The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-07-16

Assembled upon the one hundred and six
| tcenth anniversary Of the Declaration Of hide
| pendence, tho peoples party of America. in
their first national convention. invoking upon
their action tho blessing of Almighty God. puts
forth, in thu name and gu behalf of the people
OF this country, the following preamble and
declaration of principles:
Tn conditions which surround us best JUS
tify our cooperation. We meet in tho midst of a
nation brought to the verge OF moral, political
and material ruin. Corruption dominates the
ballot box. the legislatures, the congress, and
touches even the ermine Of the bench. The
| people are de;noralized: most of the states
have been compelled to isolate the voters at
the polling places to prevent universal intimi-
da;ion CT bribery. The newspapers are
largely subsi iized or muzzled; public
opinion silenced; business prostrated; our
homes covered with mortgages; labor i'm
roverished, and the land concentrating in the
hands OF the capitalists. The urban workmen
are denied the right OF organization for self
protection; imported paurerized labor beats
down their wages; 4 hireling standing army,
unrecogniKed hy our laws, is established to
shoot them down; and they are rapidly de-
generating into European conditions; the
fruits Of the toll of millions are boldly stolen to
build up colossal fortunes for a few. unpre-
cedented in the history Of mankind; and the
possessors of these. in time, despise the repub-
lie and endanger liberty. From the same pro-
life womb Of governmental injustice We br,ed
the two great ~classes-tramps and millionaires.
The national power to create money is ap-
propriated to enrich bondholders; a vast public
debt, payable in legal tender currency, has
been refunded 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
add to the purchasing power Of gold by de-
creasing the value OF all forms of property as
well as humsn labor; and the supply of cur
rency is purpose.y Abridged to fattsn usurpers,
bankrupt enterprise and e1slave industry.
A vast conspiracy against mankind has been
organized in two continents, and it is rapidly
taking possession OF the world. II not INST
and overthrown ut once it forbodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction Of ciyilizas
ton. or this establishment of an absolute des-
potism.
We have witnessed for more than q quarter
of a century the struggles of the two great
political PARTIES for power and plumber, while
grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon the
suffering people. We charge that the control
ling influences dominating both these parties
have permitted the existing dreadful conditions
TO develop without serious effort to reprove
or restrain them. Neither do they now prom
Use US any substantial reform. They have
agreed together to ignore. in the coming cam
paign, every issue but one. They propose
to drown the ortcries of q plundered people
with the uproar OF a sham battle over the
tariff, so that &C capitalists, corporations, national
banks. rings, trusts, watered stock, the de-
monetization OF silver and the expressions Of
the Insurers may all be lost sigh o.. The pro-
pose 20 sacrifice our homes. lives au1 children
on the alter of Mamnon; to destroy the multi
tude in order to cure corruption funds from
tie miliionaires.
Assa>nhiai m the anniyarsarv NJ Tho hIrtb-