticul
turists, pomologists, entomologists, bot
anists, chemists and microscopiets are
making discovei ies and disseminating
information such as no farmer or group
of farmers could possibly ascertain un
aided; and this new knowledge is of in
calculable economic value. The for
estry oureau and the "animal indus
try" bureau are branches of the de
partment that have the utmost import
ance, and that involve subjects requir
ing attentive governmental supervi
sion. There has been much discus
sion of the abstract question whether,
; since agriculture, as a great economic
IIS
AND
OTES
interest, has been "recognized" by a
cabinet position, labor, manufactures,
commerce and tra nsportation, as eco
nomic interests of great magnitude,
ought not also to be "recognized" in
the same way. In general, the execu
tive departments exist to carry out
actual work essential to the operation
of the government. Tho ' creation of
now departments should be simply a
question of convenience and efficacy in
organizing the public business. There
was actual work for a secretary of ag
riculture to do, and Mr. Rusk is mag
nifying his office. There does not ap
pear just now to be any practical ne
cessity for additional cabinet portfolios.
THE FIRST-PRESIDENT ELECTED UN
DER BALLOT REFORM.
The most novel feature of the can
vass of 1892, will 03 that it is practic
ally made under the Australian ballot
system. For three-fourths of the states
hare adopted some form of secret bal
lot, and these include most of tho im
portant states and all of the "doubtful"'
ones.
'"If," asks the Csntury ed itor, "money
is no longer to be the controlling fac
tor in the election, will it be either ex
pedient or wise to put a professional
curruptionist in charge of the cam
paign of either party? On the con
trary, will it not be the highest polit
ical wisdom to put men of character in
charge of all the committees national,
state, district and other?"
That the amount of money spent in
the campaign will ba enormously de
creased, this writer thinks inevitable,
from both a priori consiedration and
from tho example of England, where
the introduction of the secret ballot
instantly killed direct bribery. And,
too, he looks forward with certainty to
an early American prototype ot the
English Corrupt Practices Act of 1S3,
which forbade the use of money and
influence to unduly affect in any wise
the result of the elections, and estab
lished a mlximum amount which
might b? spent in any on a campaign,
the candidate being required to pub
lish a sworn statement of all expendit
ures. '"In the meantime the political man
agers will do well to make s note of the
fact that money is certain to play a
less important, and reason, argument,
a more important part in the campaign
of 1392 than those of its immediate
predecessors, and select their cam
paign directors with this end in view.
They can rest assured, furthermore,
that the" people are not in a mood to
view with complacency tho selection
of a professional corruptionist to con
duct the campaign of either party.
much less the nomination by any party
of a notoriously corrupt politician as a
candidate for tho presidency, though
in these latter days such men have
dared to attempt to juggle oven ttas
presidency into their pockets."
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY AT OMAHA.
The uncertain quantity in tho polit
ical situation this year will ba the new
People's party, representing the Farm
ers' Alliance movement and various
allied industrial and labor reform ele
ments. Tho party is the successor of
the old greenback party and of the va
rious third party political movements
which, under different names, have en
listed the support of the same group of
leaders. Among the men who will bo
conspicuous in the People's party
movement this year are President L.
L. Polk, of the Farmers' Alliance, Mr.
Ignatius Donnelly, of Minnesota, and
Mr. James B. Weaver, of Iowa. The
national convention will be held in the
city of Omaha, Neb., on July 4. Each
congressional district in the United
States is entitled to send four dele
gates, and each state to send eight del
egates at large, making a total dele
gate body of 1776. Tho failure of tho
democratic houso to pass a silver bill
is expected to very greatly strengthen
the Farmers' Alliance movement and
People's party in the south and south
west. The next annual session of tho
Supremo Council of the Farmers' Al
liance and Industrial Union will not be
held until after the election in Novem
ber. In California.
Tha People's party of Los Angeles
connty, Cal., held a convention at Los
Angeles and indorsed the St. Lonis plat
form. The convention was a lurge and
harmonious one. Delegates were pres
ent from the Farmers' Alliance. Citi
zens' Alliance, Knights of Lnbor, Wom
an's Suffrage association and Veterans'
Alliance. Tbemmor that a fusion would
be made with the Democrats in Los An
geles connty was denounced as without
foundation.
The Third Tarty In Iowa.
The Iowa state convention for the
election of delegates at large to the na
tional convention at Oluuha. Jnly 4, will
be held at Des Moines on the afternoon
of June 7.. The district convention for
the choice of district delegates to the
national convention will bo held in the
same city in the forenoon of the same
day.
Fanners' Alliance In Pennsylvania.
The fourteen branches of the Farmers'
Alliance in Berks connty held a con
vention at Jacksonwald, with 100
delegates present, and among other
business .transacted resolutions were
passed demanding from all county
officials the more ecouomicmanagement
of county affairs, demanding free text
books, declaring that the telephone and
telegraph should be operated by the
government, and asking their repre?
sentatiyes to support the antioption bill.
THE SITUATION.
It Looks the Most Important
Sines 1860.
