Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-10-26
PEOPLES PLATFORM.

tions Adopted by the Peoples Party
Convention 1t Omaha
Following is the correct platform a.
adopted by the Omaha convention:
PREAMBLE
Assembled upon the Iloth anniversary u
the declaration OF Independence, the peoples
party OF America In their nrst national
convention invoking upon their action the
blessing OF Almighty GOD puts forth In the
name and on behalf of the people Of this eoun-
Try the following preamble and declaration OF
principles:
The conditions which surround - best justify
our cooperation; we meet IN the midst Of o
ton brought e. the verge Of moral, political and
material ruin Corruption dominates the bal.
lot box, the legislatures, the congress, end
touches even the erminO Of The bench Tha
people are deInoralized: most OF the states have
been compelled 70 isolate the vOteeO 81 the
polling places 70 prevent universal init mi
dalton or bribery The Newspapers arc largely
subsidized or muzzled; public opinion 81
fenced; business Frustrated; our homes GOV.
cred with mortgages; labor impoverished, and
the land concentrated IN the hands Of capital
lists. The urban workmen are denied the right
Of organization for self-protection, imported
pauperized labor beats down their wages q
hirellng standing army, unrecogniZed by our
laws is es abolished TO shoot them down and
they viii 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-
public and endanger liberty. From the
same prolific womb Of governmental In
Justice we breed the two great classes
tramps aud millionaires The national po1nr
20 create money Is appropriated TO enrich bond
holders vast public debt payable in legal ten.
DER currency has been funded into gold bearing
bonds, thereby adding millions TO the burdens
OF the people
Silver, which has been accepted as q
coin since the dawn OF history, has
been demonetized to add 70 the purchasing
power Of gold by decreasing the value OF all
forms OF property as well as human labor, and
the supply OF currency Is purposely abridged
20 fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. A vast conspiracy against man.
kind has been organized on two continents and is
rapidly taking possession OF the world II not
met and overthrow at once 1t forebodes terri
bic social convusion, the destruction Of civiliza-
ton or the establishment Of an absolute des-
potism
We have witnessed for moro than a quarter
OF century the struggles Of the two great
political parties for power and plumber. while
gr1evous wrongs have been inflicted upon SUI
fertrg 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
30 drown the outcries Of plundered people with
she uproar Of a sham battle over the tartn, 80
shat capitalists corporations national banks,
rings trusts watered stock, decentralization
OF silver and the expressions Of the usurers may
Gil be lost sight OF They proposed to sacrifice
our homes, lives and children on the altar OF
mammon; 70 destroy the multitude in order TO
secure corruption funds from the millionAiree
Assembled on the anniversary of the birth
Gay OF the nation and filed with the spirit of
the grand generation who established our inde-
pendence we seek our Independence. We seek
70 restore the government Of tho republic to
The hands OF 1.-The plai people" with whose
class It originated
We assert our purposes % b Identical
with the purposes OF the national consti-
Sutioni ITO form more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide Tor the common defense, promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings Of
liberty for ourselves and our posterity."
We declare that this republic can only on
oure as free government while built upon
she love OF the whole people for each other and
Tor the nation; that it cannot BE- pinned To-
gether by bayonetst that the civil war II over
ana that every passion and resentment which
grow out OF It must die with IL, ana that We
must be In fact as we are In name, one united
Brotherhood OF freemen-
Our country finds itself confronted b. Oondi-
lions for which there II NO precedent In
Che history Of the world. Our annual
agricultural productions amount 70 billions of
dollars in value which must within . few weeks
Or months be exchanged for billions Of dollars
pf commodities consumed In th01S production
The existing currency supply II wholly
inadequate TO make this exchange Tho
results are falling prices, the formation Of
combines and rings aud The impovsrish-
nent OF the producing class We pledge
ourselves that given power, We win labor
20 correct these evils by wise ana reasonable
legislation In accordance with the terms OF our
platform We believe that the powers az RovsVA-
ment-in other words Of the people should BE-
expanded las In the case Of the postal BOrVtce)
As rapidly and as far rs the good sense Of an an
tehgent people and the teaching Of experience
shall justify to the end that oppression, injustice
and poverty shall eventually cease In the land
While our sympathies as party Of reform are
naturally upon the side OF every proposition
which WIN tend 70 make men intelligent virtu-
Gus and temperate, we nevertheless regard
these questions, important rs they are, a.
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 all
men TO hrst help US to determine whether
We are 20 have republic to administer be-
fore we differ as TO the conditions upon which
II u 70 be administered; believing that the
forces OF reform this day organised wiz
never cease 20 move forward until every wrong
u remedied and equal rights and equal prvii-
leges securely established for all the men and
women OF the country.
THE PLATFORM
We declare, therefore:
First-That the union OF the labor forces az
the United States this day contaminated, shall
be permanent and perpetual May its spirit
enter into oil hearts for the salvation of the
republic and the uplifting of mankind
Second-Wealth belongs 70 him who creates
It. and every dollar taken from industry with.
out an equivalent II robbery. "If any win
not work neither shall he eat" The interests
OF rural and civic labor are the same; their emil
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 an amend.
uent TO the constitution by which all persons
engaged in the government service shall be
placed under q civil service regulation OF the
most rigid character, 30 as to prevent the In
crease OF the power OF the national admnistrar
ton by the use OF such additional government
employees.
We demand that national currency safe
sound and flexible, issued by the general gov
ernment only, full legal tender for all debts
public and private, and that without the use OF
banling corpora lions. q Just, equitable and
eflcient means of distribution direct TO the
people at q tax not to exceed two per cent pei
annum, be proviped, rs set forth in the sub
treasury plan OF the Farmers Alliance or some
better syStemi 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 II
. 20 T.
we demand that the amount Of circulating
medium be speedily increased 70 not less thar
ESQ per capita.
we demand a graduated income tar.
We believe that the money OF the country
should be kept as much a. possible In the
hands Of the people, and hence we demand thai
oil state and national revenue shall be limited
10 the necessary expenses of the government
economically and honestly administered
4 We demand that postal savings banks be
! established by the government for the safe do
posfi OF the earnings OF the people and q
faciitlte exchange
Importation being . means Of exchange
RRd pablo necessity, The government shon''
OWL am operate the railroads IN the interest d
the people
Tho telegraph and Telephone hke the post OF
Goo ,..1A.aia. for lrcn sniallQI