The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-16
PEOPLES PLATFORM.
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION
AT OMAHA. NEB., JULY 4, 1892.

Assembled upon the one hundred ana
of Independence, the Peoples Party Of
America in Their first national convention
in poG od their n at doh the the
and on behalf of the people Of the country.
the following preamble and declaration OF
The conditions which surround US best
justify our cooperation: we meet in the
midst OF a nation brought to the verge OF
moral ruin. Corruption domnates the
ballot box, the legislatures, the Congress rs
ana touches even the ermine on ing ing
most Of The peepe h, are been
TO isolate the voters at the polling places
to prevent ; universal intimidation or I pr,
sidized or muzzled; public opinion sllenced !;
business Frustrated; homes covered
mfh th m1ortgages labor mp fhe ha
are denied the right of organization for 5o
self-protection; imported pauperized Ia
Dor beats down their wages; hirellng
army, unrecognized by our laws; IS estab-
llshed to shoot them down; and they are
dlt1ons The fruits of the tolls OF mill
ions are bodily stolen to build up colossal ss
fortunes for few, unprecedenteo M IN t ane
history OF mankind, and the possessorSs
OF these in turn despise the repuonc ana
:, e;nndanger liberty. From the same same pro- a
lite womb of governmental injustice we
millionaires.
The national power to create money is
currency, has been FUNDED, into .,I gold
TO the bu pGnas Of the eeyp adding 0a
Sl.ver, which has been accepted as com on
SINE the dawn of history, has neen ae
of gold by decreasing ali forms Of prop
erty, as well as human labor, and the sup
Ply OF currency is purposely abridged TO
against mankind has been zen organized on
Two continents and it is rapidly IT. tak,n Ing
overthrown at once it forebodes terrible
socia! commissions, the destruction Of civ
lllzatlon. or the establishment OF an ab-
solute despotism We have witnessed for
more than quarter of century the
struggles of the two great political parties
wrongs have been inflicted upon me SUI
fering people. We charge that the con-
parties have permitted the existing dread
full conditions to develope. without serl-
Gus effort to prevent or restrain them:
Neither do they now promise US any sub
stantial reform. They have agreed to-
gether to ignore, in the coming campaign,
every issue but one They propose ,seor, to
with the uproar of d sham battle over the
tariff; so that capitalists, CORPORATIONS,
tization of silver, and the expressions Of
the usurers may all be lost sight Of.
They propose to sacrifice our homes,
lives and children on the alter of Mammon;
to destroy the multitude in order to secure
corruption funds for the millionaires. AS
sembed on the anniversary Of the birthday
of the grand generation of men, who estab-
lished our independence. we seek to re-
the hands Of the plain people" with
whose class it originated. We assert our
purposes to be identical with the purpose
of the national constitutions form
more perfect union establish justice, in
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense. promote the general vel
fq nd n
for ourselves and our posterity.''
We declare that this republic can only
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 re-
sentiment which grew out Of it must die
with it; and that we must be in fact as
we are in name, one united brotherhood.
Our country finds itself confronted by con-
ditions for which there is no precedent in
the history of the world. Our annual ag
ricultural products amount to billions of
dollars in value, which must within a few
weeks or months be exchanged for billions
their production; the existing currency
supply is wholly inadequate to make this
exchange The results are falling prices.
the formation of combines and rings, and
the impoverishment OF the producing
class. We pledge ourselves that if given
power s we and M,fI reasonable legislation' in
accordance with our platform.
We believe that the powers of govern
ment-in other words, OF the people-should
he expanded (as in the case of the postal
service) as rapidly and as far as the
good sense of an intelligent people. and the
teachings of experience shall justify; to
erty shall eventually cease in the land
While our sympathies as party of re
form are naturally upon the side of every
proposition which will tend to make men
Intelligent, virtuous and temperate, we
nevertheless regard these questions-im-
Dortant as they areas secondary to the
great issues now pressing for solution
and upon which not only our individual
institutions depends; and we ask ali men
to first help US determine whether we are
to have a republic to administer. before
we differ as to the conditions upon which
it is to be administered believing that the
forces of reform this day organized will
never cease to move Forward until every
lished for all the men and women Of this
country.
We declare. therefore,