The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-19
PIRE DEMOCRACY.
FtuFiT>PAETf PLATFORM.
Adopted at th~ s'Fusas Conference 81
lNa..ysas r~aE}~. Iuts .. 1888

.aart.a at th~ s'spshs Conference 81
L&.~ysas r~ar'~. 1ui, =. tsSs.
Assembled upon the our hundred
AMI >lxt.-n'h anniversary of the
declaration nf independence, u"
People. party 81 America. IN th"ir
FIRST national convention. invoking
.,u.n their action the blessing al
Almighty God. puts forth an tn"
name aud on behalf "f the p""pl"
of this country, the following pre-
amble and declaration OF principles:
The conditions which surround u
best Justify our cooperation. W"
meet IA the midst Of n nation brought
10 the verge IF moral, political ana
material ruin. Corn upton dominates
the ballot box. the legislatures. The
congress. and touches even the al,
mine of the bench. The people are
demorlized. Most of the State have
been compelled 10 isolate the voters
at the polling places to prevent uni
versal intimidation or bribery. The
are nrgely Subsidized ar
muzzeled, public opinion sllenced,
business Frustrated, our homes
covered with mortgages, labor I'M
poyerished, and the land concentrate
ing IN the hands of the capitalists.
The urban workmen are denied the
right of organization for self-protec-
ton; imported pauperlzed labor
beats down their wages; "A hlrellng
standing army, unrecognized 10y our
laws, is established 10 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
in the history of mankind, and the
possessors of these, in turn, desplse
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific mode of gov
ernmental injustice we breed the
two great classes-tramps aud mil
ionalreS.
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 to
the burdens of the people.
THE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNEp.
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 value of all forms of
Ii
and the supply of currency is pur
posely abridged to fatten usurers,
bankrupt enterprises and enslave
industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. If not met and
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 than
century the struggles of the two
great political parties for power and
plumber, while grievious wrongs
have been inflicted upon the suffer
ing people. We charge that the
controlling Influences dominating
both these parties have permitted
the exising dreadful conditions to
develop without serious effort t.
prevent or refrain them. Neither do
they now promise Jus any substantial
reform. They have agreed together
to ignor IN the coming campaign |
every issue but one. They propose
to drown the Outcries of plundered |
people with the uproar of sham
battle over the tariff, so that capl-
tallsts, corporations, national banks,
ring, trust, watered stock, the de-
af silver and the op-
pressiOns of the usurers NAV all be |
lost sight of. They propose to sac
rltice our homes, wives and children
on the alter of Mammon; to destroy
the multitude in order to secure cor
ruptlon funds from the million
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary of
the birthday of the nation, and filled
with the spirit of the grand genera
ton who established our independ-
ence, we seek to restore the govern
ment of the republic to the hands of
the plain people," with which class
1t originated.
THR WAR Is OVER.
We assert our purposes to be
identical with the purposes of the
constitution-''To form q
more perfect union, establish justice,
lnsur domestic tranquility, provide
tor 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 endure as a
tree government while built upon
the love of the whole people for
each other and for the nation: that
It cannot be pinned together by bay
onets; that the civil war is over, and
mat every passion and resentment
winch grew out of it must die with
{, and that We must be in fact. AS
We are In name, one united brother
mood of freemen. +,
Our country finds itself confronted
oy conditions for which there is no
precedent In the history of the
~orld-our annual agricultural pro-
luctlons amount to billions of dol
ars in value, which must within a
lew weeks or months be exchanged
-or billions OF dollars of commodities
consumed In their production: the I
'4lstlng currency supply is wholly
inadequate to make this exchange: l
ne results are falling prices, the t
ormatlOn of combines and r;nos
Ind the impoverishment of the pro. c
iuclng classes. We pledge OURSELVES {
nat II given power we will labor to q
correct these evils by wise and reas. t
Unable LEGISLATION =.