Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-04
PLATFoRM PREAsIBLE.
A Caustic Arrangement of the Two oil
Parties.

A Caustic Arrangement of the Two Old
PARTIES.
OMAHA, July 3.-The sub committee
on resolutions has agreed uson pre-
amble to the platform. 1t states that,
assembled upon the 116th anniversary
of the declaration Of independence, the
Peoples party, invoking the blessing Of
Almighty God, puts forth in the name
Of the people Of the country the follow
ing preamble and declaration OF prin-
ciples:
We meet in the midst OF nation
brought to the verge of moral, political
and material ruin. Corruption domi-
mates the ballot box, legislature, con-
gress, and even touches the ermine of
the bench. The people are demoralized !;
most Of the states have been compelled
to isolate the votersat the polling places
| to prevent universal intimidation or
bribery; newspapers are subsidized or
muzzled public opinion is ST.
| fenced business prostrated our
homes covered with mortgages !;
labor impoverished; land concentrating
in the hands OF capitalists; urban work.
men denied the right Of organization
| for self-protection; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages, a hire
| ling standing army. unrecognized by
| the law, is established TO eboot them
down, and they are rapidly degenerat-
! ing to the European condition; the
fruits of toll OF the millions are boldly
| stolen to build up colossal fortunes, un-
precedented in the history of mankind,
and the possessions Of those in turn
| threaten the republic and endanger
liberty. From the same prolific womb
| of government injustice we breed
two great classes-tramps and
millionaires. The national power
| to create money is appropriated to en-
rich bondholders the vast public debt,
payable in legal lender, has been funded
into gold-bearing bonds, thereby adding
millions to the burdens OF the people.
Silver which has been accepted as coin
since the dawn OF history, has been de-
n1onetized to add to the purchasing
| power of gold, by decreasing the value
of all. forms of property, as well as hui
man labor, and the supply of currency
| is purposely abridged to fatten the
usurer, bankrupt enterprises and en-.
slave industry. A vast conspiracy
against mankind has been organized on
two continents, and it is rapidly taking
possession OF the world. If not met and
| overthrown at once it forebodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction of
civilization or the establishment of an
absolute despotism.
We have witnessed for more than a
quarter of century the struggles of two
great political parties for power and
plumber, while greivous wrongs have
been inflicted upon the suffering people.
We charge that the controlling in
fiuences dominating both of these par
ties, have permitted the existing dread
full conditions to develop, without seri-
GUS efforts to prevent or restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us any
substantial reform. They have agreed
together to ignore in the coming cam
paign every issue, but one; they
propose to drown out the cries
OF the plundered people with the uproar
of sham battle over tariff, so that the
cap:talistic corporations, national banks,
rings, trusts, watered stock, demonetiza-
tion of silver, and the oppres-
sion OF the usurers may all be
lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice
our homes, lives and children on the
altar OF Mammon, to destroy the multi
from millionaires.
Assembled on the anniversary of the
birth of the nation, and filled with the
spirit of the grand generation who
established our independence, we seek
t, restore the government of the repub
lie to the hands of "the plain people,
with which class it originated. We, as
sert our purpose to be identical with
the purpose of the national constitution,
"to form more perfect union, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense, pro-
mote the general welfare and secure the
blessings of liberty for ourselves and
posterity."
We declare that thisrepubIic can only
Endure as a free government upon the
love OF the whole people for each other
and for the nation: that it cannot be
pinned together by the bayonet; that
the civil war is over, and every passion
and resentment which grew out of it
must die with it, and that we must be
in fact, as we are in name, one united
brotherhood of freemen. Our coun-
try finds itself confronted by
conditions for which there is no prece-
dent in the history of the world. Our
annual agricultural productions amount
to billions of dollars in value, which
must within few weeks be exchanged
for billions of dollars of commodities
consumed in their production. The ex-
listing currency supply is wholly made
quate to make this exchange. The re-
suits are falling prices, the formation of
combines and rings, and in the impov-
erishment of the producing class. We
pledge ourselves, if given power, we
will labor to correct these evils by wise
and reasonable legislation.
We believe the powers of the govern
ment should be expanded, as in the
case of the postal service, as rapidly and
as far as the good sense OF the intel
ligent people, and the teachings OF ex
perience shall justify, to the end that
oppression, injustice and poverty shan
eventually cease in the land.
While our sympathies as a party of
reform are naturally upon the side Of
every proposition which will tend to
make men intelligent, vrtuous and tenn
perate, we nevertheless regard these
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