The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-07
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED BIZ THE CONVENTION
At Omaha, Neb., July 4, 1892.
Corruption Dominates the
Ballot-Box, the Legisla.
lures, Congress.

So10os congress-.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary of the
Declaration Of Independence, the
peoples party of America, in their
arst 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
Sest justify our cooperation; we
peet in the midst of nation
brought to the verge Of moral. pOlit-
teal and material ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot box. the Iegis-
Aatures, the congress-, and touches
even the ermine on the bench. The
people are demoralized; most of the
StateS have been compelled to isolate
Che voters at the polling places to
prevent universal intimidation or
bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzled. public opinion
ltlenced, business Frustrated, our
ZONES covered with mortgages, labor
Impoverished, and the land cOncen-
Drafting in the hands of the capital
lists. The urban workmen are de-
1ied the right of organization for
self-prOtectiOn; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages; a hire
ding army, unrecOgnized by our law,
- established ito shoot them down
pnd they are rapidly degenerating
into European conditions. The
fruits Of the toll of millions are bod
lily stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for few, unprecedented in
che history of mankind, and the pos
SCISSORS of these in turn despise the
vepublic and endanger liberty. From
Che same prolific womb of govern
mental injustice we breed the two
great classes-tramps and million
xires.
The national power to create mon
~ is appropriated to enrich bond
holders; vast public debt, payable
n legal tender currency, has been
funded into gold-bearing bonds,
Whereby adding millions to the bur-
Aens of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
poin since the dawn of history, has
been demOnetized to add to the pur-
@hasing power Of gold, by decreasing
Hhe value of all forms of property as
we'll as human labor, and the supply
OF currency is purpOsely abridged to
91tten usurers, bankrupt enterprise,
end enSlave industry. A vast con-
dpiracy against mankind has been Or
aanfzed on two continents and it is
tapidly taking possession of the
world. II not met and OverthrOwn
at once it forebOdes terrible social
commissions, the destruction of civil
AzatiOn, or the esta bliShment Of an
absolute despotism. We have wit
messed for more than quarter of a
century the struggles of the two
great political parties for power and
aunder, 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
ooming campaign, every issue but
enc. They propose to drown the out
aries of plundered people with the
uproar of sham battle over the tar
ID, 80 that capitalists, corporations,
national banks, rings, trusts, watered
stock, the demonstration of silver,
and the expressions of the usurers
may all be lost sight Of. They pro-
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives and
,ahildren on the altar of mammOn; to
destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the mil
s1onaiers. Assembled on the anniver-
sary of the birthday Of the nation,
and filed with the spirit Of the grand
4eneral in chief, who established
*Qr independence, we seek to restore
the government of the republic to
the hands of "the plain people,"
with whose class it originated. We
assert our purposes to be Identical
With the purpose of the national con-
Jtitution, to form more perfect
anton and establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the gener-
al welfare, and secure the blessings
~ liberty for ourselves and our pos
terity.
We declare that this republic can
2Rly ~CQUuTc DIS d 1ICC SOfCA AAOAV
while built upon the love of the
whole people for each other and for
ahe nation; that it cannot be pinned
together by bayonets, that the civil
war is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out Of it
>Nust die with it, and that we must
- in fact, as we are in name, one
united brotherhood. Our country
4nds itself confronted by conditions
V Tor which there is no precedent In
the history of the world. Our
annual agricultural productions
amount TO billions of dollars in
value. which must within few
weeks or months be exchanged for
Sillions of dollars of commodities
consumed in their production; the ex-
tsting currency supply is wholly in
ADEQUATE to make this exchange.
The results are falling prices, the
formation of combines and rings,
the impoverishment of the produc-
tng class. We pledge ourselves that
II riven power we will labor to cor
sect 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-
c-~,nE0d los in tho