The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-25
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED BIZ THE CONVENTION
AZ Omaha, Neb., July 4, 1892.
Corruption Dominates the
<beAlot-Box, the Legisla.
lures. Congress.

BaAlot-Box. the Legisla.
turss. Congress.
Assembled upon the one hundred
END sixteenth anniversary Of the
Declaration Of Independence, the
peoples party of America, in their
Asss national convention, invoking
upon their action the blessing Of AL.
mighty God, puts forth in the name
and on behalf of the people of the
country the following preamble and
declaration Of principles:
The conditions which surround us
lest justify our cooperation; we
meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge of moral, polit-
zeal and material ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot box, the 1egis-
Atures, the congress, and touches
even the ermine on the bench. The
people are demOralized; most of the
yates have been compelled to isolate
the voters at the polling places to
prevent universal intimidation or
bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzled public opinion
eilenced, business Frustrated, our
BONES covered with mortgages, labor
impoverished, and the land concen-
lrating in the hands Of the capital
hts. The urban workmen are de-
1ied the right of organization for
pelf-protection; imported pauperized
ebor beats down their wages; hire
Mag army, unrecognized by our law,
= established to shoot them down
pnd they are rapidly degenerating
INTO European conditions. The
fruits Of the toll of millions are bod
~ stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for q few, unprecedented in
The history Of mankind, and the pos
SCISSORS of these in turn despise the
republic and endanger liberty. From
che same prolific womb of govern
mental injustice we breed the two
great classes-tramps and million
Hires.
The national power to create mon
py is appropriated to enrich bond
helders; vast public debt, payable
legal tender currency, has been
Funded into gOld-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions to the bur-
aens Of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
poin since the dawn Of history, has
boon demOnetiZed to add to the pur-
4asing power of gold, by decreasing
she value Of all forms of property as
we'll as human labor, and the supply
Of currency is purposely abridged to
0tten usurers, bankrupt enterprise,
&nd enslave industry. A vast con-
Qiracy against mankind has been Or
TO 10
tapidly taking possession of the
world. II not met and OverthrOwn
ct once 1t fOrebOdes terrible social
commissions, the destruction of civil
sxatiOn, or the establishment OF an
absolute despotism. We have wit
nessed for more than quarter Of a
sreat political parties for power and
been inflicted upon the suffering peO-
de. We charge that the controlling
Influences dominating both these
1arties 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
sne. They propose to drown the out
S|ies of plundered people with the
uproar of q sham battle over the tar
n 20 that capitalists, corporations,
national banks, rings, trusts, watered
stock, the demonetiz of silver,
and the expressions Of the usurers
nav all be lost sight of. They pro-
nose to sacrifice our homes, lives and
children on the altar of mammon; to
DESTROY the multitude in order to Sc
sure corruption funds from the mil
Aonaiers. Assembled on the anniver-
,ary of the birthday Of the nation,
and filed with the spirit Of the grand
feneral in chief, who established
kor independence, we seek to restore
me government of the republic to
the hands of "the plain people"
With whose class it originated. We
assert our purposes to be Identical
nth the purpose Of the national con-
stitution, to form a more perfect
anton and establish Justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the
Dmmon defense, promote the gener-
Al welfare, and secure the blessings
liberty for ourselves and our pos
tsrity.
We declare that this republic can
saly endure as free government
chile built upon the love OF the
whole people for each other and foI
ne nation; that it cannot De plnne0
Sogether by bayonets, that the civil
Var is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out OF II
must die with it, and that we must
- in fact, as we are IN name, one
anited brotherhood. Our country
1nds itself confronted by conditions
sor which there is no precedent in
II. history of the world. Our
srnnai AGRICULTURAL productions
smonnt &c billjuus dollars in
valne which must thin few
veeks mr. months ,,e {. changed for
Niilions Of dollars nt commodities
oonsnmed in Their ,l,a. cton; the ex-
lsting currency SUPP, IS Wn0lly IN
adequate to max" ''ilS excnauge.
The results are taiii = prices, the
formation of rt,m' i!.r> ana rings,
the impoverishmsr o. the prOduc-
Ing class. We pledge urselves that
II given power we viii labor TO cor
rect these evils 10y w'~ ana reason
able legislation IN a Ordance 'Wlth
Vie terms Of our pla!i rm.
We believe that tii' overs OF gov
n ~