Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-03

hand, ana SHOOK III heartily. lie
audience, every man and woman on
their feet, pressed close around the
stage, cheering until exhaustion com
PEELED them to resist.
Ex-senator Vanwick of Nebraska,
who was greeted by the Nebraska del
egation with shouts of "Our next gov
ernor," was the next to pay his tribute
to the men who wore the gray. He
said that the union of the North and
South would do more for the prOtec-
tion of the country than all the navies
they were building. They were now
fighting the same battles as of old,
but now it was
PEACEFUL WAR.
Then for the emancipation of the ne-
gro, now for the emancipation of toll
ers. Even those who did not agree
with them were reconciling. John
Sherman and Carlisle were hugging
each other. They were making com
mon cause on one platform. No more
money for the people and bloody shirt
buried under that. (Cheers.) Let
them be true to themselves let them
: do as their fathers have done and
there will be no war. Let their pro-
gramme be "No more voting except
for new party"
1t remained for Thomas Wadsworth
of Indiana to bring the excitement
and enthusiasm to a climax. In the
midst of stirring address that fol-
lowed the lines of the previous speak
ers he called upon all the Union and
Confederate veterans to clasp hands
and embrace each other. The response
was spontaneous and electric. Men
climbed over benches and upon the
platform to find their old opponents
on the battlefield, and having Joined
them caught both hands and wrung
them again and again. Others fell
upon each Others necks. Blacks en-
thused with whites. "Shake, broth
er," said little dried up Georgian to
a stalwart Virginia negro. Il was a
slave once, you are a free man now,
both of us are equal" The veterans
shouted ont the numbers of their reg
iments: eighth Illinois," "Sixteenth
Ohio" "Fifth Georgia, ""Ninth Louis
iana," "Fifteenth Georgia." and so on
until the babel was deafening. In the
midst of all this Wadsworth started
up the band to the tune of marching
Through Georgia." and under the in
f1uence of the music there was more
handshaking and embracing and
greetings and prOtestations of new
friendship and never dying affection
until the tumult of the enthusiasm
gradually died out by reason of the
physical exhaustion of those partici-
pating in it.
When the committee on resolutions
made their report, Ignatius Donnelly
read
THE PREAMBLE TO THE PLATFORM.
This, the first labor conference OF
the United States and world, repre-
senting all divisions of urban and un-
organized industry assembled in ma
tiOnal congress, evoking upon its ac-
ton the blessing and protection OF
the Almighty God puts forth tO
the producers of the nation this declar-
ton of union and independence.
i The conditions which surround us
best Justify our cooperation. We
meet in the midst of a nation brought
material ruin. Corruption dominates
the ballot box, the legislators, the
Congress, and touches even the ermint
of the bench. The people are demOr-
allied. Many of the States have been
compelled to isolate the voters at the
polling place in order to prevent uni
versal intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are subsidized or muzzled,
public opinion silenced, business pros
trated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished, 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 hire
ling standing army, unrecOgnized by
our laws, is established to shoot them
down and they are rapidly degenerat-
ing to European conditions. The
fruits of the toll of millions are boldly
stolen to build up colossal fortunes,
unprecedented in the history of the
world, while their pOssessors despise
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific womb of gov
ernmental injustice we breed the two
great classes-paupers and million
aires. The national power to create
money is appropriated to enrich bond
holders silver; which has been ac-
cepted as coin since the dawn of his
tory, has been demonetized to add to
the purchasing power of gold by de-
creasing the value of all forms of prop
erty as we'll as human labor and the
supply of currency is purposely
abridged to fatten usurpers, bankrupt
enterprise and enslave industry. A
vast conspiracy against mankind has
been organized on two continents and
it is taking possession of the world.
If not met and overthrown at once it
forebodes terrible social convulsions,
the destruction of the republic and the
establishment of an absolute despot-
ism.
In this crisis of human affairs the
intelligent working people and pro-
ducers of the United States have come
together, in the name of peace, order
and society, to defend liberty, proper
ty and justice.
4, We declare an union and independ-
ence. We assert our purpose to vote
with the political organization which
| ,orraaapto our nrin oinlas