Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-07-14

Preamble and Declaration OF Principles
That Were Adopted.


Preamble and Declaration OF Principles
That were Adopted.
The following is the platform unan-
imously adoped by the Peoples Party
Conventions:
Assembled upon the one hundred and six
teenth anniversary OF the Declaration OF INDIE
5ns rsIp,e psisy u apon
their action the blessing OF Almighty God, puts
forth. In the name and on behalf OF the people
Of this country, the following preamble and
declaration Of principles:
Preamble.
The conditions which surround us best Jus
tify our cooperation. We meet In the midst
OF nation brought TO the verge OF moral. po-
mates in the ballot box the Legislatures, the
Congress, and touches even the ermine OF the
bench. The. people are demoralized most OF
voters at the polling places 20 prevent univers-
al intimidation or bribery. The newspapers
are largely subsidized or mrzzled; public opin-
ion silenced business prostrated; our homes
covered with mortgages labor impoverished,
and the lands concentrating in the hands OF the
capitalists. The urban workmen are denied
the right OF organization for self-protectton'
imported pauperized labor beats down their
wages; hireiing stending army, unrecognized
by our laws, is established to shoot them down,
and they are rapidly degenerating into Euro
pean conditions. The fruits of the toll of mil
lions are boldly stolen TO build up colossal
fortunes for a few, unprecedented In the his
tory Of mankind; and the possessors or these,
in turn despise the Republic and endanger
liberty. From the same prolific womb or gov
ernmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-tramps and millionairee.
The national power to create money is APP
propriated to enrich bondholders; q vast public
debt payable IN legal tender currency has been
funded into gold bearing bonds, thereby adding
millions to the burdens OF the people.
Silver which has been accepted as coin since
the dawn of history, has been demonetized to
ing the value OF all forms Of property as well
as human labor, and the supply OF currency Is
purposely abridged TO fatten usurers, bank
rupt enterprise, and enslave industry vast
conspiracy against mankind has been organized
on two continents and II Is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. II not met and over,
thrown at once il forebodes terrible social
commissions, the destruction Of civilization, OF
the establishment of an absolute despottsm.
We have witnessed for more than a.quarter Of
century the struggle OF the two great political
parties for power and plumber. while grievons
wrongs have been inflicted upon the suffering
people: We charge that the controlling inhu-
ences dominating both these parties have per-
mitted the existing dreadful conditions to de-
velop without serious effort 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 out.
cries of a piundered people with the uprosr o.
a sham battle over the tariff, so that capital
lists, corporations, national banks, rings
trusts, watered stock, the demonstration OF
silver, and the oppressions Of the usurers may
all be lost sight Of They propose to sacrfhct
our homes, lives, and children on the altar OF
Mammon; to destroy the multitude in order tC
secure corruption funds from the miliionaiTes
of the nation and filed with the spirit of the
grand generation who established our indie
Of the republic to the hands of the plain peo
pie" with whose class IL originated We assert
our purposes to be indentfcal with the pur
poses OF the National ConstitutionI,,t
N nnfnn R0fAhligf
| tu stice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
| FOR the common defense, promote the genera
welfare and secure the blessings OF liberty fol
ourselves and our posterity.
We declare that this republic can only en-
dure as a free government while built upon thu
love OF the whole people for each other ant
for the nation; that 1t cannot be pinned to
| gether by bayonets; that the civil war Is over
and that every passion and resentment which
grew out of IL must die with 1t, and that WI
must be tn fact as we are in name, one uniteC
brotherhood of freemen.
our country finds itself confronted by oondi
| tions f0r which there Is no precedent In thu
history of the world Our annual agriculture
productions amount to billions OF dollars IL
value, which must In few weeks or months
be exchanged for billions OF dollars OF com
modities consumed In their production; thu
existing currency supply Is wholly tnadequat.
30 make this change; the results are the falling
| prices, the formation OF combines and rings
the impoverishment of the producing class
We pledge ourselves that II given power WI
will labor 10 correct these evils by wise ant
terms OF our platform.
We believe that the powers of government. II
other words, of the people, should be expand
ed las IN the case of the postal servtce) as rap
Idly and as far as the good sense OF an tntelli
gent people and the teachings OF experience
shall justify, to the end that 0ppession, injus
tice, and poverty shall eventually cease In tia
land
While our sympathies ms a party OF reform
are naturally upon the side OF every PROPOSE
tion which will tend to make men intelligent
| virtuous, and temperate, we nevertheless re
| gard these Observation-Disclosures as they are
as secondary to the great issues now pressin
| for solution, and upon which not only our In
| dividual prosperity but the very existence o
| free INSTITUTIONS depend; and we ask all mel
| to first help us DO determine whether we are b
have q republic to administer before we diffe
! aB TO the condition upon which IL Is to be ad
ministered; believing that the forces of reform
| forward until every wrong Is remied, and equa
| rights and equal privileges securely establishe
| for all the men and women Of this country
! We'declare therefore:
Declaration Of PriRciples.
Ffret-That the union Of the labor forces O
the United States this day contaminated shall
| be permanent and perpetual-may its spiri
| enter into all hearts for the salvation OF tn
republic and the uplifting of mankind
| SecOnd-Wealth belongs TO him who create
| IL. and every dollar taken from industry with
| out an equivalent IL robbery. IF any will no
| work, neither shall he eat" The interests o
| rural and civic labor are the same; their enc
| mics are identical.
| Third-We believe that the time has com
/ ha all all har