Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-09-21
PEOPLES PLATFORM.
Full Text of the Preamble and ResoIa-
tions Adopted BY the Peoples Party
Convention AZ Omaha.
Knlla..-ir,o. L A.. - II


Following in the correct platform a
adopted by the Omaha convention:
PREAMBLE
Assembled upon the 11oth anniversary q
the declaration of independence the people
party Of America in their nrst nations
convention invoking upoa their action tn
blessing OF Almighty God, puts forth In tn
name and on behalf Of the people of this coun
Wy the following preamble and declaration o
principles
The conditions which surround Us best JUSTLY
our cooperation; we meet IN the midst OF q ma
uon brought 70 the verge of moral. political and
material ruin Corruption dominates the bal
lot oox, the teg1slatures, the congress, and
touches even the ermine Of the bench Thu
people are demoralzed; most OF the states have
been compelled TO isolate the voters at the
ponlng places 70 prevent universal init mi
dalton or bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzled; public opinion ST
lenced business Frustrated; our homes GOV.
cred with mortgages; labor impoverished, and
the land concentrated In the hands of capital.
lists. The urban workmsn are denied thu right
of organic alton for Self-protSction; imported
pauperized labor beats down their wages: n
hireling standing army, unrecogniEed by our
laws, is established 70 shoot them down and
they will rapidly degenerate into European
conditions. The fruits Of the toll OF millions
are boldly stolen TO build up colossal fortunes
Unprecedented in the history Of mankind and
the possessors OF these IN turn despise the re-
Pubic and endanger liberty. From the
justice We breed the two great classes
tramps and millionaires The national power
10 create money Is appropriated 70 enrich bond
noiuers vast public debt payable in legal ten
Ger currency has been funded into gold bearing
ponds, thereby adding millions 70 the burdens
OF the people.
Silver, which has been accepted "a n
coin since the dawn OF history, has
been demonetizsd TO add TO the purchasing
power OF gold by decreasing the value Of All
forms OF property as well ~ human labor ana
tne supply OF currency IL purpoSely abridged
70 iatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. vast conspiracy against man
Kind has been organized two continent Is and Is
rapidly taking possession OF the world II not
met and overthrow at once II forebodes terri.
Die social CONFUSION, the destruction of ciyiliza
uon' or the establishment Of an absolute des-
potism
We have witnessed for more than a quarter
OF century the struggles OF the tive great
political parties for power and plumber. while
gr1evous wrongs have been inflicted upon a auf-
fering people We charge that the controlling
influences dominating both these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful conditions to
develop without serious efforts TO prevent or re-
strain them. Neither do they now prom
Use US any substantial reform They have
agreed together TO ignore, in the coming
campaign, every issue but one They propose
todrown the outcrieS OF plundered people with
the uproar OF a sham battle over the tarin SO
that capitalists, corporations national banks
rings trusts, watered stock, demonstration
OF silver and the expressions OF the usurers NAV
I'll Dc lost sight OF They proposed to sacrifice
our homes, lives and children on the altar of
mammon; 70 destroy the multitude in order 10
secure corruption funds from the millionaires.
Assembled on the anniversary OF the birth
Gay OF the nation and filed with the spirit of
the grand generation who established our indie
pendence, we seek our independence We seek
70 restore the government OF the republic to
tne hands OF the plain people" with whose
class It originated.
with the purposes of the national consti.
tuition: ITO form q more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic TRANQUILITY
provide for the common Defense promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings of
liberty for ourselves and our postertty"
We declare that this republic can only en-
cure as free government while built upon
the love OF the whole people for each other and
Tor the nation; that It cannot be pinned to-
gether by bayonets; that the civil war is over |
and that every passion and resentment which |
grew out Of 1t must die with it, and that we |
must be In fact as we are In name, one united |
brotherhood OF freemen-
Our country finds itself confron ted by oondi- |
lions for which there Is no precedent I'm
the history OF the world. Our annual
Agricultural productions amount to billions OF
dollars In value which must within a few weeks
or months be exchanged for billions OF dollars
Of commodities consumed in their production
inc existing currency supply is wholly |
inadequate 10 make this exchange. The
results are falling prices, the formation of
combines and rings and tho impoverish- |
ment OF the producing class We pledge
ourselves that II given power. we will labor
TO correct these evils by wise and reasonable
legislation In accordance with the terms OF our
platform. We believe that the powers Of govern
ment-in other words, OF the people should be |
expanded (as In the case OF the postal sePvioe)
rs rapidly and as far as the good sense of an In
telligent people and the teaching OF experience
shall Justify to the end that oppression Injustice
nal ~ tn hi
While our sympathies ~ party Of reform are |
naturally upon the side q every proposition |
which will tend to make men intelligent virtu-
Gus and temperate, We nevertheless reRArd |
these questions, important - they ara - |
secondary TO the great issues now pressing
for solution and upon which not only our indi- |
Vidual prosperity, but the very existence of |
free institutions depend, and We ask Ali |
men TO hrst help US 70 determine whether |
we are TO have republic 70 administer b.
fore we diner as TO the conditions upon "
Il Is TO be administered; beliSVtn0
forces OF reform this day mich
never cease TO move forwp"- , that the
Il remedied and eQuS' organised win
leges securely - ID until every wrong
women Of - rights and equal prvii-
Established for Al the men and
.ne country.
THE PLATFORM
We DECLARE therefore:
First-That the union Of the labor forces Of
the United States this day contaminated, shall
be permanent and perpetual. May its spirit
enter into all hearts for the salvation OF the
republic and the uplifting Of mankind
Second-Wealth belongs to him who creates
f. and every dollar taken from industry with
out an equivalent Is robbery. "If any will
not work neither shall he eat" The interests
of rural and civic labor are the same; their emf
mics are Identical
Third-we believe that the time has come
when the railroad corporations must either
own the people or the people must own the rail-
roads-and should the government enter
upon the work of owning and managing any
or all railroads, we should favor amend.
ment TO the constitution by which all persons
engaged In the government service shall be
placed under a civil service regulation OF the
most rigid character, so to prevent the in
crease OF the power OF the national admnistra-
tion by the use OF such additional government
employees.
We demand that national currency safe
sound and flexible issued by the general gov
eminent only, q full legal tender for all debts,
public and private, and that without the use of
banking corpora lions, n just equitable and
enacient means OF distribution direct TO the
people, at q tax not to exceed two per cent per
annum, be proviped, as set forth in the sub
treasury plan OF the Farmers Alliance or some
better system; also by payments in discharge
of its obligations for public improvements
We demand free and unlimited coinage OF
silver and gold at the present legal ratio of 10
toll.
medium be speedily increased TO not less than
ESQ per capita.
we demand graduated income tax
We believe that the money of the country
should be kept much as possible in the
hands of the people, and hence we demand that
All state and national revenue shall be limited
10 the necessary expenses of the government
economically and honestly administered
we demand that postal savings banks be
established by the government Tor the SAFE dc
nosit of the earnings of the people and 70
facilitate exchange.
Transportation being q means Of exchange
and public necessity, the government should
own and operate the railroads In the interest
the people.
The telegraph and telephone. like the post OF
nee system, being a necessity for TRANSMISSION
of news, should be owned and operated py TN
government in the interest Of the people
The land, including all the natural resources
of wealth, Is the heritage OF all the people AM
should not be monopolized for speculative pur