The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-17
PEOPLES PLATFORM


AZ Omaha, Neb.. July 4, 1892
Corruption Dominates the
Ballot-Box, the Legisla-
turos, Congress.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary Of the
Declaration Of Independence, the
peoples party Of America, in thei1
Arst national convention, invoking
upon their action the blessing Of AL
mighty God, puts forth in the name
and on behalf Of the people of the
country the following preamble and
declaration Of principles:
The conditions which surround US
best justify our cooperation; we
meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge of moral, polit-
zeal and material ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot box. the 1egis-
latures, the congress, and touches
even the ermine on the bench. The
people are demOralized; most of the
ttates have been compelled to isolate
the voters at the polling places to
prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzled public opinion
eilenced, business Frustrated, our
bones covered with mortgages, labor
impoverished, and the land concen.
)fating in the hands of the capital.
o1ts. The urban workmen are de-
1ied the right Of organization fol-
Delf-pr0tectiOn; imported pauperized
}ebof beats down their wages; a hire
ling army, unrecognized by our law,
y established to shoot them down
bnd they are rapidly degenerating
ynto European conditions. The
ltuits OF the toll of millions are bod.
NJ stolen to build up colossal for.
Dunes for q few, unprecedented in
vhe history of mankind, and the DOS
SCISSORS of these in turn despise the
yepublic and endanger liberty. From
She same prolific womb Of govern.
byeat classes-tramps and million
0{es.
The national power to create mon.
~ - appropriated to enrich bond
holders; vast public debt, payable
legal tender currency, has been
yended into g0ld-bearing bonds
hsssby adding millions to the bur
Gems Of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted al
DelA since the dawn Of history, hat
been demonetized to add to the pur
lhasing power of gold, by decreasing
vhe value of all forms of property al
yell as human labor, and the supply
Vf currency is purposely abridged t(
Qtten usurers, bankrupt enterprise
md enslave industry. A vast con
1piracy against mankind has been or
oenized on two continents and it ii
tapidly taking possession of the
world. II not met and overthrow
OF once it forebodes terrible socia
commissions, the destruction of civil
lxatiOn, or the establishment of ar
absolute despotism. We have wit
pessed for more than quarter of {
century the struggles of the two
great political parties for power anC
blunder, while grievous wrongs have
been inflicted upon the suffering PEG
pie. We charge that the controlling
Influences dominating both these
PARTIES have permitted the existing
Dreadful conditions to develop
without serious effort to prevent o.
restrain them.
Neither do they now promise Vi
any substantial reform. They have
agreed together to ignore, in thu
coming campaign, every issue bu1
enc. They propose to drown the out
tries of plundered people with thu
pproar of a sham battle over the tar
u, 90 that capitalists, corporations
national banks, rings, trusts, wateret
stock, the characterization of silver
and the expressions of the usurer
may all be lost sight Of. They pro
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives ant
children on the altar of mammOn; II
destroy the multitude in order to sc
cure corruption funds from the mil
honaiers. Assembled on the anniver
nary of the birthday of the nation
and filed with the spirit of the gran(
goneral in chief, who established
bur independence, we seek to restore
The government of the republic t,
the hands of "the plain people,
With whose class it originated. W.
assert our purposes to be identica
With the purpose of the national con
otitution, to form q more perfec
union and establish justice, insur
domestic tranquility, provide for tn
OpmmOn defense, promote the genel
d welfare, and secure the blessing
liberty for ourselves and our pos
terity.
We declare that this republic Cal
Daly endure as a free government
while built upon the love of tn
whole people for each other and TO
ne nation; that it cannot be pinne'
together by bayonets, that the civi
var is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of /
must die with it, and that we mus
10 in fact, as we are in name, on
united brotherhood. Our cOuntr
finds itself confronted by condition
tor which there is no precedent IL
the history of the world. Gu
annual agricultural production
amount to billions of dollars il
value, which must within a few
weeks or months be exchanged TO
billions of dollars of commoditie
consumed in their production; the ex
listing currency supply is wholly in
adequate to make this exchange
The results are falling prices, tn
formation of combines and rings
the impoverishment Of the produc
Ing class. We pledge ourselves tina