The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-20
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED ~ THE CONVENTION
At Omaha. Nsb.. July 4, 1892.
CorTuDeoa Dominates the
balloe.B0x, the Legisla-
eH0o, Congress-.

Assembled upon the one hundred
Aad sixteenth anniversary of the
Qeelaratio9 .of Independence, Che
PEOPLES party Of America, in their
drst national convention, invoking
upon their action the blessing of AL
mighty God, puts forth in the name
AID ON behalf Of the people OF the
country the following preamble and
declaration of principles:
The conditions which surround us
sest justify our cooperation; we
meet in the midst of nation
brought to the verge of moral. polit-
teal and material ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot box, the legis-
htures. the congress. and touches
even the ermine on the bench. The
people are demOralized: most Of the
states have been compelled to isolate
tho voters at the polling places to
prevent universal Intimidation or
bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muZzled public opinion
tflenced, business Frustrated, our
homes covered with mortgages, labor
Impoverished, and the land cOncen-
er2ting In the hands OF the capital
ssts: The urban workmen are de-
Afed the right Of organization for
:sn-protectiOn; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages; hire
y established to shoot them down
and they are rapidly degencrating
Into European conditions. The
fruits OF the toll of millions are bod
lily stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for few, unprecedented in
the history Of mankind, and the pos
AeaSors Of these in turn despise the
republic and endanger liberty. From
the same prolific womb OF govern
mental injustice We breed the two
great claSses-tramps aud million
6ires.
The national power to create mon
I ~ is appropriated to enrich bond
holders; vast public debt, payable
- legal tender currency, has been
funded into gOld-hearing bonds,
fhs1oby adding millions to the bur
1ons Of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
pofn since the dawn OF history. has
been demOnetiZed to add to the pur-
chasing power Of gold, by decreasing
she value OF all forms cf property as
we'll as human labor. and the supply
OF currency is purpoScly abridged to
7stten uSurers, bankrupt enterprise,
aud enSlave Industry. A vast CON
spiracy against mankind has been or
ganizcd on two, continents and it is
rapidly taking possession OF the
world. II not met and oyerthrown
At once it fOrebodeS terrible social
oonvulsiOns, the destruction OF civil
lxatiOn, or the establishment OF an
absolute despotism. We have wit
messed for more than Il quarter OF a
century the struggles Of the two
great political parties for power and
H@under. while grievOuS wrongs have
been inflicted upon the suffering peo-
pie. We charge that the controlling
Influences dominating both these
parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions to develop,
without serious effort TO prevent or
restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us
aAy substantial reform. They have
agreed together to ignore, in the
coming campaign, every issue but
enc. They propose to drown the out
aries of plundered people with the
uproar of y sham battle over the tar
ii, 20 that capitalists, corpora tions,
aatiOnal banks, rings, trusts, watered
stock, the demOnetiZatiO OF silver,
And the expressions Of the usurers
may all be lost sight OF. They pro-
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives and
children on the altar OF mammOn; to
destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the mil
No II 4. l,n.
sAry OF the birthday Of the nation,
and filed with the spirit of the grand
GENERAL in chief. who established
sur independence. we seek to restore
the government OF the republic to
the hands OF "thc plain people"
With whose class it originated. We
Assert our purposes to be Identical
with the purpose OF the national CON
stftutiOn. to form a more perfect
anton and establish Justice, insure
lonestlc tranquility, provide for the
apmmOn defense, promote the gener-
Oh welfare, and secure the blessings
u liberty for ourselves and our pos
terity.
We declare that this republic can
OQly endure as a free government
While built upon the love OF the
whole people for each other and for
ne nation; that it cannot be pinned
Seeether by bayonetS. that the civil
var is over and that every passion
eud resentment which grew out of it
must die with it, and that We must
- in fact, as we arc in name, one
luited brotherhood. Our country
lads itself confronted by conditions
Tor which there is no precedent iii
the history OF the world. Our
annual agricultural productions
amount TO billions OF dollars ia
value. which must within a few
weeks or months he exchanged for
billions OF dollars OF commodities
cons umcd in their production: the cx-
tsting currency supply is wholly in
adequate to make this exchange
The results are falling prices, the
formation OF combines and rings.
the impove risllrnent OF the produc
Ing class. We pledge ourselves that
II given power we will labor to cor
rect these evils by wise and reason
able legislation In accordance with
the terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers Of gov
srnment-in other words, OF the peo-
ple--should be expanded las in the
case Of the postal service) as rapidly