PEOPLE'S PARTY PROS
PECTS. The Demand fcr Free Silver Coinage
Strong m the South.
Hie failure of the silver coinage bill
In tho house of representatives has given
a tremendous boom to People's party
prospects. Anything, indeed, more
auspicious for the success of that party
in November conld not have happened.
Tho demand for free silver coinage,
while strong in the west, is still stronger
throughout the south, and from the be
ginning of the People's party movement,
the southern Fanners Alliances have
terved explicit notice on the Democratic
barty that if the present Democratic
Louse failed to pass the silver bill they
would desert it in November, and vote
in a body for the candidates of the new
jMirty. The only argtiment by which a
portion of the membership of the south
ern Alliances has been hitherto kept
back from committing itself outright to
the People's party has been the promise
that the Democratic home would heed
their demands.
We do not believe that there is an Al
liance man in the south today who has
not definitively made up his mind to
vote for the candidntes nominated at
Omaha. Even if the Democratic na
tional convention, terrified by the situa
tion, should take the back track and in
sert a silver plank in the national plat
form, it wonld be of no avail. After the
action of the house no promises the con
vention might make would command
any confidence, and indeed wonld only
make the situation of the Democracy
more desperate by alienating its gold
standard constituency in the north and
east, which is all tbat is now left of it.
In fact, the probabilities are altogether
that the Wall street wing, having now
won the battle, will strengthen its grip
and by the nomination of Cleveland bar
the door against the possible return of
the disgruntled southern ore.
What does this mean practically? It
means that the People's party ia Novem
ber will probably carry five southern
states, being tho two Carulinas. Georgia,
Mississippi and Arkanriis, and possibly
seven, if the southern Alliance congress
men may be believed. In the north the
new party has all along been likely to
carry Kansas and Nebraska and the two
Dakota, but in the silver states of Mon
tana and Colorado its prospects of suc
cess are at least 50 per ceuu better than
before the defeat of the silver bill. That
is to say, there is now a reasonable prob
ability that the People's partv in No
vember may carry from nine to thirteen
states.
This means that no president is likely
to be elected by the people, and that if
the houso of representatives shall elect a
Democrat he will be the worst case of a
minority president that ever went into
office.
lift will the houso of representatives
necessarily elect the Democratic candi
datv? Supposing the solid south the
stronghold of Democracy shall have re
pudiated the Democratic candidate by
strong popular majorities, will the south
ern Democratic congressmen who want
to be re-elected vote to make president
the candidate condemned by their con
stituents? Will they be so self sacrifi
cing? Do you ask whom they will then vote
for? Well, the constitution restricts their
choice to the three presidential candi
dates who received the largest electoral
vote. They will thus have to elect either
a Republican, a Democrat whom their
own constituents havo rejected, or the
People's party candidate, whom their
constituents have voted for. Figure out
for yourselves what they may possibly
conclude to do.
The fuct is, tho coming presidential
contest, when the press and the people
begin to realize its realities and possibili
ties, is going to be the most interesting
one since 1B60, as it will the most criti
cal in its political consequences.
The Republican party is already split
(O the base, and is kept standing only by
the hitherto solid opposition of the De
mocracy. Now that tho disruption of the Democ
racy has ooiiie a general disintegration
and rearrangement of political forces is
inevitable. In that rearrangement we
shall find the capitalistic and nntipopn
lar wings of the two old parties uniting
to-form a party of opposition, while the
popular and progressive wings of both
will unite with the movement now
known as the People's party to form the
party of progress which slmll build the
new nation.
It is good to be alive in these days and
to have a part in these thiugs. New Na
tion. The People' Opportunity.
Distrust, apprehension and alarm per
vades the public mind, and confusion,
consternation aud chaos reign supreme
in political circles. Even among the
most astute politicians aud statesmen,
whose long experience and wisdom have
given them a reputation for political
sagacity, not one of them today could
be found who would risk that reputation
ou the expression of a definite opinion as
to what will be the status of political
parties three mouths from this date.
The acknowledged leaders of the two
old political parties appear to be utterly
at sea, without chart or compass, L. L.
Polk.
GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.
Some or the Advantage of Pa bile Owner
ship Kzplalnetl by Professor Kly.
At a recent meeting of the Johns Hop
kins Historical semiuary in Baltimore
Professor Richard T. Ely read a paper
upon the "Railway and Social Democ
racy in Germany," and among many
other excollent things he said: "I was
very much impressed during my stay in
Germany by the superior service of the
state controlled railways of that country
as compared with the careless manage
ment of our own lines. There was scarce
ly an accident in Prussia daring the
whole summer, while in this country
nearly five times as many passengers are
injured or killed outright. The Ameri
can railways have not enough employees
to insure safety and attention. England
has four times as many men and Gor
man y even more.
"We are fully thirty years behind
Germany in safety for passengers. There
are no augnarded crossings allowed to
menace the public Even at the stations
there is no crossing the tracks to reach
outgoing trains, as is the case in our own
union station. To get on the other side
in Germany yon must descend a flight
of steps and pass through a tunnel under
the track. The stations themselves are
models of beautiful architecture. The
new one in Frankfort cost $8,000,000.
