The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-08-31
THr OnrARA PTATTOR1T.


first national convention, invoking upon their
action the blessing of Almighty God, puts FORTH
ia the name and on behalf OF the people OF TINS
country, the following pream BILE ana 0eciaralOn
Of principles: The conditions which surround
VIZ best Justify our cooperation; we meet In Che
midst OF a nation brought to the verge or moral
political and material ruin; corrupClon uomls
mates the ballot-bOx, Legislatures, congress-, ana
touches even the ermine OF the bench Inc
ueople are demOralized; most Of the states have
been compelled to isolate voters at polling
places To prevent universal intimidation or
bribery Newspapers are largely subsidized
OF muzzled; public opinion sllenced; business
prostrated; our homes covered with mortgages;
labor impoverished and the land concentrating
In the hands of the capitalists. Urban Wor kmen
are denied the right Of organization for ser-prO-
lection; imported, pauperlzed laDOr Deas uoWn
their wages; hireling, standing army unrecog-
nized 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 bodily stolen to build up coilOseaL
fortunes for the few unprecedented in the his
tory of mankind, and tho possessors OF Theses in
turn despise the republic and endanger liberty;
from the same prolific womb or governmental
injustice, we breed two great classes - tramps
aud millionaires; the national power TO create
money is appropriated to enrich bondholders;
the vast public debt, payable In legal tender cur
Fency has been funded into gOld-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions to the burdens OF the
people; silver, which has been accepted as coin
since JAl0 uhWH VI ulSlOiyO ldo DSOh
to add to the purchasing power OF gold by de-
creasing the value Of all forms OF property 40
well as human labor, and the supply OF currency
ia purDosely abridged to fatten usurers, bank
rupt enterprise and enslaVe lnqustryi yasG
conspiracy against mankind has been organized
on the two continents and IA rapidly taking pos
session OF the world; il not met and oVerthFOWn
at once it forebodes terrible social cOnVulaion9
the destruction OF capitalization or the establish
ment Of absolute despOtiSm; we have witnessed
Cor tbnn a Pfar Df centurV the RtFuR.
giles Of the two great political parties for power
and plumber, while grieVous wrongs have been
inflicted upon the 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 In the coming campaign TO tg-
more every issue but one; they propose to drown
the cries Of the plundered people with the up
roar OF sham battle over tariff, so that capital
corporations national banks, trusts, watered
stocks, demonstration Of silver and the oppres-
sion Of usurers may be lost sight Of; they pro-
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives and children |
on the altar of mammOn; to destroy the multitude
in order to secure corruption funds from mil |
lionaires. Assembled on the anniversary OF the |
birthday OF the nation, and filled with the spirit
nf the grand generation who established our in- |
dependence, we So to restore the government |
to the hands Of the plain people," with which |
class it originated; we assert our purposes to |
be Identical with the purposes OF the national |
constitution; to form more perfect union, es-
tablish Justice, insure domestic tranquil |
ity, provide for common defense promote |
general welfare and secure the blessings |
Of liberty for ourselves and our posterity; |
we declare that this government can only |
endure as a free government while built |
upon the love OF the whole people for each |
other and for the nation; that 1t cannot DO |
pinned together by bayonet; that the civil war |
Is over and that every passion and reSentmenS |
which grew out of the war must die with 1t, and |
that we must in fact as we'll as in name become |
a united brotherhood of free men; our country |
finds itself confronted by conditions for which !
there ia no precedent in the world; our annual |
agricultural productions amount to billion or |
dollars in value. which must ~ few weeks or |
months be exchanged for billions OF dollars |
worth of commodities Of other productions; the |
currency supply is wholly inadequate to make |
this exchange, and the results are falling OF |
prices, the formation OF combines and rings |
and the impoVeFishment of the producing class; |
we pledge ourselves that, If given the power, We
will labor to correct these evils by wise ana |
reasonable legislation, in accordance with the |
terms of our platform; we believe that the pow |
ers # government in other words, OF the people,
should be expanded (as in case OF the postal |
Service) as rapidly and as far as the good sense
of sn intelligent people ard the teachings Of ex-
perience shall justify, to the end that oppreS- |
sion, injustice and poverty shall eventually |
cease in this land. While our sympathies, N |
of every proposition which will tend to make |
men intelligent, virtuous and temperate, we
nevertheless regard these questions, important |
as they are, as secondary to the great issues now
pressing for solution, and upon which not only |
our individual prosperity but the very existence
OF our free Institutions depend; and we ask all |
men to help u first determine whether We are to |
have the republic to administer before We differ |
Is to the conditions upon which 1t is to be adj |
ministered believing that the forces OF reform |
this day organized will never cease to move for. |
ward until every wrong Is remedied and lawful |
Eights and equal privileges securely established
for all men and women Ia this country, we de- |
clare therefore:
First-That the union of the labor forces of |
the United Sta ee, this day contaminated shall 4
be permanent and perpetual; may its spirit come /
into all hearts for the salvation of mankind
Second-W Wealth belongs to him who creates it, !
and every dollar taken from industry without I
equivalent is robbery. IF any will not work, /
neither shall he eat" The interests Of rural and .
civic laborers are the same; their enemies arc ,
identical.