The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-03-14
A TIMELY ADDRESS.
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL COMMIT
TEE OF POPULISTS.

TEE OF POPUuISTs.
Reafirms the Party's Position on the Mon
ey Observation-Disclosures the Bond Issue
vOrs an Income Tax.
After a two days session at st. Louis
at which number of important mat
tiers were disposed of, the People Party
national committee issued the following
address:
The union of the leaders of the cid
parties under Grover Cleveland and
John Sherman has forced down the vol
ume of the circulating medium to the
single gold standard, thereby enhanc-
ing the purchasing power of money and
depreciating the price of all the prod
ucts of labor as we'll as the earnings of
the wage workers. The power acquired
by the campaign promises Of the Dem
ocratic and Republican parties to re-
store silver to the place it occupied as a
money metal previous to the crime Of
1878 has been used to consummate that
lnlquity. The tactics of deceiving the
people by sham issues, which have been
SO successful in the past, will be en-
ployed to maintain the gold standard
and retire green backs.
The British policy of a single gold
standard system of finance is contrary
to every principle ofAmerican independ-
ence. Therefore we are opposed to any
international conference with foreign
nations to regulate the policy of this
country, but favor a financial system
that is distinctively American. The
success of the Democratic Repu blican
financial policy enslaves producers to
reward absorbers Of wealth.
The issue is made by the declaration
in the Omaha platform in favor of free
coinage of gold and silver at the ratio
of Is to and the issuance of standard
money exclusively by the government
without the Intervention of banks. The
success of the money power against the
people can only be secured by multiply
ing issues, with which the Democratic
and Republican wings of the gold COM
bination can avoid submitting the ques-
ton OF money contraction to vote of
the people. Other reforms demanded by
the Omaha platform are not less meri-
torious because the old parties have
thrown of the mask and made known
their purpose to enslave the people by
money contraction.
A declaration in favor of the free and
unlimited coinage of both gold and sill
YER at the ratio of 16 to l and the direct
issue by the government of legal tender
standard paper money redeemable in
debts and taxes and of sufficient volume
to meet the legitimate demands Of our
growing population and increases in
business, and which shall be sufficient
to restore and maintain stability and
general prices, would meet the issues
presented by the gold com bination. The
object of that com bination is the main
tenance of the gold standard adopted at
the extra session of congress, the in
crease of the bonded debt, the retirement
of legal tender money issued by the gov
eminent and the surrender to private
corporations of the power and duty of
the government to regulate the volume
of the circulating medium and main
tain its stability.
Both the old parties will present the
tariff and other issues and deny during
the campaign that they are in favor of
the policy of money contraction, which,
by their united action, they have pur-
sued for the last 20 years, and they will
be for or against any and all issues
which they suppose will give them the
most votes. But when they secure the
power they will use il in the future as
they have done in the past-in the in
terest of the gold combination.
We denOunce the issue Of bonds in
time of peace as ali act of treason and
usurpation unequaled in the history of
civilized government. They propose to
drown the outcries Of the plundered
people with sham battle over the tar
if, so that capitalists, corporations, ma
tiOnal banks, rings. trusts, watered
stock. the demonstration of silver and
the oppression of the usurers may all be
lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice
our homes. wives and children on the
altar of mammon, to destroy the null
titude in order to secure corruption
funds from the milllonaires.
The national committee claims no
right to dictate to the different states or
congressional districts as to the details
of their platforms within the bounds of
the fundamental principles OF the Oma-
ha platform, and we call upon all pa
triotic, liberty loving citizens to unite
with us in this effort to hold the rights
Of American freemen from industrial
slavery.
The following resolutions were also
adopted:
Whereas, The - called Wilson bill fails TO
provide sufficient revenue to defray the legiti-
mate expenses of the government and thereby
creates deficiency. of which the admnistra-
ton will take advantage to issue interest bear
ing bonds to saddle further burdens upon
future generations and further perpetuate the
national banking monopoly Of the country;
and
Whereas, 1t discriminates against the pro-
ducers of raw materials in the south and west
and protects the monopolists of the east:
therefore be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the national
committee of the Peoples Party that the Peo-