People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-05-27
SECOND DECLARATION OF AMERI.
CAN INDEPENDENCE.


4
This, the first great labor conference Of the
! United States and of the world, representing
| all divisions of urban and rural organized In
dustry, assembled in national congress, invok-
| ing upon its action the blessing and protection
of Almighty God puts forth to and for the pro-
ducers of the nation this declaration of union
and independence. The conditions which sur
round us best Justify our cooperation. We
meet in the midst of nation brought to the
verge of moral, political and material ruin
/ Corruption dominates the ballot box, the leg1s-
! latures, congress, and touches even the ermine
Of the bench. The people are demora1zed
Many of the states have been compelled to iso-
Late the voters at the polling places IN order to
prevent universal intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are subsidized or muzzled, public
| opinion silenced, business Frustrated, our
homes covered with mortgages, labor impover-
ished and the land concentrating in the hands
of capitalists. The urban workmen 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 established to shoot them down,
and they are rapidly degenerating to European
/ conditions
The fruits of the toll of millions are boldly
stolen to build up colossal fortunes, unprece-
denied in the history of the world, while their
possessors despise the republic and endanger
liberty. From the same prolific wonab of gov
ernmental injustice breed the two great classes
!
power TO create money is appropriated to en-
| rich bondholders; silver, which has been ac-
Cepted as coin since the dawn of history, has
been demonetized to add to the purchasing
power 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 fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. A vast conspiracy against man
kind has been organized on two continents
| and is taking possession of the world. If not
met and overthrown at once it forbodee terri
BILE social commissions, the destruction of civli-
zation or the establishment of an absolute
despotism.
| In this crisis of human affairs the intelligent
working people and producers of the United
States have come together in the name of
peace, order and society to defend liberty, pros
perity and justice.
We declare our union and independence.
We assert our purpose to support the political
organization which represents our principles.
We charge that the controlling influence
dominating the old political parties have al
lowed the existing dreadful conditions to de-
velop without serious effort to restrain or pre-
vent them. They have agreed together to
ignore, in the coming campaign, every issue
but one. They propose to drown the outcries
of plundered people with the uproar of q
sham battle over the tariff; so that corpora
tons, national banks, rings, trusts, 'watered
stock, the decentralization of silver, and the
They propose to sacrifice our homes and chill
dren upon the altar of mammon; to destroy the
hopes of the multitude in order to secure cor
ruption funds from the great lords of plumber
We assert that political organization, repre-
senting the political principles herein stated,
is necessary to redress the grievances of which
we complain.
Assembled on the anniversary of the birth of
the illustrieus man who led the first great revo-
luton on this continent against oppression,
filed with the sentiments which actuated that
grand generation, we seek to restore the gov
eminent OF the republic to the hands of the
plain people" with whom it originated. Our
doors are open to all points of the compass
We ask all honest men to join with and help US.
In order to restrain the extOrtions Of aggre-
gate capital, to drive the money changers out
Of the temple, to form a perfect union estab-
fish justice insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense, promote the gen
eral welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty
for ourselves and our posterity we do ordain
and establish the following platform of prin-
ciples:
First-We declare the union of the labor
forces OF the United States this day accom-
plished permanent and perpetual May its
spirit enter into all hearts for the salvation of
the republic and the uplifting of mankind.
Second-Wcalth belongs to him who created
1t. Every dollar taken from industry without
an equivalent is robbery. If any one will not
rural and urban labor are the same, their enc
mics are Identical
Platform.
FINANCE.
First-We demand national currency safe.
sound and flexible, issued by the general gov
eminent only, a full legal tender for all debts,
public and private; and that without the use
of banking corporations a just, equitable and
efficient means of distribution direct to the
people at a tax not to exceed per cent. be pro-
vided, as set forth in the subtreasury plan Of
the Farmers Alliance, or some better system;
also, by payments in discharge OF its obliga-
tons for public improvements.
(a.) We demand free and unlimited coinage
of silver.
o. We demand that the amount of circulate
ing medium be speedily increased to not less
than fifty dollars per capita.
(c) We demand graduated income tax.
Id We believe that the money of the country
should be kept as much as possible in the hands
of the people, and hence we demand all ma
tional and state revenue shall be limited to the
necessary expenses of the government eco
nomically and honestly administered.
(e.) We demand that postal savings banks be
established by the government for the safe de-
posit of the earnings of the people and to facil-
tate exchange.
Second-The land, including all the natural
resources of wealth, is the heritage of all the
people anu SuOuAO not Do monOpO11zeQ Tor spec
ulative purposes, and alien ownership of land
should be prohibited. All land now held by
railroads and other corporations in excess of
their actual needs, and all lands now owned by
aliens, should be reclaimed by the government
and held for actual settlers only.
TRANSPORTATION.
ird-Transportation being means Of ex-
change and public necessity, the government
should own and operate the railroads In the in
terest of the people.
(a) The telegraph and telephone, like the
pestofice system, being necessity for trans
mission of news, should be owned and oper-
a%ed by the government in the interest Of the
people.
OFFICIAL NOTICE.