The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-03-08
PURE DEMOCRACY.
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.
At the Omaha Conference %
LaboFtng People. July q, 1899.


daps~d At the Omaha Conference Of
Laboring People. July q. 1899.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary Of the
Of independence. the
PEOPLES party Of America, IN their
first national convention, invoking
upou their action the blessing of
God, puts forth IN the
name and on behal6 Of the people
OF this country, the following pre-
amble and declaration OF principles:
The conditions which surround us
best justify our cooperation. We
meet in the midst of Il nation brought
TO the verge of moral. political and
material ruin. Con upton dominates
.he ballot box, the legislatures, the
congre -, and touches even the ell
mine OF the bench. The people are
-.ilsmorlized Most Of the State have
been compelled To isolate the voters
a the polling places TO prevent nnI-
versal intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are largely subsidized oI
muzzeled, public opinion slienced
business Frustrated, our bones
covered with mortga ges, labor i'm
poverlshed, and the land concentrate
ing IN the hands OF the capitalists,
The urban workmen are denied the
rIg h Of organization for SeIt-prntec-
ton; imported pauperlzed labor
. Il 4 "a
standing army, unrecognized by ON
laws, i established To shoot then
down. and they are rapidly degener.
ating into European conditions. The
fruits of the toll of millions ar,
bodily stolen to build up collossa
fortunes for a few, uprecedenteC
IN the history OF mankind, and tbs
possessors of these, IN turn, despis'
| the republic and endanger liberty
From the same prolific mode OF gov
ernmental injustice We breed th'
two great classes-tramps aud mil
| honalreS.
| The national power to create
money is appropriated to enricl
bondholders. a vast public deb
payable in legal tender currency ha
been funded into gold bearin!
bonds, thereby adding millions t.
the burdens Of the people.
THE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNED.
Silver which has been accepted a
coin since the dawn Of history, ha
| been demOnetized to add to tn
purchasing power of gold by de
creasing the value of all forms 0
property, as well as human labor
and the supply of currency IS pur
posely abridged to fatten usurers
bankrupt enterprises and enslav
industry. A vast conspiracy agains
mankind has been organized on tw
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session Of the world. If not met an,
oyerthorwn 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 tina,
century the struggles of the tw
great political parties for power an
plumber, while grievlous 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 [
prevent or refrain them. Neither d
they now promise JUS any substantis
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 shal
battle over the tariff, so that cap
talists, corporations, national bank
ring, trust. watered stock, the do
monetlzatiOn AT silver and the OF
presslons of the usurers may all /
:, lost sight of. TheY propose to sa'
rifce our homes, wives and childre
on the alter of Mammon; 70 destrO
the multitude in order to secure co
ruption funds from the million
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary
the birthday Of the nation, and file
with the spirit of the grand gener;
ton who established our indepen,
ence, we seek to restore the govern
ment of the republic to the hands
1.-THE plain people," with which ella
it originated.