The star. (Aberdeen, S.D.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-18
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.
The Preamble.

The Preamble.
Assembled upon the ono hundred and
sixteenth anniversary of the Declaration Of
Independence, the Peoples party of Amer
lea, IN their first national conyen ton, in
voklng upon their action the blessing Of
Almighty God, puts forth, IN the name and
Oh behalf of the people Of this country, the
following preamble and declaration of prin-
eples:
The conditions which surround Us best
Jus lily our cooperation. We meet in the
midst Vt nation brought to the verge Of
moral, political and material ruin. Cor
euption dominates the ballo;-boo, the legis-
latures, the congress-, and touches even the
armine of the bench. The people are de-
moralized; most of the states have been
compelled to isolate the voters at the poll
ton or bribery.
The newspapers are largely subsidized or
muzzled; public opinion silenced; business
prt,s rated; our homes covered with mort
gag 8; labor impoverished. and the land
concentrating IN the hands of capitalists
The urban workmen are denied the right
Of utgA, izatiOn for selfprotectiOn; I'm.
ported pauper led labor beats down their
wages; hlreling stnndang army, unrecog-
hized by our laws, is established to shoot
tn IN down. and they are rapidly degener-
ailng INFO European conditions. The fruits
q. the toll Of millions are boldly stolen 10
build up colossal fortunes for few. un-
piec denied in the history Of mankind and
the pOssessors of these, in turn, desplse
the republic and endanger liberty. From
the same prolific womb OF governmental in
1usrce We BIZ. d two great classes-lramps
and m illionaires
TIE national power TO create money 10
appropr ated 10 enr Oh bondholders; vast
public debt payable N legal tender cur
rency has Teen funded into gold bearing
bonds, Hereby adding millions to the bur-
dens of the people.
81 yer, which has been accepted as coin
once he dawn of history, has been demon
lzed to add TO The purchasing power Of
gold, by decreasing the value of all forms
the supply Of currency Is purposely
q rldged 10 fatten usurers, bankrupt enter
prise and enslave industry. A vast con-
}p racy a. ainst mankind has been organ.
L. d on two continents and is rapidly tax.
Ing possession of the world. Ii not met
1 d Overthrown at once, 1t forebodes terri
Bile social CONFUSION. the destruction OF
CAPT aiza'ion. or the establishment of an
absniuie desp0ism. We have witnessed
tor more than quarter of Q century the
ruge % OF the two great political parties
for power, while grieyOus wrongs have
been 'nfllc'ed upon the suffering people. q
We charge that the controlling influ-
ences DONNA Ing both these parties have
lie mitt. the existing dreadful cond tons
to develop without serious effort 10 prevent
or res!rain them, Neither do they now
promise US any subs ,anial reform. They
have agreed together 10 ignore in the com.
ing campaign every issue but one. They
people with the uprOar OF sham battle
over the tariff, 90 that capital. corporations,
ma iOnal banks, trusts, watered stock, the
d. moneiiza,i0E It silver and the 0ppress-
ing OF the usurers may be lost sight of.
They propose to sacrifice our homes, lives
and children on the altar of Mammon; to
1es roy the multitude In order to secure
corruption from the millionaireA
Assembled on the anniversary of the
bir hday Of the nation, and filed with the
spriI Of the grand generation who estab-
lished our independence, we seek to re-
store the ggooyernment Of the republic to the
eana Sf 1s psn Rseps with whose
poses to be Identical with the purposes Of
the national constitutions; to form more
perfect union, establish justice, insure do
nestle tranquility. provide for the com.
mon defense, promote general welfare and
secure the blessings Of liberty for our.
selves and our posterity.
We declare that this republic can only
endure - free government while built
upon the love Of the whole people for each
other and for the nation; that 1t cannot be
pinned together by the bayonet; that the
civil war is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out Of it must
die with it and that we must in fact 40 we
Rre.in name, be one united brotherhood Of
ireemen..
Onr country finds itself confronted By
conditions for which there 10 no preceden
In this world; our annual agricultural pro-
auctions amount to billions Of dollars in
value, which mus: within . few weeks OF
months be exchanged for billions Of dollars
Of commodities consumed in their produc-
ton; the existing currency supply 10
wholly inadequate to make this exchange;
Of combines andrings, the impoverisnment