The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-02-08
PURE DEMOCRACY.
PEoPIEsPARTy PLATFORM
Adopted At the Omaha Conference OF
IABorfng People. JaIy =, fsae.

Labcring People, Jait =, fs"=.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary OF the
declaration Of independence, the
PEOPLES party of America, IN their
first national convention, invoking
upon their action the blessing OF
Almighty God. puts forth IN the
name aud on behalf 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 nation brought
TO the verge OF moral, political and
material ruin. Con- upton dominates
| the ballot box, the legislatures The
congress, and touches even the 81
mine of the bench. The people are
demorlized. Most Of the State have
been compelled 10 isolate the voters
/ AT the polling places 10 prevent UNI
versal intimidation ar bribery. Inc
newspapers are largely subsidized or
muzZeled, public opinion sIlenced
/ business Frustrated, our homes
! covered with mortgages, labor lm-
f
ing IN the hands OF the capitalists.
/ The urban workmen are denied the
right e organization for self-protec-
ton; imported pauperlzed labor
beats down their wages; hlreilng
standing army, unrecognlzed by our
laws, is established to shoot them
down. and they are rapidly degener-
ating into European conditions. The
fruits of the toll of millions are
bodily stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for few, unprecedented
in the history of mankind, and the
possessors of these, iii turn, desplse
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific mode of gov
ernmental injustice We breed the
two great classes-tramps aud mil
lionaires.
The national power to create
money is appropriated to enrich
bondholders. A vast public debt
payable in legal tender currency has
been funded into gold-bearing
bonds, thereby adding millions to
the burdens of the people.
The OLD 1ARIlES ahhAI1NED.
Silver which has been accepted as
coin since the dawn of history, has
been demonetized TO add to the
purchasing power of gold by de-
creasing the value of all forms OF
property, as well as human labor,
and the supply of currency is pur-
!; posely abridged to fatten usurers
bankrupt enterprises and enSlavt
industry. A vast conspiracy against
, mankind has been organized on two
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. If not met anC
overthorWn 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 thar
a century the struggles of the tw,
great political parties for power anC
plumber, while grievlOuS wrong
have been inflicted upon the suffer
ing people. We charge that the
' controlling influences dominating
both these parties have permitted
;, the exising dreadful conditions t,
develop without serious effort tt
> prevent or refrain them. Neither d,
they now promise US any substantial
> reform. They have agreed togethe
- TO ignof Ia the coming campaign
=, every issue but one. They propos
- to drown the outcries of plundere'
people with the uproar of shan
battle over the tariff, so that capl
tahsts, corporations, national banks
4 ring, trust. watered stock, the de
- monetIzatiOn at silver and the op
= pressIOns of the usurers may all b
= lost sight Of, They propose to sac
- ritice our homes, wives and children
. on the alter of Mammon; to deStro
the multitude in order to secure COZ
! fuption funds from the million
!, aries.
! Assembled on the anniversary o
the birthday of the nation, and file
with the spirit of the grand genera
ton who established our independ
y ence, we seek to restore the govern
y ment of the republic to the hands @
"the plain people," with which elias
1t originated.
THR WAR is OVER.
We assert our purposes to b
identical with the purposes of tn
national cOnstitution-''TO form
more perfect unioa, establish justice
insur domestic tranquility, pFoyid
for the common defense, promot
the general welfare and secure til
= blessings of liberty for ourselve
and our posterity." We declare tina
this republic cap only endure as
free government while bQilt upo
the love of the whole people TO
each other and for the nation; tina
it cannot be pinned together by bay
G onets; that the civil war is over, an
It that every passsoa and resentmen
l. which grew out of it must die wit
q it, and that we must be in fact, a
we are in name, one united brother
hood of freemen.
}. Our country finds itself confronte
by conditions for which there is n
precedent in the history of tn
worid-our annual agricultural pro
ductions amount to billions Of do
II lars in value, which must within
{ | lew " ttIS VI bS
d for billions OF dollars of commoditie
g consumed in their production; tn
It existing currency supply Is who'll
2 inadequate to make this exchange
the results are falling prices, til
formation of combines and ring
and the impoverishH2ept of the pro
: ducing classes. We pledge osrselve
that if given power We will labor t
correct these evils by wise and reat
enable legislation in accordanc
with the terms of our platform.
7 We believe that the power of gov
ernment-in other words, of the pee
, pie-should be expanded (as ia tn
u case the postal service) as rapidly a
r far as the good sense of an intelll
: gent people and the teachings of e1
0 perience shall justify, to the end tina
a OPPRESSION, injustice and povert