The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-09-02
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.

National Convention at Omaha July 4th
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary of the Dec
laration of Independence, the Peoples
party of America, in their first National
Convention, invoking upon their action
the blessing of Almighty God, puts
forth. in the name and on behalf Of the
people of this country, the following
preamble and declaration of principles :
The conditions which surround US
best justify our cooperation. We meet
in the midst of a nation brought to the
verge Of political and material ruin /;
corruption dominates the ballot 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 iso-
late the voters at the polling places to
prevent universal intimidation or brib-
cry. The newspapers are subsidized or
muzzled public opinion silenced, bus
mess Frustrated; our homes covered
with mortgages, labor impoverished.
and the land concentrating in the hands
Of the capitalists. The urban workmen
are denied the rights of organization
for self protection ; imported, pauper-
lied labor beats down their wages;
hireling standing army, unrecognized
by our laws, is established to shoot
them down, aud they are rapidly de-
generating into European conditions.
The fruits Of the toll of millions are
boldly stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for few, unprecedented in the
history Of mankind and the possessors
of these, in turn, despise the republic
and endanger liberty. From the same
prolific womb Of governmental injustice
we breed the two great classes-tramps
and millionaires. The national power
to create money is appropriated to en-
rich bond holders (; vast public 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 used as coin
since the dawn of history, has been
dcmonetized to add to the purchasing
power Of gold by decreasing the value
of all forms of property as wei, as Of
human labor, and the supply of cur
rency is purposely abridged to fatten
usurers, bankrupt enterprise and enslave
industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two
continents, and is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. If not met and
overthrow 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
the two great political parties for power
and plumber, while grievous wrongs
have been inflicted on the suffering
people. We charge that the controll-
ing influences dominating both these
parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions to develop without
serious effort to prevent or restrain
them. Neither do they promise any
substantial reform. They have agreed
together to ignore, in the coming cam.
paign, every issue but one. They
propose to drown the outcries Of a
plundered people with the uproar Of a
sham battle oyer the tariff, SO that cap.
italists, corporations, national banks.
trusts, watered stocks, the demonetiza :
ton of silver and the oppression 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 multitude in order to
secure corruption funds from the
millionaires.
Assembled on the anniversary of the
birth of the nation, and filed with the
spirit of the grand generation who
established our independence, we seek
to restore the government of the Re-
public to the hands of the "plain peo-
ple," with whose class it originated.
We assert our purpose to be identical
with the purpose of the national con-
stitution: To form a more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domes-
tic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessing of liberty for
ourselves and our prosperity.
We declare that this republic can
only endure as free government while
built upon the love of the whole peo-
N