The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-07-14
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.
Preamble and Declaration Of Trincl pies
That Were Adopted.

PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.
Preamble and Declaration of Principles
That Were Adopted.
The following is the platform. unan-
imously adoped by the Peoples Party
Conventions:
Assembled upon the one hundred and six
teenta anniversary of the DECLARATION of indie
pendence the Peoples party Of America IN
their first national convention, invoking upon
their action the blessing of Almighty God, puts
forth, i'll the name and on behalf Of the people
of this country. the following preamble and
declaration Of principles:
Preamble.
The conditions which, surroLnd us best JUS
tlfy our cooperation. We meet in the midst
litical and material ruin. Corruption domt-
mates in the ballot box. the Legislatures. the
Congress, and 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 univers-
al intimidation or bribery. The newspapers
are largely subsidized or muZzfed: public OI'in-
ion silenced: business Frustrated; our homes
covered with mortgages: labor Impoverished.
and the lands concentrating In the hands OF the
capitalists. The urban wOrkmen are denied
the right of organization for self-prOtectiou
imported pauperized labor beats down their
by our laws, is established to shoot them down
and they rapidly dcgenerating into Euro
pean conditions. The fruits of the toll of mil
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 gov
ernmental injustice we breed the two great
classes~traInps and millionaires
The national power to create money 1s ap-
propria:ed to enrich bondholders; n 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 demonetlZed to
add to the purchasing power of gold by decreas-
ing the value of all forms of property as well
as human labor and the supply of currency is
purposely abridged to fatten usurcrs bank
rupt enterprise, and enslave industry A vast
conspiracy against mankind has been organized
on two continents and it Is rapidly taking pos
session Of the world If not met and over
commissions. the destruction of civilization,
the establishment Of an absolute despOtisu.
We have witnessed for more than a quarter of a
century the struggle OF the two great political
parties for power and plunder. while grievons
wrongs have been inflicted upon the suffering
people: We charge that the controlling infiu-
ences dominating both these parties haze per-
mltted the existing dreadful conditions to de-
| velOp without serious effort to prevent or re-
strain sur, them; IL Neither % 90 they now promise US
! gether to ignore in the coming campaign every
issue but one. They propose to drownthe cut
| cries OF a plundeied people with the uproar Of
a sham battle over the tariff so that capital
| lists, corporations, national banks rings.
| trusts. watered stock. the demonetization of
|
| all be lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice
| our homes. lives. and children on the altar OF
Manmon: to destroy the multitude in order to
). secure corruption funds from he millionaireS.
| Assembled on the anniverary of the birthday
OF , the nation and filled with the spirit OF the
pendence. We seek to restore the government
| of the republic to the hands of the plain peo-
pie, with whose class it originated. We assert
| our purposes 10 be indentical with the pur-
poses of the National Censtitution.to
form a more, perfect union; establish
| Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
/ for the common defense; promote the general
welfare and secure the blessings Of liberty Tor
ourselves and our pOSteTity.
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; that it cannot be pinned to-
cether by bayonets: that the civil is over
and that every passion and resentment which
grew out of it must die with it, and that we
must be in fact " are IN name. one united
brotherhood of freemen.
Onr country finds itself confronted by condi-
tlons for which there Is no precedent i'll the
history of the world. Our annual agricultural
productions amount to billions of dollars in
| value. which must in few weeks months
be exchanged for billions of dollars of COM
| motiities consumed in their production: the
| existing currency supply is wholly inadequate
TO make this change: the results are the falling
! prices. the formation of combines and rings.
the lnpovcrishmcnt of the producing class.
| We pledge ourselves that if given power We
will labor to correct these evils by wissean,l
| reasonable legislation in accordance with the
terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers of government. in
other words. of the people. should he expand
ed ias in the of the postal service rap
di: and As far as the good sense Of an fntelli-
gent people and the teachings Of experience
shall Justify to the end that "rpessi"n, injus-
ticc and poverty shall eventually cease i'll the
land
While our sympathies as party of reform
| are naturally upon the side of every PROPOSE
tion which will tend to make men intelligent,
virtuouE and temperate. we nevertheless re-
gard these questions-importapt as they are
II
for sofut ion, and upon which not only in
dividual prosperity hut the very existence of
free institutions depend and we ask all mel,
TO first help ua to determine whether we are to
have a republic to administer before we differ
as to the condition upon which il is to lac adj
ministercd: believing hat the forces of reform
this day organized will never cease to move
forward until every wrGng is rcmicd, and equal
rights and equal privileges securely established
for all the men and wo,ucn of this country
We declare therefore:
Declaration Of Principles.
First-That the union of the labor forces OF
the United States this day consummate.l shal
enter into all hearts for the salvation of tn,
republic and the uplifting of mankind.
Second-Wealth belongs to him who create:
it, and every dollar taken from industry with
out an equivalent is robbery. If any will no,
work, neither shall he eat. The interests o
rural and civic labor are the same: their enc
mics are identical.
Third-We believe that the time has com.
, wheE the railroad corporations will either owI
, roads and should the Government enter upo1
the work of owning and managing all railroads
we should favor an amendment to the Consti
, tuition by which all persons engaged in th'
Government service shall he placed nnccr
, civii-servicc regulation of the most rigid char
r acter so as to prevent the increase of TIN
power of the national administration by tn
use of such additional Government employees
I We demand a national currency. safe, soun
| and flexible issued by the General Govern
L , mcnt only a full leyal-tender for all debts
: public and private and that. without tile use o
eororatdifHns a dfn, ss sant,ahie and ct
r pie, at a tax not to exceed per cent. per an
, mum, be provided as set forth in the Sub
5 treasury plan of the Farmers Alliance or
= better system: also by payments in discharg
- of its obligations for public improvements.
1 l. We demand free and unlimited coinage Q
n silver and gold ut the present legal ratio G
i . We demand that the amount Of circulatio
. medium be speedily increased to not. less tha
. $50 per capita.
5 3. We demand graduated income tax.
y 4. We believe that the money of the countr
> should be kept as much as possible in the hand
G Of the people. and hence we demand that a
d state and national revenues shall be lmite
u economically and honestly administered.
X 5. We demand that postal savings banks l
= established by the Government for the safe d,
u posi-; of the earnings ofthe people and to facil
Transportation being n means of exchans
, and public necessity. the Government shoul
j. own and operate the railroads in the interest
the people.
y The telegraph and telephone, like the pos
Il Office system. being necessity for tt
transmission Of news, should be owned and OF
;, Grated by the Government In the interest of ii
~ people.
The land, including all the natural sourc.
y of wealth, is the heritage of the people al
should not beQonopolized for speculative pu
poses. and alien ownership of land should
prohibited. All land now held by railroads al
= other corporations in excess of their actu
- needs. and all lands now owned by alien
should be reclaimed by the Government ar
l. held for actual settlers only.
: -f--
ID Roads.
10 In France the macadam road will