The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-03-21
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED By THE CONVENTION
At Omaha, Neb., July 4. 1892.
Corruption Dominates the
BaIlot-Box, the Legisla.
+ lures, Congress.

COTTuDt4On Dominates the
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
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
lest 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
otates 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
)ilenced, business Frustrated, our
homes covered with mortgages, labor
impoverished, and the land concen-
)rating in the hands Of the capital
Ists. The urban workmen are de-
1ied the right of organization for
Delf-protection; imported pauperized
labor beats down their wages; hire
ling army, unrecognized by our law,
y esta blished to shoot them down
pnd they are rapidly degenerating
INTO European conditions. The
fruits of the toll of millions are bod
lly stolen to build up colossal for
tunes for a few, unprecedented in
the history of mankind, and the pos
SCISSORS of these in turn despise the
republic and endanger liberty. From
the same prolific womb of govern
mental injustice we breed the two
great classes-tramps and million
2ires.
The national power to create mon
~ is appropriated to enrich bond
holders; a vast public debt, payable
n legal tender currency, has been
funded into gold-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions to the bur
gems OF Cne people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
coin since the dawn of history, has
been demonetized to add to the pur-
Shasing power Of gold, by decreasing
the value Of all forms Of property as
we'll as human labor, and the supply
Of currency is purpOsely abridged to
lAtten usurers, bankrupt enterprise,
end enslave industry. A vast con-
Gpiracy against mankind has been or
6anized on two continents and it is
Rapidly taking possession of the
world. II not met and Overthrown
ct once it forebodes terrible social
commissions, the destruction OF civil.
lxation, or the establishment of an
absolute despotism. We have wit
century the struggles Of the two
6under, 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 OF
restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us
any substantial reform. They have
agreed 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, 80 that capitalists, corporation
national banks, rings, trusts, wateree
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 anC
children on the altar Of mammOn; tt
destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the mil
donaiers. Assembled on the anniver
bAry of the birthday Of the nation
and filed with the spirit of the Crane
ceneral in chief, who established
tur independence, we seek to restore
The government of the republic t,
the hands of "the plain people,
With whose class it originated. We
assert our purposes to be identica
With the purpose Of the national con
ptitutiOn, to form a more perfec
union and establish justice, insur'
domestic tranquility, provide for tn
common defense, promote the geneI
III welfare, and secure the blessing
u liberty for ourselves and our pos
i terity.
We declare that this republic Cal
euly endure as a free gOvernmen
while built upon the love OF tn
whole people for each other and TO
We nation; that it cannot be pinnet
together by bayonets, that the civil
war is over and that every passion
and resentment which grew out of i
must die with it, and that we mus
he in fact, as we are in name, on
united brotherhood. Our countr.
lnds itself confronted by condition
Tor which there is no precedent il
the history of the world. Gu
annual AGRICULTURAL production
AMOUNT to billions dollars il
value, which must thin a few
weeks or months be changed TO-
Billions of dollars of commoditie
consumed in their prod cton; the ex
tsting 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
Il given power we will labor to cor
sect these evils by wise and reason