The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-03-13
PEOPLES PLATFORM
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION
At Omaha, Neb.. JnlyI4. 1ss2.-cor.
ruption Dominates the Ballot.
Box, the Legislatures,
and the Congress.

anu the Non&resS.
~ Isl
Assembled upon tho one hundred
and sixteenth anniversary of the
Declaration Of Independence, the Peo-
pies 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, the
following preamble and declaration of
principles:
The conditions which surround us
best justify our cooperation; we meet
In the midst of nation brought to
the verge Of moral ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot box, the legisla-
lures, the Congress, and touches even
the ermine on the bench. The people
are demoralized; most of the states
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 silenced;
business Frustrated; our homes covered
with mortgages; labor impoverished;
and the land concentrating in
the hands of the capitalists.
The urban workmen are denied the
right of organization for self-protec-
ton; imported pauperized labor beats
down their wages; hireling army, un-
recognized by our law, is established
to shoot them down; and they are
rapidly degenerating into European
conditions. The fruits of the toll of
millions are bodily stolen to build up
colossal fortunes For few, unprece-
dented in the history Of mankind, and
the possessors OF these in turn despise
the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific womb Of gov
great classes-tramps and million.
aires.
The national power to create money
1s appropriated to enrich bondholders;
a vast public debt, payable in legal
tender currency, has been funded into
gold-bearing bonds, thereby adding
millions to the burdens of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as
coin since the dawn Of history, has
been demonetized to add to the pur-
chasing power of gold, by decreasing
the value of all forms of property as
currency is purposely abridged to fat
ten usurers, bankrupt enterprise, and
enslave industry. A vast conspiracy
against mankind has been organized
on two continents, and it is rapidly
taking possession 4Ofs the world. II
not met and OverthrOwn at once it
forebOdes terrible social commissions,
the destruction of civilization. or the
establishment of an absolute despot-
ism. We have witnessed for more
than a quarter OF a century the Strug-
giles Of the two great political parties
for power and plunder,, while grievous
wrongs have been inflicted upon the
suffering people. Weacharge that the
controlling influences dominating both
these parties have permitted the ex-
listing dreadful conditions to develope,
without serious effort to prevent or
restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us any
substantial reform. They have agreed
together to ignore, in the coming
campaign, every issue but one. They
propose to drown the Outcries Of plum
dered people with the uproarof a sham
battle over the tariff; so that capital
lists, corporations, national banks,
rings, trusts, watered stock, the de-
monetization of silver, and the oppres-
siOns of the usurers may all be lost
sight of. They propose to sacrifice our
homes, lives and children on the altar
of Mammon; to destroy the multitude
In order to secure corruption funds
from the millionaires. Assembled on
the anniversary of the birthday of the
nation, and filled with the spirit of the
grand generation, of men, who estab-
lished our independence, we seek to re-
store the government of the Republic
to the hands Of 1.-THE plain people,"
with whose class it originated. We as
sert our purposes to be identical with
the purpose Of the national constitu-
tion:-'to form a more perfect union
tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessing of liberty for
ourselves and our posterity."
We declare that this republic can on
~ endure as 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 bay
onets, that the civil war is over and
that every passion and resentment
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 an
nual 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 pro-
duction; the existing currency sup
ply 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 we will labor to
correct these evils by wise and reason
able legislation, In accordance with the
terms of our platform.
We believe that the powers of gov
ernment-in other words, Of the peO-
ple-should be expanded las in the
case of the postal service)as rapidly and
as far as the good sense Of an intelli-
gent people, and the teachings of ex-
perence, shall justify; to the end that
oppression, injustice and poverty shall
eventually cease in the land.
While our sympathies as party of
reform are naturally upon the side of
every proposition which will tend to
make men intelligent, virtuous and
temperate, we Nevertheless regard
these questions-fmportant as they
areas secondary to the great issues
now pressing for solution; and upon
which not only our individual prosper
ity, but the very existence of free in
situations depends: and we ask all
men to first help US to determine
whether we are tOAave republic to