Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-07-28
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM,
Adopted by the National Peoples Party

n
Adopted by the National Peoples Party
Convention Mt Omaha, July 4th, 1s9s.
Assembled on the one hundred and
sixteenth anniversary of the Declare
ton of independence, the Peoples
party of America, in their first Ma
tional convention, invoking upon their
action the blessing of Almighty God,
puts forth in the name and on behalf
of the people of this country the fol-
lowing preamble and declaration of
principles:
The conditions which surround us
best justify our cooperation we meet
in the midst of a nation brought to
the verge of moral, political and ma
terial ruin. Corruption dominates
the ballot box, the Legislatures, tile
Congress, and touches even the ermine
of the bench. The people are demon
allied most of the States have been
compelled to isolate the voters ut the
polling places to prevent universal
intimidation or bribery. The news
papers are largely subsidized or muz-
zlcd public opinion silenced bust
ness Frustrated, our homes covered
with mortgages, labor impoverished,
and the land concentrating in the
hands of the capitalists. The urban
workmen are denied the right of OIL
ganization for self-protection import
ed, pauperized labor beats down their
wages q hireling standing army, un-
recognized by our laws, is established
to shoot them down and they are rap
idly degencrating into European
conditions. The fruits of the toll of
millions are boldly stolen to build up
colossal fortunes for few, nnprece-
denied in the history of mankind, and
the possessOrs of these in turn despise
the republic and endanger liberty :.
From the same prolific womb of
governmental injustice come the two
great classes-tramps and milliOnaires.
The national power to create money
is appropriated to enrich the bond
holders vast public debt payable in
legal tender currency has been funded
into gold bearing bonds, thereby add
ing millions to the burdens of the
people.
USURERS FATTEN.
Silver, which has been accepted Of
coin since the dawn of history, has
been demonetized to add to the pur-
chasing power of gold by decreasing
the value of all forms of property, as
well as human labor, and the supply
of currency is thereby abridged to
fatten usurers and bankers by the
slave industry. A vast conspiracy
against mankind has been organized
on two continents, and it is rapidly
taking possession of the world. If not
overtllrOwn at once, it forebodes ter
rible social commissions, the destruc-
ton of civilization and the establish
ment of an absolute despotism. We
have witnessed for more than &
quarter of century the struggles o.
the two great political parties fol
power and plumber, while grievou'
wrongs have been inflicted upon the
suffering people. We charge that the
controlling influences dominating boil
these parties have permitted the ex
listing dreadful conditions to develoI
without serious effort to prevent OF
restrain them. Neither do they now
promise us any substantial reform
They have agreed together to ignore
in the campaign every issue but one
They propose to drown the Outcriei
of plundered people with the uprOa
of sham battle over the tariff so tina
capitalists, corporations, nationa
banks. rings, trusts, watered stock
the demonstration of silver and thu
oppression of the Insurers may all b'
lost sight of. They propose to sacri
flee our home, lives and children OIL
the altar of mammOn to destroy thu
multitude in order to secure cOrrup
| ton funds from the milliOnaires.
Assembled on the anniversary of tin
birthday of the nation, filed with tn,
spirit of the grand generation which
established our independence, we seel
to restore the government of the Re
public to the hands of "the plain PEG
ple," with which class it originated
We assert our purposes to be identica
with the purposes of the national con
stitution, ''tO form more perfec
uni,n, establish justice, insure domes
tic tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty TO
ourselves and our pOsterity."
We declare that this Republic cal
only endure as free government
while built upon the love of the who'll
people for each other and for TIN
nation that it cannot be pinned
together by bayonets that the civi
war is over, and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of i
must die with it, and that we must b'
in fact as we are in name one united
brotherhood of free men.
APPALLING CONDITIONS.
Our country is confronted by condi
tiOns for which there is no preceden
in the history of the world. Our an
nual agricultural productions amour
to billions of dollars in value, which
must within n few weeks or months
be exchanged for billions of dollars o
commodities consumed in their pro
duction the existing currency supply
is wholly inadequate to make thu
exchange the results are falling
prices, the formation of combines ant
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