The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-07-13

On Sunday session was held In MEM
ory Of the late Col. L. l.. Polk, Of North
Carolina.
OMAHA Neb., July 5.-When the con-
vention met yesterday morning H. o.
LouckS, of South Dakota, was elected
permanent chairman. The following
platform was unanimously adopted:
Assembled upon the one hundred and six.
teenth anniversary Of the declaration OF indie
pendence, the peoples party OF America in
their first national convention, invoking upon
their action the blessing Of Almig hty God, puts
forth, in the nNne and on behalf Of the people
Of this country, the following preamble and
declaration OF principles:
The conditions which surround us best justify
our cooperation We meet In the midst Of
nation broughtto the verge Of moral, political
and material ruin. Corruption dominates the
ballot box, the legislatures, the congress, and
touches even the erminc OF the bench. The
people are demoralized; most of the states
have been compelled TO isolate The
voters at the polling places TO pre-.
vent universal intimidation or bri.
berry. The newspapers are largely subsi.
dized or muzzled; public opinion silonced;
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 or.
ganization for self.protecton; imported pau.
perlzed labor beats down their wages; hire.
ling standing army, unrecoguiEed by our laws,
is established 10 shoot them down.
and they are rapidly degenerating
into European conditions. The fruits OF the
toll Of millions are boldly stolen to build up
colossal fortunes for a few, unprecedented In
the history Of mankind, and the possessors OF
these, in turn, despise the republic and endanger
liberty, From the same prolific womb Of gov.
ernmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-tramps and millionaires.
The national power to create money Is appro.
priated 10 enrich bondholders; q vast public
debt payable in legal tender currency has been
funded into gold.bearing bonds, thereby adding
millions 10 the burdens Of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as coin since
the dawn Of history, has been demonetized 70
add.to ;he purchasing power Of gold By decreas.
ing the value OF all forms OF property as well US
human labor, and the supply OF currency is
purposely abridged TO fatten usurers bank.
rup: enterprise and enslsve industry. A
vas: conspiracy against mankind has been
or! !nized on two continents and II Is rap
idlY taking possession Of the world II not
met and overthrown at once II forebodes
npIlal tut uoSLTuGLlOu OF
civilization or the establishment OF an absolute
despotism We have witnessed for more than
quarter Of century the struggles OF the two
great political parties for power and plum.
der, while grievous wrongs have been In
hicted upon the suffering people We charge
that the controlling influences dominating
both these parties have permitted
the existing dreadful conditions to develop
without serious effort TO prevent or restrain
them Neither do they now promise US any
substantial reform. They have agreed together
TO ignore In the coming campaign every issue
but one. They propose TO drown the outcries
of plundered people with the uproar
OF sham battle over the tarin, so
that capitalists, corporations, national
banks, rings, trusts, watered stock, the demon.
etization Of silver and the expressions Of the
usurcrs may all be lost sight o. They propose
TO sacrifice our homes, lives and children on
the altar Of Mammon: 10 destroy the multitude
In order 20 secure corruption funds from the
millionaires.
Assembled on the anniversary Of the birth.
day VI tie nation and filled with the spirit Of
the grani'gcreration Who established our inde.
pcndence, we seek 10 restore the government Of
the republic 10 the hands Of "ihC plain people"
with whose class 1t originated We assert our
purposes 70 be identical with the purposes Of
the national constitutional form q more per.
feet union, establish justice. insure domestic
tranquility, provide for H. common defense,
promote The general welfare and secure the
blessings Of liberty for ourselves and our pos.
tenty"
We declare that this republic can only endure
as free government While built upon the love
OF the whole people for each other aud for the
nation that 1t cannot be pinned together by
bayonets: that the civil war Is over and that
every passion and reseu tment which grew out
Of II must die with It, and that We must be in
fact rs We are In name one united brotherhood
offrcemen.
Our country finds itself confronted by condl.
tons for which there is no precedent In the his.
tory Of the world Our annual agricultural pro.
ductions amount to billions Of dollars IN value,
which must within few wee Ks or months be ex.
changed FOR billions Of dollars OF commodities
in their prbuction; the existing cur.
rency supply Is wholly inadequate 10 make this
The results are falling prices the
formation Of combines and rings, the impover.
shment 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
W9belieye that the powers Of government
IN other words Of the people, should be ex.
panded las In the case Of the postal soryice) as
rapidly and as far as the good sense Of an In.
Ielligent people and the teachings OF experience
shall justify 10 the end that oppression injustice
and poverty shall eventually cease in the land
While our sympathies as party OF reform
arc naturally upon the side OF every proposition
which will tend 10 make men intelligent yirtu.
ous aud temperate, we nevertheless regard these
questions important as they areas secondary
10 the great issues now pressing for solution, and
upon which not only our individual prosperity
but the very existence Of free institutions de.
Nend; and We ask all men 10 hrst help us 10 de.
Lermine whether we are 10 have o republic to
administer before we diner as to the condition
upon which II Is 10 be administered: believing
that the forces OF reform this day organized
will never cease 10 move forward until every
wrong Is remedied, and equal rights and equal
privileges securely established for all the men
and women Of this country. We declare there.
fore:
First-That the union OF the labor forces OF
the United States this day cousummated shall
be permanent and perpetual-may It spirit into
All hearts fol the salvation OF the republic and
the uplifting Of mankind
Second-Wealth belongs TO him who creates
u, and every dollar taken from industry with.
put an equivalent Is robbery. III any will not
work neither shall he eat" The interests OF
rural and civic labor are the same; their enc.
mics are Identical.
Third-We believe that the time has come
when the railroad corporations will either own
The people or the people must own the rail.
roads, and should the government enter upon
Ibs work Of owning and managing any or all
railroads, we should favor an amendment 10
he constitution by which all persons engaged
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