The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-05
PURE DEMOCRACY.
rs.rfasrAKr, PLATFORM.


Adopted st the onashs Us"as's"~" 81
tai...ssnx People. Js'p .. iTs'ss
Assembled ug.on the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary ~ Ia"
declaration ~ independence, the
People's party of America, IA their
frs; national convention, INVOKING
upon their action tn" blessing 81
Almighty God, pats forth IN the
name aud on behalf ut the people
uf tins country. .hc following pre-
ambIe and declaration Of principles;
Tn. conditions which surround us
best Justify car corporation. We
meet 10 the midst oI = uAt'ou brought
Ia the verge of moral, political aud
material ruin. Corruption deHinat"s
the ballot box, the legislatures, IN"
congress, sui touches even the ct
mine 81 the h-uch. Tho people ar,
demorlizcd. Most uf the State have
been compelled Ia isolate the V"tcr~
At the polling places 10 prevent UNI
yrrsal intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are largely subsidized or
muxzclcd, public opinion s'ien"od,
business Frustrated, our homes
covered with mortgages, Labor I'M
poy,riShed. and the land c"ucentrat.
inc IA the hands OF ikc capitalists.
The urban wnrkmcn are denied the
right OF organization for Scl!-protcc-
ton; imported pauperizcd labor
beats down their wages; a hlrcllng
standing army, unrecoguized ~ oar
laws, il established 10 shoot them
down. aud they are rapidly degcncr.
ating into European conditions. The
fruits OF the toll of millions ar,
bodily stolen To build mp collossa
fortunes for few, unprecedented
in the history OF mankind, and IN,
possessors Of these, in turn, dcsplS,
the republic and endanger liberty
From the same prolific mode OF gov
ernmental injustice We breed ;h'
two great classcS-tramps aad mil
| lionaires.
The national power TO create
money is appropriated to enrich
bondholders. A vast public deb
payable in legal tender currency ha
been funded into goldbcarinl
bonds, thereby adding millions e
the burdens of the people.
THE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNEp.
Silver which has been accepted "A
coin since the dawn of history, ha
been demonetized TO add 10 tn
purchasing power Of gold Icy de
creasing the value of all forms o
property, as well as human labor
and the. supply of currency Is pur
posely abridged to fattcn usurers
bankrupt enterprises and enslav
industry. y 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 tel
rible social commissions, the destruc
ton of civilization, or the establish
ment OF an absolute despotism.
We have witnessed for more tia
a century the struggles of the tw
great political parties for power an
plumber, while grieviOus wrong
have been inflicted upon the suffer
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 subStantia
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 shan
battle over the tariff, so that capl
tallsts, corporations, national banks
ring, trust, watered stock, the dc
monetization af silver and the OF
pressions of the usurers may all b
lost sight of. They propose to sac
rifice our homes, wives and childre
on the alter of Mammon; to dcstro
the multitude in order to secure COZ
ruption funds from the million
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary Q
the birthday of the nation. and file
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 O
1.-THE plain people, with which elias
it originated.