When the government intends to erect a
new station it offers a prize to architects
for ornamental designs. There is a max
imum of comfort received in railway
travel, as the stations are all union sta
tions, which is possible since the govern
ment controls all the Hues.
"Since I was in Germany ten years
ago many improvements in speed have
been made, fifty miles an hour being the
schedule time for many trains. The ex
press from Berlin to Hamburg made
fifty miles an hour, all stops included.
Government ownership also opens a
way for the use of the railway for social
purposes. Tho general opinion is that
the population is too mnch centralized
in the large cities, and by the cheap
zone or belt railroad system, soon to be
opened in Berlin, workmen may live in
the suburbs and work in the city with
out much expense.
"The government management of the
railway finances has also been a bril
liant sncccsa, surpassing all expecta
tions. In Prussia alone last year, after
paying the interest and part of the prin
cipal on the bonded debt, there was a
surplus of $23,000,000. The reduction
in fares and freights annually amount
to a general distribution of over 15.
000.000. i must also say a word for the
high quality of the freight service,
which is fully equal to the express traf
fic in many parts of our country. A
trnuk can be sent all over Germany
with perfect safety and convenience,
for a mere trifle, while a few cents ex
tra will insure it, and a few cents more
guarantee its delivery at a certain
hour."
Labor la Uollajnl.
Sir Horace. Rum bold has made a re
port for the o-seof the British royal com
mission on labor:
At times barely earning enough to
support themselves and those who de
pend npon them, or loitering a bunt un
der an inclement sky in search of work
often snatched from them by compe
tition from outside; at intervals kept
day and niht to their task and only the
shortest of breaks allowed them for rest
or food; nnder the best ef circumstances
working twelve or fourteen hours a day,
and, in accordance with what seems to
be the more general custom, being given
barely sufficient time to get their mid
day meal in anything like comfort.
No doubt these are only too familiar
features in all great laboring centers,
but the inquiry made at Rotterdam as
suredly reveals an unsatisfactory state
of things, more especially as regards the
power wielded by the middlemen aud
the uses to which it is put
It would appear, continued the Eng
lish embassador, tbat the conditions on
which work is carried on in the two
great Dutch trading centers are ill regu
lated, and in some respects, indeed,
chaotic Although things are said to be
going on pretty smoothly, a deep current
of discontent as yet almost inarticulate
in its expression is clearly perceptible.
Not KnooEh Left to "Fum."
The editor asked National Lecturer
J. F. Willits at the Hotel English, In
dianapolis, what he thought of the two
old parties separating iu Kansas after
the fusion. "Well," said he, "it will be
something like the couple who got mar
ried, and quarreled on one frosty morn
ing as to which one should get np and
build the fire. The woman was the one
who bad to got up and she was so mad
about it that she spilt up her husband's
wooden lejg and kindled a fire with it.
That made bim angry and be took her
false teeth and demolished them: she
then clawed ont his glass eye and broke
it to pieces. Then he tore off Jior false
hair aud threw it in the fire. Next an
application was made for a divorce.
The court held that there conld be no
decree of divorce granted because there
was not enough of them left to make
0110 respectable person. This is about
the condition of the old parties in Kan
sas." -Hoxie (Kan.) Palladium.
After Livingston.
At tho quarterly meeting of the connty
Alliance, held at Rome, Ga a resolution
was adopted condemning Congressman
Livingston "for leaving his seat in con
gress and coming back to Georgia for
the purpose of breaking down the prin
ciples he once advocated." The resolu
tion also called upon Mr. Livingston to
resign the presidency of the state Alli
ance. Missouri Couveutlon.
The state convention of tho People's
party of Missouri will be held in Sedalia
in June, when delegates to the Omaha
convention will be chosen. Missouri is
rapidly coming to tho front as a People's
party state.
It is reported that the Farmers' Alli
ance of Alabama will go in for the third
party hoartily and nominate a fnll state
ticket.
W. L VAWTER, Wm. SLINGER, O. W. HOWARD, J. E. ENYAKT.
Pres. Vice Pres. Cashier. Asst. Cash's
Jackson County Bank.
CAPITAL. - $50,000
Loan money on approved security, receive deoosits subject to check,
and transact a general banking business on thi most favorable term.
BfiTYour Business Solicited.
Correspondents:
Corbin Banking Co., N. Y.
Commercial National, Portland.
rMedford,
QBHtm
CEjin
Harris & Pnrdin ProBrietori Terms: $1 $1.50 ani $2 iter la.
First-class in Every Particular.
Special attention paid to Commercial Travelers.
J. S. MUWAJKJJ.
Dry Goods, Boots I Shoes, Groceries,
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The best goods at the lowest prices for Cash. The highest price paid
for country produce.
MEDFORDf - - - OREGON.
JAMES A. SIM CO.,
MEDFORD, ORE.
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ctamps and
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All orders answered with cars and dispatch. Our stock ot Medicine
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ITHEI
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First class Board by lie Day, M or Hgnfk
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