The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-09-01

LINTON, n. Co. SEPT. Z'' i''-'
THE PLATFORM
Aud Preamble Adopted ut oiha-
Ina July 4, 1897.
PREAMBLE.

OF lHDe pci'Ith'' n.
marty OF America, in their hrs'
national convention, INVOKING
mon their action the blessing
of Almighty God, puts forth ID
the name and on behalf Of the
people of this country the ioi-
lowing preamble and deciara-
ton Of principles:
Tie conditions which sur
round us best justify our co
operation we meet Ill Tue
midst Of a nation brought TO tue
verge Of moral, political ana
material ruin. Corruption DON'T
mates the balIOt-box, the legls-
A'ures, the congress, and tollch-
es even the ermine Of the bench.
The people are demorallzed
most OF the States have been
compelled to isolate the voters
at the polling places to prevent
universal intimidation or br1be-
ry. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muZzIed public
opinion silenced ; business pros
trated; our homes covered with
mortgages; labor Impoverished
and the land concentrating Ill
the hands Of the capitalists.
The urban wOrkmen are denied
the right of organization for
self-protection; imported pau
periZed labor beats down their
wages; a hiIeling 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 boldly stolen
to build up colossal fortunes for
few, unprecedented in the
history Of mankind; and the
possessors Of these, in turn, des-
pise the republic and endanger
liberty. From the same proli-
fic womb of governmental ln-
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
cepted as coin since the dawn
OF history, has beeh demonet
ICED to add to the purchasing
power of gold by decreasing the
value of all forms Of property
as we'll as human labor, and
the supply Of currency is pur-
posely abridged to fatten usur-
ers, bankrupt enterprise, and
enslave industry. A vast con
spiracy against mankind has
been organized on two cont
nents, and it is rapidly taking
possession of the world. Ifnot
met and overthrown at once il
fOre-bOdes terrible social con
vulsions, the destruction OF
civilization, or the establish
ment of an absolute despotism
We have Witnessed for more
than a quarter of a century the
struggles of the two great pc
Utica! parties for power and
plumber, while grievous wrongs
have been inflicted upon q suf-
fering people. We charge that
the controlling influences domi-
mating both these par ties 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-
gether to ignore, in the
coming campaign every issue
but one. They propose to
drown the outcries of a plum
dered people with the uproar
of a sham battle over the tariff,
so that the capitalists, corpora
tions, national banks, rings,
trusts, watered stock, the de-
mOnetization of silver and the
expressions Of the usurers may
all be lost sight of. They pro-
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives
and children on the altar Of
mammon to destroy the multi
tude in order to secure corrup-
ton funds from the millionaires.
Assembled On the anniversary
OF the birthday of the nation
and filled with the spirit of the
grand generation who estab-
lished our independence, we
seek our independence, we seek
to restore the government of the
republic TO the hands of "the
plain people," with which class
it originated.
We assert our purposes to he
Identical with the purpos IS of
the national constitution, "To
form a more perfect union, es-
tablish justice, insure domestic
tranquility, provide for the
common defense promote the
general welfare, and secure the
blessings of liberty for our
selves and our posterlty."
We declare that this republic
can only endure as free gov
eminent while built upon the
love of the whole people for
each other and for the nation
that it cannot be pinned to
gether by bayonets; that the