The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1892-07-27
PEOPLES PARTY NATIONAL PLAT
FORM,


sixteenth anniversary Of the declaration
of independence, the Peoples party Of
America, in it's first national convention,
invoking upon their action the blessing
of Almighty God, puts forth, in the name
and on behalf of the people Of this coun-
try, the following preamble and declara-
tion of principles: The conditions which
surround us best justify our CO opera
ton; we meet in the midst of q nation
brought TO the verge of moral, political
and material ruin; corruption dominates
the ballot box, legislatures, congress, and
touches even the ermine of the bench.
The people are demoralized; most Of the
states have been compelled to isolate
voters at polling places to prevent uni
versal intimidation or bribery. News
papers are largely subsidized or muzzled;
public opinion silenced; business pros
trated; our homes covered with mort
cages; labor impoverished and land con-
centrating in the hands Of capitalists.
Urban workman are denied the right OF
organization for self-protection; imported,
pauperlzsd labor beats down their wages;
a hlreling, standing army, unrecognized
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 colossal fortunes for the few, un-
precedented in the history of mankind,
and the possessors Of these In turn de-
gpise the republic and endanger liberty;
from the same prolific wont Of govern
mental injustice, we breed two great
classes-trsmps and millionaIres; the ma
tional power to create money is appro-
priated to enrich bond-holders; the vast
public debt, payable in leg&l-tender cur
Eency, has been funded into gold besrin
bonds, thereby adding millions to the bur
dens of the people; silver, which has been
accepted as coin since the dawn Of his
tory, has been demonetized to add to the
purchasing power of gold by deCresS-
Ing the value of all forms of property as
we'll as human labor, and the supply Of
currency is purposely abridged to fstten
usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry;a a vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on the two
continents and is rapidly taking posses
sion Of the world; II not met and over
thrown at once It forbodes q terrible
social convulsl0n, the destruction Of
capitalization OF the establishment Of alb
Solute despotism; we have witnessed for
more than q quarter Of q century the
struggles of the two great political
parties for power and plumber, while
grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon
the suffering people; we charge that the
controlling influences dominating both
these parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions to develope without
serious effort to prevent or restrain them;
neither do they now promise US any sub
stantlal reform; they have agreed to-
gether to ignore in the coming campaign
every issue but one; they propose to
drown the outcries Of the plundered peo-
pie with the uproar Of sham battle over
tariff, so that capital, corporations, ma
tional banks, trusts, watered stock, de-
monetization of silver and the oppression
Of usurers may be all lost sight Of; they
propose to sacrifice our homes, lives and
children on the altar Of msmmon; to
l. l.. -.