The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-21
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED BIZ THE CONVENTION
At Omaha, Neb., July q. 1892.
Corruption Dominates the
Ballot-Box. the Legisla.
lures, Congress-.


Ballot-Box. the Legisla.
lures, Congress.
Assembled upon the one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary Of the
Declaration Of Independence, the
peoples party Of America, in their
drst 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
test justify our cooperation; we
meet in the midst of a nation
brought to the verge Of moral, polit-
teal 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 or
bribery. The newspapers are largely
subsidized or muzzled public opinion
filenced, business Frustrated, our
bones covered with mortgages, labor
Impoverished, and the land concen-
tratfng in the hands of the capital
ATS. The urban wOrkmen are de-
1ied the right of organization for
cslf-protection; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages; hire
ling army, unrecognized by our law,
- esta blished to shoot them down
pnd they are rapidly degenerating
INTO European conditions. The
fruits Of the toll of millions are bod
tly stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for few, unprecedented in
Che history OF mankind, and the pos
SCISSORS Of these in turn despise the
republic and endanger liberty. From
che same prolific womb of govern
mental injustice we breed the two
great classes-tramps and million
aires.
The national power to create mon
holders; vast public debt, payable
n legal tender currency, has been
funded into gold-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions to the bur-
4ens of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
foin since the dawn Of history, has
been demonetiZed to add to the pur-
ehasing power of gold, by decreasing
she value of all forms Of property as
we'll as human labor, and the supply
Qf currency is purposely abridged to
31tten usurers, bankrupt enterprise,
end enSlave industry. A vast con-
apiracy against mankind has been or
gained on two continents and it is
tapidly taking possession of the
world. II not met and overthrow
at once it forebodes terrible social
commissions, the destruction of civil
txation, or the establishment of an
absolute despotism. We have wit
messed for more than 2 quarter of a
century the struggles of the two
great political parties for power and
blunder, while grievOuS wrongs have
been inflicted upon the suffering peo-
pie. We charge that the controlling
Influences dominating both these
parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions to develop,
without serious effort to prevent or
restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us
eAy substantial reform. They have
egreed together to ignore, in the
coming campaign, every issue but
enc. They propose to drown the out
cries of plundered people with the
uproar of sham battle over the tar
ii, so that capitalists, corporations,
aatiOnal banks, rings, trusts, watered
stock, the decentralization of silver,
and the expressions of the usurers
may all be lost sight of. They pro-
pose to sacrifice our homes, lives and
children on the altar of mammon; to
destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the mil
aOnaiers. Assembled on the anniver-
gary of the birthday Of the nation,
and filed with the spirit of the grand
general in chief, who established
kQr independence, we seek to restore
Che hands of "the plain people,"
assert our purposes to be Identical
With the purpose of the national con-
stitution, to form a more perfect
lnion and establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the gener-
tl welfare, and secure the blessings
II liberty for ourselves and our pos
terity.
We declare that this republic can
Valy endure as a free government
while built upon the love Of the
whole people for each other and for
the nation; that it cannot be pinned
together by bayonets, that the civil
war is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of it
0ust die with it, and that we must
he in fact, as we are in name, one
united brotherhood. Our country
ands itself confronted by conditions
for which there is no precedent in
the history of the world. Our
annual agricultural productions
amount to billions of dollars in
value, which must within few
weeks or months be exchanged for
Billions of dollars of commodities
consumed in their production; the ex-
listing currency supply is wholly in
adequate to make this exchange.
The results are falling prices, the
formation of combines and rings,
the impoverishment Of the produc-
ing class. We pledge ourselves that
II given power we will labor to cor
rect these evils by wise and reason
able legislation in accordance with
the terms of our platform.
" no nj