The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-02-15
PURE DEMOCRACY.
PEOPLES PARTY PLATFORM.
Adopted sc the Omaha Conference OF
Iabartng People. July 8, 1899.

Adoutss 3. tn. omaha Conference of
Laboring People, July 8. 1889.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary of the
declaration of independence. the
Peuule's party Of America. IA their
first national convention, invoking
upon their action the blessing of
Almighty God, puts forth in the
name and on behalf Of the people
of this country, the following pre-
afubIe AMI declaration OF principles:
The conditions which surround u
best Justify our cooperation. We
meet ii the midst % nation brought
10 the verge of moral. political aud
material ruin. Com uptlon dominates
the ballot box. the legislatures. the
congr, -. and touches even the Ct
mine OF the bruch. The people are
demorlized. Most of the State have
been compelled 10 isolate the voters
at the polling places 10 prevent UNI
versal intimidation or bribery. me
newspapers are largely subsidized or
muZzeied, public opinion sIlenoed
business Frustrated. our homes
covered with mortgages, labor I'm
povershed. and the land c"ncentrat-
ing IN the hands of the capitalists.
The urban workmeu arc denied the
ria 1t of organization for sel:-protec-
ton; imported pauperlzed labor
beats down their wages; hlr"llng
standing army, unrecognlZed by our
laws, Is established to shoot them
down. and they are rapidly degener-
atiug 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 man kind, and the
possessors Of these, III turn. desplse
the republic and endanser liberty.
From the same prolific mode of gov
ernmental injustice We breed the
| Two great claasea-tramp aud mil
HOnaIres.
The national power to create
money is appropriated to enrich
bondholdors. \ 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 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 enslavC
industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on tive
continents and is rapidly taking pos
session Of the world. If not met ano
overthorwn at once ii 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 two
great political parties for power and
plumber, while grlevlous wrongs
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 tC
prevent or refrain them. Neither dt
they now promise JUS any substantial
reform. They have agreed togethel
to ignOr IN the coming campaign
every issue but one, They propos,
to drown the outcries Of plunderet
people with the uproar OF a shan
battle over the tariff, 50 that capI
taists, corporations, national banks
ring, trust. watered stock, the de
mOnetiZatiOn af silver and the op
pressIOnS of the usurers may all bt
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 cor
ruption funds from the million
aries.
Assembled on the anniversary 0
the birthday of the nation, and tilleo
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 0
1.-THE plain people," with which elias
it originated.