Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-11-03
THE PEOPLES PLATFORM.
in National Convention at
Omaha, July 4, 1892.

| and on behalf u the people OF this country the
! following preamble and declarationof Princl-
J pies:
The conditions which surround us justify
our action: we meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge OF moral, political and
| material ruin. Corruption dominates the bal
lot box, the legislatures, the congress. and
| touches even the ermine of the bench. The
| people are demoralized; most OF the states
have been compelled to isolate the voters ut
the polling places in order to prevent universal
| intimidation or bribery. The newspapers are
largely subsidized or muzzled, public opinion
silenced, business Frustrated, our homes COW
cred with mortgages, labor impoverished and
the land concentrating in the hands of the
| capitalists. The urban wOrkmen are denied
the right of organization for self protection;
imported pauperized labor beats down their
wages: hireling standing army, unrecog-
nized by our laws, is established to shoot them
down. ard they are rapidly degenerating into
European conditions The fruits Of the toll Of
millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for few, unprecedented in the his
tory of mankind, and the possessOrs Of these,
in turn, despise the republic and endanger
liberty From the same prolific womb of gov
ernmenta.l injustice we breed the two great
classes-tramps and millionaires
The national power to create money is ap-
propriated to enrich bondhoders; q vast pub
lie debt, payable in legal tender currency, 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 demonetized to
add to the purchasing power of gold by de-
creasing the price of all forms of property as
well as human labor. The supply of currency
is purposely abridged to fatten usurers, bank
rupt enterprise and enslave 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 overthrow at once it forebodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction of civilza-
ton or the establishment of an absolute des-
potism.
We have witnessed for more that quarter
of a century The struggles of two grc at polit-
cal parties for power and plumber, while griev-
Gus wrongs have been inflicted upon q suffer
ing people. We charge that the controlling
influences dominating both these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful conditions to
develop without serious efforts to prevent Or
restrain them. Neither do they now promise
us any substantial relief. They have agreed
together to ignore in the coming campaign
every issue but one. They propose to drown
the outcries OF plundered people with tie
uproar of a sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists. corporations, national banks, rings
trusts, watered stock, the decentralization of
silver and the oppression of the usurers may
all be lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice
cur homes, lives and children on the altar of
Mammon; to destroy the multitude in order
to secure corruption funds from the million
alre.
Assembled on the anniversary of the birth
day of the nation, and filled with the spirit of
the grand generation who established our indie
peudence, We seek to restore the government
of the republic to the hands Of the plain peo-
pie" with which class it originated.
We assert our purposes to be identical with
the purposes o.. the national constitution-to
form Il more perfect Union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves
and our posterity."
We declare that this republic can only en-
dure as a free government while built upon the
love of the whole people for each other and
for the naton that it cannot be pinned tn
gether 10y bayonets; that the civil war is over,
and that every passion and resentment which
grew out OF it must die with it, and that we
must be in tact, as we are in name, a united
brotherhood OF free men.
Our country finds itself confronted by con-
ditions for which there is no precedent in the
history of the world. Our annual agricultural
productions alnount to billions of dollars in
value, which must within few weeks or
months be exchanged for billions of dollars of
commodities consumed in their production.
Iuo cSlotlHB CurTSucy supply is wholly luhue-
Quate TO make this exchange. The results are
falling prices, the formation of combines and
rings and the impoverishment of the producing
classes. We pledge ourselves that if given
power we will labor to correct these evils by
wise and reasonable legislation, In accordance
with the terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers of government
In other words, of the people-should be ex-
panded les in the case of the postal service) as
rapidy and as far as the good sense of an in
tclligent people and the teachings of expert
cnce shall justify, to the end that oppression,
injustice and poverty shall eventually cease in
the land.