The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-03-01
ITft DEMOCRACY.


/ Adopted st the Omaha Conference 81
LaborinE People, Juiy :. 1897.
/ Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary ut the
declaration Of independence, the
PeoUIe'- party of America. IN their
frst national convention. invoking
apun tt,lr action the blessing -
Ann gaty God, puts forth IA rhv
name aud eu behalf IF the people
Of thI, country. the following pre-
amble and declaration Of principles;
( The conditions which surround Us
best justify our cooperation. We
meet III tine midst Of a nation brought
Ia the verge of moral, political and
matcrlal rain. { orr option domin ates
the ballot box. the legislatures. the
congress. auc touches even the Ell
mine OF the bench. The people are
demOrlized. Most of the State have
been compelled Ia isolate the voters
at The polling places 10 prevent uni
yersal Intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are largely subsidized or
muzZel"d, public opinion sIleuced
A =
covered with mortgages. labor i'm
poyershed. and the land concentrate
ing Ia the hands o. the capitalists.
/ / lac urban worhmeH are denied the
right OF organization for self-prut, a.
ton; imported rauperjzr- labor
beats down their wages: hlr,!iug
standing army. uureeogl ICED by our
AVS. IL established TO shoot them
down, and they are rapidly drgcner-
atug INTO European conditions. The
ftu4i~ al the toll of millions are
bodily stolen to build 40 colossal
lorruu,S for a few, uprecedtuted
III the history OF mankind, and the
pos SCISSORS of these, in turn, de,pise
the republic and endaueer liberty
From the same prolific mode of GOV
ernmenral Injustice We breed the
two great cIaases-tramps aud mil
HOnaIres.
The national power to create
money Is appropriated to enrich
bondholders. \ vast public debt
payable in legal tender currency has
been funded into gold-braring
bonds, thereby adding millions to
the burdens Of the people.
THE OLD PARTIES ARRAIGNED.
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 enslave
industry. a vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session of the world. Ii not met and
oVerthOrwn at once it fOrebOdes ter
ribIe social commissions, the destruc-
ton Of civilization, or the establish
ment Of an absolute despotism.
We have witnessed for more than
a century the struggles Of the two
great political parties for power and
plumber, while grievious wrongs
have been inflicted upon the suffer
ing people. We charge that the
controlling influences dominating
both these parties have permitted
the eXlslng dreadful conditions to
develop without serious effort t.
prevent or refrain them. Neither do |
they now promise us any substantial
reform. They have agreed together
to ignor IN the coming campaign
every issue but one. They propose
to drown the outcries Of plundered |
people with the uproar of sham
battle over the tariff, so that capl-
tallsts, corporations, national banks, |
ring, trust, watered stock, the de- |
monetization af silver and the op-
presslOns Of the usurers may all be |
lost sight Of. They propose to sac
rllce our homes, wives and children |
on the alter Of Mammon; to destroy
the multitude in order to secure cor
ruptlOn funds from the million
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary of
the birthday Of the nation, and filled |
with the spirit Of the grand genera
ton who established our independ- !
ence, we seek to restore the govern
ment of the republic to the hands of
the plain people" with which class
1t originated.