Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-07-28
PLATFORM OF THE PEOPLES PARTY.
Terse and Comprehensive Declaration
of Vital Principles.


1899. nominated James Baird Weaver,
of Iowa, and James Gaven Fields. of
Virginia, for president and vice presi-
dent of the United States respectively,
and adopted as it's preamble and plat
form the following:
Assembled upon the 10th anniversary Of
the Declaration Of Independence the Peoples
party of America, in their first national con-
vention, invoking upon their action the bless
ing of Almighty God, puts forth, in the name
and on behalf of the people of this country, the
following preamble and declaration of princi-
pies:
The conditions surrounding us best Justify our
cooperation; we meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge of moral, political and
material ruin. Corruption dominates the bal
lot box, the legislatures, the congress-, ana
touches even the ermine of the bench. The
people are 'demoralized; most of the states
have been compelled to isolate the voters at
the polling places to prevent universal intlmi-
dation or bribery. The newspapers are large
" subsidized or muZZed public opinion ST.
fenced; business Frustrated; our homes COW
cred with mortgages; labor impoverished and
the land concentrating in the hands OF the
capitalists. The urban workmen are denied
the right of organization for self protection;
imported paupcrzed labor beats down their
wages a hireling standing army, unrecog-
nzed by our laws, is established to 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 few. unprecedented in the his
tory of mankind; and the possessors Of these,
in turn, despise the republic and endanger
liberty. From the same prolific womb of the
governmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-tramps and millionaires.
The national power to create money is ap-
propriated to enrich bondhoders; a 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
add to the purchasing power of gold by de-
creasing the value of all forms of property aS
well as human labor, and the supply of cur
rency is purposely abridged to fatten usurpers,
bankrupt enterprises and enslave industry.
A vast conspiracy against mankind has been
organized on the two continents, and it Is
rapidly taking possession of the world. If not
met and overthrown at once it forcbodes ter
rible social commissions, the destruction OF
civilization or the establishment of an absolute
despotism.
We have witnessed for more than quarter
of century the struggles of two great pOliti-
cal parties for power and plumber, while griev-
GUS wrongs have been inflicted on the suffer-
ing poor 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 a sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks, rings,
trusts, watered stock, the demonstration of
silver and the expressions of the usurers may
all be lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice
our homes, lives and children on the altar Of
Mammon; to destroy the multitude in order
to secure corruption funds from the million
aire.
Assembled On the anniversary of the birth
day of the nation, and filled with the spirit of
the grand generation who established our indie
pendence, we seek to restore the government
of the republic to the hands of 1.-The plain peo-
ple," with which class 1t originated.
We assert our purposes TO be identical with
the purposes of the national constitutional
form more perfect Union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for 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 en-
dure as free government while built upon the
love OF the whole people for each other and for
the nation; it cannot be pinned together by
bayonets: that the civil war is over, and that
every passion and resentment which grew out
of il must die with it, and that we must be in
fact. as we are in name, the united brother
hood of free men.
Our country finds itself confronted by condi-
lions for which there is no precedent in the
history of the world; our annual agricultural
productions amount to billions of dollars in
value. which must within few weeks or
months be exchanged for billions Of dollar Is
commodities consumed in their produc; ioi.:
the existing currency supply is wholly iaate.
quate to make this exchange; the results
falling prices the formation of combines aad
rings and the impoverishment of the pr,,-