People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-08-26
THE PEOPLES PARTY.
STATE PLATFORM, ADOPTED AT ATTAIN
IA, July 10Th, 1892.

| L
IA, July 10Th, 1892.
We endorse and reaffirm the preamble,
resolutions and platform adopted by the
Peoples Party in national convention as
sembled at Omaha, July 4, 1892. We
! indOrse the ticket nominated and
| pledge the party when it shall come
| into power in the State to frame and
administer the laws in the spirit of
the Omaha platform, which is equal
| Justice to all, and special privileges to
none.
2. We condemn the convict lease sys-
tenn.
| 3. We demand rigid economy in all
public matters and mist on every pos
sible reduction of taxation during the
present impoverished condition of the
people.
And we call public attention to the
fact that the producing interest in both
city and country is bearing more than It's
| fair share of taxation.
NATIONAL PLATFORM, ADOPTED AT
OMAHA, July 4TR, 1892.
Assembled upon the one hundred and six
3eenth anniversary of the declaration of indie
pendence, the Peoples Party Of America. in
! their action the blessing OF the Almighty God.
| put forth in the name of the people of this
\ country, the following preamble and declara-
ton of principles;
! The conditions which surround us best
Jusswy our cooperation; we meet In the
midst of Q nation brought 60 the verge Of
1oEals political and material ruin. Corrup-
ton dominates the ballot box, legislatures,
| congRess, and touches even the ermine OF
| the bench
The people are demoralized; most of the
states have been compelled to isolate voters
! at polling places to prevent universal in
tinN6ation or bribery. Newspapers are
| largely subsidized or muzzled; public
| opinion silence6; business FRUSTRATED; our
| homes covered with mortgages labor i'm
| pOverished; and the land concentrating in
| theshands Of capitalists. The urban work
men are denied the right of organization for
| self-protection; imported pauperized labor
| beats down their wages a hireling standing
army, unrecognized by our laws, is estab-
| lished to shoot them down, and they are
! rapidly degenerGting into European Condi-
| tons. The FRUITS of the toll of millions are
boldly stolen 60 build up colossal fortunes
for few, unprecedented in the history of
| mankind and the pOssessOrs Of these in
| turn despise tho republic and endanger
| liberty. From the same prolific womb OF
| governmental injustice, we breed two great
| classes-tramps and millionaires. National
| power to create money is appropriated to
! enrich bondholders; avast public debt pay
| able in legal tender currency has been
! funded into gold bearing bonds, thereby
! adding millions to the burdens of the PEG
/ pie. Silver, which has been accepted as
! coin since the dawn Of history, has been
demonetized to add to the purchasing pow
/ or of gold by decreasing the value of all
/ forms Of property as well as human labor,
| and the supply Of currency is purposely
abridged to fatSen usurers, bankrupt enter
| prise and ensiave industry. A vast con-
| Gpiracy against mankind has been organized
on the two continents and it is RAPIDLY
! taking possession OF the world. IF not met
and overthrown az once it fOrebodes terrible
social cOnvC lsions, the destruction of civil
zatien Or the establish aent of an absolute
despetism.
We hs~e Witnessed EoG-plore than aquaE-
ter Of q century the struggles of tW0 grea&
political parties foT power and plunders
while grievOus wrongs have been inflicted
upon the suffering people. We charge
that the controlling influence dominating
both these parties has permitted the exist
ing dreadful conditions to develop without
serious effort to prevent or restrain them.
Neither 90 they now promise us any SUBJ
stantial reform. They have agreed togeth-
er to ignore in the coming campaign every
issue but enc. They propose to drown out
the cries OF the plundered people with the
upr0aE of a sham battle over the tariff, so
that capitalists, corporations, national
banks, rings, trusts, watered stock, de-
monetizatioR 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 milliOnaires.
Assembled on the anniversary OF the
birthday of the nation and filed with the
Split of the grand general-in-chief who es-
ta oh cd AYYH M WE seek n
store the government of the republic to the
hands of "the plain people" with whose
class it originated.
We assert our purposes to be identical
with the purposes of the national cOnstitu-
tion-to form more perfect union and es-
tablish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare and secure the bless |
ings of liberty for ourselves and our pos
terity. We declare that this republic can |
only endure as q free government while |
built upon the owe of the whole people for |
each other, and for the nation that it can |
not be pinned together by bayonets; but |
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 fact, as |
we are in name, one united brotherhood.
Our country finds itself confronted by |
conditions for which there are no prece- |
dents in the history of the world. Our |
annual agriou ltural productions amount TO
billions Of dollars in value, which must
within few weeks or months, be exchang-
ed for billions of dollars of the commodi-
ties consumed in their production.
The currency supply is wholly made
quato to make the exchange. The results
are falling prices; formation of combines
and rims; and the impoverishment of the
producing class.
We pledge ourselves that if given power
we viii labor to correct these evils by wise
and reasonable legislation in accordance
with the terms of our platform. We be-
lieve that the powers of government-ln
other words of the people-should be ex-
banded as in the case of the postal Service
as rapidly and as far as the good sense OF
an inteIligenS people and the teachings OF
experiences shall justify, to the end that OPP
preston, injustice and poverty shall event.
ually cease in the land. While our sym
pathies, as party of reform, are naturally
upon the side of every proposition which
WALL tend to make men intelligent, virtuous
and temperate, we nevertheless regard
these questions-important as they are
as secondary TO the great issues new press
ing for solution and upon which not oRty
our individual prosperity but the very exist
ence of free institutions depend, and we
ask all mon TO first help US 80 determine
whether we are to have republic TO adj
minister, before we differ as to the cOndt-
r&v11yEN ydEo VP0d 1