Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1893-04-13
THE PEOPLES PLATFORM.
Adopted In National Convention ~
Omaha, July A, 1892.


Declaration of Independence, the Peoples
party of America in their first national con.
venton. invoking upon their action the bless
ing of Almighty God, puts forth in the name
and on behalf of the people of this country the
following preamble and declaration of princi
pies:
The conditions which surround US justify
our action; we meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge of moral, political and
material ruin. Corruption dominates the bal
lot box, the legislatures, the congress, and
touches even the ermne of the bench. The
people are demoralized; most of the states
have been compelled to isolate the voters al
the polling places in order to prevent universal
intimidation or bribery. The newspapers are
largely subsidized or muzzed, public opinion
silenced, business Frustrated, our homes coy
cred with mortgages, labor impoverished and
the land concentrating in the hands of the
capitalists. The urban workmen are denied
the right of organization for self protection
imported pauperiZed labor beats down theif
wages: a 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 boldly stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for q 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-tr amps and millionaires.
The national power to create money Is ap-
propriated to enrich bondholders; a vast pub
lie 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 demonetized to
add TO the purchasing power of gold by de-
creasing the price Of all forms of property as
we'll as human labor. The supply of currency
is purposely abridged to fatten usurers, bank
rupt enterprise and enslave industry.
A vast conspiracy against mankind has been
organized on two continents, and it is rapidly
taking possession of the world. If not met
and overthrown at once it forebodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction Of civilza-
ton or the establishment of an absolute des-
potism.
We have witnessed for more that quarter
of century the struggles of two great politi-
cal parties for power and plumber, while griev-
Gus wrongs have been inflicted upon suffer-
ing people. We charge that the controlling
influences dominating both these parties have
permitted the existing dreadful conditions to
develop without serious efforts to prevent or
restrain them. Neither do they now promise
us any substantial relief. They have agreed
together to ignore in the coming campaign
every issue but one. They propose to drown
the outcries of pundered people with tie
uproar Of a sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks, rings,
trusts, watered stock, the decentralization Of
silver and the oppression of the usurers may
all be lost sight Of They propose to sacrifice
our homes, lives and children on the altar Of
Mammon; TO destroy the multitude in order
TO secure corruption funds from the million
aire.
Assembled on the anniversary of the birth
day of the nation, and filled with the spirit of
the grand generation who established our indie
pendence, we seek to restore the government
of the republic to the hands of 1.-THE plain peo-
pie" with which class it originated.
We assert our purposes TO be identical with
the purposes of the national constitution-to
form more perfect Union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general welfare
and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves
and our posterity."
We declare that this republic can only en-
dure as a free government while built upon the
love of the whole people for each other and
for the nation; that it cannot be pinned tn
gether by bayonets; that the civil war is over,
and that every passion and resentment which
grew out of it must die with it, and that we
must be in fact, as we are in name, a united
brotherhood of free men.
Our country finds itself confronted by con-
dtions for which there is no precedent in the
history of the world. Our annual agricultural
productions amount TO billions Of dollars in
value, which must within few weeks or
months be exchanged for billions of dollars Of
commodities consumed in their production.
The existing currency supply is wholly made
quate TO make this exchange. The results are
falling prices, the formation of combines and
rings and the impoverishment of the producing
classes We pledge ourselves that if given
power we will labor to correct these evils by
wise and reasonable legislation, in accordance
with the terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers Of government
in other words, of the people-should be ex-