The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-08-28
PEOPLES PLATFORM.
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION
AT OMAHA, NEB., JULY 4, 1892.

Assembled upon the one. hundred and
sixteenth anniversary of the Declaration
of Independence, the Peoples Party OF
America in Their first national CONVENTION,
invoking upon their action the blessings
OF Almighty God, puts forth in the name
and on behalf of the people Of the country
principles:
The conditions which surround us best .
Justly our cooperation; we meet IN tn nf
moral ruin. Corruption dominates the
ballot box, the legislatures, the Congress
h hnu touches even the ermine on iz zd
most of the states have beer, compellea
to isolate the voters at the polling places
to prevent universal intimidation or prl-
berry The newspapers are. largely SUP.
sidized or muzzled; public opinion slencea
business prostrated; our homes covered
and the land Concentrating in the hands
are. denied the right Of organization for 70
Dor beats down their wages; hlrelhg
army, unrecognized by our laws IS estap o.
llshed to shoot them down; ana tney are
rapidly degeneratng into European CON
dltlons The fruits of the tolls OF nlIl7
ions are bodily stolen to build up colossal
fortunes for few, unpreceden1eos IN e ors
OF these in turn despise the repuonc ana
endanger liberty. From the same same pro ,'o
breed the two great classes-tramps and
millionaires
The national power to create money Is
currency, has been funded into gold
bearing arm bonds. thereby adding miilions
to the burden of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as coin
since the dawn of history, has been de-
monetzed to add to the purchasing power
erty, as well as human labor, ana the sup
Ply OF currency is purposely abridged 10
f sate bankrupt ann
against mankind has been organized on
two continents, and it is rapidly taxing
overthrown at once it forebodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction of civ
lhz7aton, or the establishment OF an a an-
more than quarter of century the
struggles of the two great political parties
Ior power and plunder while g 9he sfs
ferlng people. We charge that the CON
trolling influences dominating both these
full conditions to develope, without seri-
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 to
drown, the outcries of plundered people
tariff; SO that capitalists, corporations,
national banks, rings. trusts, the demone.
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
sembled on the anniversary Of the birthday
of the nation, and filled with the spirit
lished our independence, we seek to re-
store. the government of the republic to
the hands dass Of the plain people with
purposes to be identical with the purpose
OF the national constitution!:Lz"t tt,u+ form a
provde for
common defense, promote the general well
fare, and secure the blessing of liberty
for ourselves and our posterity."
We declare that this republic can only
endure as a free government while built
upon the love of the whole, people for each
pinned together by bayonets, that the civil
war is over and that every passion and re-
with it; and that we must be in fact as
we are in name, one united brotherhood.
Our country finds itself confronted by con-
the history of the woAd. Our annual ag-
ricultural products amount to billions of
dollars in value, which must within a, few
of dollars of commodities consumed in
their productions; the existing currency
exchange. The results are falling prices,
the formation of combines and rings. and
the impoverishment OF the producing
power we will labor to correct these evils
by wise and reasonable legislation. in
accordance with our platform.
We believe that the powers Of govern
ment-in other words, of the peeple-should
service) as rapidly and as far as the
good sense of an intelligent people. and the
teachings of experience shall justify; to
the end that oppression, injustice and pow
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-
portant as they areas secondary to the
great issues now pressing for solution
and upon which not only our individual
institutions depends: and we ask all 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