Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-07-16
OMAHA PLATFORM.
We, the People, Make a New
Declaration.
The Nation Brought to the Verge of Moral,
Political and Material Ruin-Corrup.
ton Dominates-The People Arc
Demon allied by Bribery.

4 puts forth in the name and on behalf Of the peo-
pie 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 a nation brought to the
verge of moral, political and material ruin cor
ruption dominates the ballot box, legislatures
and congress and touches even the ermino of
the bench The people are dem1raiized; most
voters at polling places TO prevent universal in
timldation or bribery. Newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzied; public opinion slienced
business Frustrated; our homes covered with
mortgages; labor impoverished and lands con-
centratinR in the hands of capitalists. Urban
workmen are denied the right of organization
for self-protection; imported, pauperized labor
beats down their wages; hireling, standing
army, unreeogniZed by our laws, is established
to shoot them down and they are rapidly deeen.
the toll of millions are bodily stolen to build up
colossal fortunes for the 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 govern
mental injustice, we breed two great classes
tramps and millionaires; the national power to
create money is appropriated to enrich bond,
holders; the vast public debt, payable In legal
tender currency, has been funded into gold
bearing bonds. thereby add :ns 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
forms of property as well as human labor, and
the supply of currency is purposely abridged to
fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and enslave
industry; vast conspiracy against mankind
has been organized on the two continents and Is
rapidly taking possession of the world; If not
met and oyerthrown at once it forebodes ter
rible social convulsion the destruction of CAPT.
talization or the establishment of absolute des-
potism; we have witnessed for more than a
quarter of q century the struggles of the two
while grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon
the sui erlng people; we charge that the con-
trolling influences dominating both these par
hou fad fba fcfin fri
ditions to develop without serious effort to pre-
vent or restrain them; neither do they now
P.O%s. us they
they propose to drown, the outcries OF
national banks, trusts watered stocks, demon
etization of silver and the oppression of usurers
be
of mammon; to destroy the multitude in order
to secure corruption funds from millionaires.
Of the nation, and filed With the spirit Of the
grand generation who esta blished our independ-
ence, we seek to restore the government of the
Vhich class II oriTinated: we assert our Dur
poses to be identical with the purposes of the |
national constitution; to form more perfect |
guilty, provide for common defense promote |
general welfare and secure the blessings of lib |
erty for ourselves and our posterity; we declare
a
eminent while built upon the love of the whole |
people for each other and for the nation; that |
it cannot be pinned together by the bayonet;
the the civil war is over, and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of it must die
with it, and that we must, in fact, as we are in
name, become united brotherhood OF free
men our country finds itself confronted by con-
ditions for which there is no precedent in this
world; our annual agricultural productions
amount to billions of dollars in value, which
f0r of worth n
of other productions; that the currency supply
is wholly inadequate to make this exchange,
formation of combines and rings, and the i'm
of the producing class we pledge
ourselves that, if given the power, we will labor
legislation, in accordance with the terms Of our
platform; we believe that the powers of gov
eminent, in other words of the people, should
rapidly and as far as the good sense of an intel
Ggent people and the teachings of experience
shall justify, to the end that oppression, MUS
tice and poverty shall eventually cease in this
land while our sympathies, as the party of re-
form, are naturally upon the side of every prop
osition which will tend to make men intelligent,
these questions, important as they are, as Sec
ondary to the great issues now pressing for So
luton and upon which not only our individual
but the very existence of our free in
situations depend; and we ask all men first to
help us to determine whether we are to have the
republic to administer before we differ as to
Z
tered; believing that the forces of reform this
day organized will never cease to move forward
until every wrong is remedied and lawful rights
and equal privileges securely established for all
men and women In this country, We declare
FirstNThat the union of the labor forces of
the United States, this day contaminated, shall
be permanent and perpetual; may its spirit
come into all hearts for the salvation OF man
Second-wealth belongs to him who creates it.
and every dollar taken from industry without |
equivalent is robbery, If any will not work,
neither shall he eat;" the interests of the rural |
and civic laborer are the same; their enemies |
|. Third-We believe that the time has come
when railroad corporations will either own the
people or the people mus. own the railroads,
and should the go eminent enter upon the work
of owning and managing any or all railroads,
We should favor an amendment to the constitu-
service shall be placed under civil service regu-
lations so as to prevent an increase of the power
of the national administration by the use of
such additional government employees.
Fourth-We demand a national currency, safe,
sound and flexible, issued by the general govern
ment only, legal tender for all debts. public
ing corporations, q just, equitable, efficient
means OF distribution direct to the people; q tax
not to exceed per cent. per annum to be pro.
vided as set forth in the sub-treasury plan of
the farmers alliance, or a better system; also
BY payments in the discharge of its obligations
for public improvements. A We demand the
the legal ratio of 16 to /. We demand that the
amount of circulating medium be speedily in
creased to not less than $50 per capita. We de-
mand a graduated income tax. We believe that
the money of the country should be kept as much
"a possible in the hands of the people, and hence
We demand that all state and national revenues
shau be limited to the necessary expenses of the
government, economically and honestly admin
istered. (E) We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the government for the
safe deposit of the earnings of the people 60
facilitate exchange,
Observation-Disclosures being a
method of exchange and a public necessity. the
government should own and operate the rail-
roads in the interest of the people. (A) The
telegraph and telephone, like the postof6ce sys-
tenn, being q necessity for the transportation OF /
news, should be owned and operated by the
government in the interest of the people.
Land.-Lsnd, including all natural sources of
wealth, IL the heritage of the people, and should
not be monopoiixed for speculative purposes,
and the alien ownership of land should be pro-
htbited. All land now held by railroad and 9TH
u corporations, in excess of their actual needs,
ond al lands now owned by aliens, should be re-
claimed by the government and held for actual
Riots In Spain.
4AD1zDs July IA riotous mob tried to
R~...<~> sv> Ia Calaharpa n old Caa.