Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-03-06
Address of the Peoples Party
State Executive Committee.
4 Graphic Portrayal of Exist
ing Political and Financial
Conditions.
Both Ola Parties Guilty of Be
traying the People.

To the People Of Mississippi;
Less than two years ago the Peoples
party was organized. The fearfully
unjust conditions environing the coun-
try at that time, impressed the minds
and hearts of thoughtful and patriotic
men, and a movement of similar char
acter and identical in purpose the
declaration of human rights and the
maintenance of human liberty-to that
led by Washington and encouraged by
Jefferson, in 1916, was inaugurated at
St. Louis on the 22nd of February,
| 1892.
The industrial masses had been driv-
en- by the wrongs heaped upon them
almost to desperation. They felt the
anaconda coil of the money power as
it wound its Shiny folds about every
thing they held dear, and they saw in
the near future, that without almost a
super-human effort their homes must
be abandoned to the grasping Insurer:
wives and children would be thrown
upon the cold charities of the world
and themselves become homeless wan
derers in the land of their birth, or the
miserable serfs of a soulless and god
less plutocracy. Animated by that
spirit which stirred the fathers of the
Republic when they revolted from the
oppression of old England and put
forth that immortal document declar-
ing the independence of the colonies
forever. from British rule. this first
great labor conference of the United
States and of the world, representing
all divisions of urban and rural organ
lied industry assembled in national
congress on the birthday of 1.-THE Fa-
ther of his country" invoked upon its
action the blessings and protection of
Almighty God, and put forth in the
name and on behalf of the producers
of the nation new declaration of in
dependence, and submitted to the peo-
pie of the United States the following
preamble and platform:
I'VE meet in the midst of nation
brought to the verge of moral, politi-
cal and material ruin. Corruption dom
mates the ballot box, legislatures, con-
gress, and touches even the ermine of
the bench. The people are demoraliz-
ed. Many of the States have been
compelled to isolate the voters at the
polling places, in order to prevent uni
versal intimidation or bribery. The
newspapers are subsidized, or muzzled,
public opinion silenced, business pros
trated, our homes covered with mort
cages, labor impoverished, and the land
concentrating in the hands of capital
lists. Urban workman are denied the
right to organization for self-protec-
ton; imported pauperized labor beats
down their wages, a hireling standing
army, unrecognized by our laws, is es-
tablished to shoot them down, and
they are rapidly degenerating to Euro
pean conditions.
1.-THE fruits of the toll of millions are
boldly stolen to build up colossal for
tunes, unprecedented in the history of
the world, while their possesorsd espise
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific womb of gov
ernmental injustice we breed the two
great classes -pauperS and million
aires. The national power to create
money is appropriated to enrich bond
holders; silver, which has been accept
ed as coin since the dawn of history,
has been demonetized to add to the
purchasing power ofgold by decreasing
the value of all forms of property, as
we'll as human labor; and the supply
of currency is purposely abridged to
fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise
and enslave industry.
"a vast conspiracy against mankind
has been organized on two continents,
and is taking possession of the world.
If not met and overthrown at once it
forebodes terrible social commissions,
the destruction of all government, or
the establishment of an absolute des-
potism.
''In this crisis of human affairs the
intelligent working people and produc-
ers of the United States have come to-
gether in the name of peace, order and
society, to defend liberty, prosperity
and justice.
"We declare our union and indie
pendence.
ave assert our purpose to vote with
that political organization which rep
resents our principles.
"We charge that the controlling influ.
ences dominating the political parties
have allowed the existing dreadful con-
ditions to develop without serious eff
fort to restrain or prevent them. Mel
Their do they now intend to accomplish
reform. They have agreed together to
ignore, in the coming campaign, every
issue but one. They propose to drown
the outcries of a plundered people with
the uproar of sham battle over the
tariff, SO that corporations, national
banks, rings, trusts. "watered stock"
the characterization of silver and tbs
expressions of usurers may all be lost
sight of. They propose to sacrifice our
homes and children upon the altar of