The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-11-02
I'IKE DEMOCRACY.
p,opIH.srARTy fIaTfoRM-
Aa,rt.d at the omaha Santre"
taboring People. Jaiy .. iss<-


and sixteenth anniversary OF ths
of independence 'ne
people's party of America, IN their
t,rst national convention. invoking
upon their action the blessing OF
Almighty God. puts forth IN the
nam, and on behalf of the people
of this country, the following pre-
amble and declaration of priaclples:
The conditions which surround u
best Justify our cooperation We
meet IN the midst of a nation brought
70 III. verge of moral. political ana
material ruin. Con upton dominates
IN. ballot box, the legislatures, the
congress. and touches even the Ell
mine of the bench. The people are
demorlized. Most of the State have
been compelled to isolate the voters
at the polling places to prevent uni
versal intimidation or bribery. Inc
newspapers are largely subsidized or
muzzeled, public opinion sllenced'
business Frustrated, our homes
covered with mortgages, labor nm
poyerlshed, and the land coneentrat-
ing IN the hands of the capitalists.
The urban workmen are denied the
right of organization for self-protec-
ton; imported pauperized labor
beats down their wages; hirellng
standing army, unrecognized by our
laws, is established to shoot them
down, and they are rapidly degener-
ating into European conditions. The
fruits of the toll of millions are
bodily stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for few, unprecedented
in the history of mankind, and the
possessors of these, in turn, despise
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific mode of gov
ernmental injustice We breed the
two great classes-tramps aud mil
lionaires.
The national power to create
money is appropriated to enrich
bondholders. A vast public debt
payable in legal tender currency has
been funded into gold-bearing
bonds, thereby adding millions tt
the burdens of the people.
THE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNED.
Silver which has been accepted IA
coin since the dawn of history, ha:
been demonetized to add to tn,
purchasing power of gold by de
creasing the value of all forms o
property, as well as human labor
and the supply of currency is pur
posely abridged to fatten usurers
bankrupt enterprises and enslav'
industry. A vast conspiracy agains
mankind has been organized on tw'
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. If not met an
overthorwn at once it forebodes ter
rible social commissions, the destruc
ton of civilization, or the establish
ment OF an absolute despotism.
We have witnessed for more thai
century the struggles of the tw
great political parties for power AM
plumber, while grievious wrong
have been inflicted upon the suffe,
ing people. We charge that tn
controlling influences dominatin
both these parties have permitte
the exising dreadful conditions t
: develop without serious effort t
prevent or refrain them. Neither d
they now promise us any substantla
reform. They have agreed togethe
to ignor In the coming campaig
every issue but one. They propos
to drown the outcries of plundere
people with the uproar of shal
battle over the tariff, so that cap
talists, corporations, national banks
ring, trust. watered stock, the de
monetization af silver and the OF
preSsiOns of the usurers may all b
lost sight Of. They propose to sac
: ritice our homes, wives and childre
on the alter of Mammon; to destro
the multitude in order to secure col
ruption funds from the millior
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary {
the birthday of the nation, and file
with the spirit of the grand gener,
ton who established our indepenC
ence, we seek to restore the govern
ment of the republic to the hands {
"the plain people," with which elias
it originated.
THR WAR is OVER.
We assert our purposes to /
Identical with the purposes of th
t national constitution-"To form
!: more perfect union, establish iustic,
i insur domestic tranquility, provid
/ for the common defense, promot
: the general welfare and secure th
g blessings of liberty for ourselv,
2 and our posterity." We declare tia
: this republic can only endure as
D free government while built upo
: the love of the whole people ft
Y each other and for the nation: tn.
y it cannot be pinned together by ba,
onets; that the civil war is over, an
that every passion and resentmer
which grew out of it must die wit
1t, and that we must be in fact, q
, we are In name, one united brothe
hood of freemen.
q Our country finds itself confronte
by conditions for which there is n
precedent in the history of tb
world-our annual agricultural pr,
auctions amount to billions of do
lars in value, which must within
few weeks or months be exchanp.
for billions of dollars of cummoditi.
consumed in their production: tn
existing currency supply is who'll
inadequate to make this exchang,
the results are falling prices, til
6 formation of combines and rino
and the impoverishment of the pr,
duclng classes. We pledge ourseiye
that If given power We will labor
correct these evils by wise and rea
s enable legislation in accordanc
r with the terms of our platform.
D we believe that the power of go,
( ernment-ln other words, of the De,
0 ple-should be expanded (as in tn
t case the postal service) as rapidly .
. Lar as the good sense of an INTEL
gent people and the teachings of e,
s perience shall justify, to the end tn,
n ODDraGGInn