The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-09-29
THE CAUCASIAN.
THE PLATFORM
And Preamble Adopted at Oma-
ma july Il, 1892.
PREAMBLE.

PREAMBLE.
Assembled upon the 10th
anniversary OF the declaration
Of independence, the Peoples
party OF America, in their first
national convention, invoking
npon their action the blessing
Of Almighty God, puts forth in
the name and On behalf of the
people Of this country the fol-
loving preamble and declara-
rtion Of principles
The conditions which sur
round us best justify our CO.
operation; we meet in the
midst Of a nation brought to the
verge of moral. political and
material ruin. Corruption domi-
mates the baIlot-boX, the legis-
ID ures, the congress, and touch
es even the ermine Of the bench.
Tie people are demoralized
most of the States have been
compelled To isolate the voters
at the polling places to prevent
universal intimidation or bribe-
~. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muZzled public
opinion silenced business pros
trated; our homes covered with
mortgages; labor impoverished
and the land concentrating in
the hands of the capitalists.
The urban workmeu are denied
the right of organization for
eelf-protection imported pau
! pcTized labor bepts down their
wages; a hireling standing
army, recognized by our laws,
is established to shoot them
down and they are rapidly
degenerating into European
conditions. The fruits Of the
toll Of millions are bold y stolen
TO build up colossal feptunes for
u few, unprecedented In the
history mankind; and the
! possg4Gors Of these, in turn, des-
Ipss6 The republic and endangef
liberty. From the same proli-
&c womb Of governmental ill.,
justice we breed the two great
classes -tramps and million
aires. The national power to
create money is appropriated
to enrich bondholders. A vast
public debt, payable in legal
tender currency, has been fund
ed into gold bearing bonds
thereby adding millions to the
burdens OF the people,
Silver, which has been &C
copied az coin since the dawn
OF history, has been demonet
| lied to add to the purchasing
power CT gold by decreasing the
value Of all forms of property
| as we'll as human labor, and
, the supply Of currency Is pur.
poseIy abridged to fatten usur.
ers, bankrupt enterprise, and
enslave industry. X vast con
spicacy against mankind has
| been organized on two cont.
nents, and 1t is rapidly taking
| possession Of the world. Ifnot
met and overthrowD at once II
| bodies terrible social Con
| yulsions, the destruction OF
civilization, or the establish.
ment OF an absolute despotism
We have witnessed for more
than q quarter Of a century the
struggles of the two great pc
litical parties for power an6
plumber, while grievous wrongs
have been inflicted upon a suf.
fering people. We charge thai
! the controlling influences domi
mating both these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful
conditions to develop without
serious efforts to prevent or re-
strain them. Neither do they
now promise us any substantial
reform. They have agreed to
| Eetber to ignore, in the
coming campaign every issue
but one. They propose tc
drown the outcries Of a plum.
| dered people with the uproal
Of a sham battle over the tariff
so that the pi'alists, corpora
| tons, rational banks, rings
trusts, watored stock, the de-
/ mOnetization of silver and the
! expressions Of the usurers may
all be lost sight Of. They pro.
/ pose 20 sacrifice our homes, lives
aud children on the altar OF
! .1ammon; to destroy the multi
! tude IN order to secure corrup
ton funds from emillionaires
| Assembled on the anniversary
of the birthday Of the nation
| and filed with the spirit Of the
| grand generation who estab-
lishea our Independence, we
seek cur Independence, we seek
to festore the government Of the
republic 10 the hands of "the
plain people," with which class
it originated.
We assert our purposes to he
| Identical with the purposes OF
the national constitution, "Tc
form p more perfect union, es-
tabjish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the