The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-04
PEOPLES PLATFORM,
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION
AT OMAHA. NEB., JULY 4, 1892.

Assembled upon the one hundred and
of Independence, the Peoples Party of
America in Their first national convention.
OF Almighty God, puts forth in the name,
and on behalf of the people of the country,
the following preamble and declaration or
The conditions which surround us best
justly our co-operation: we meet IN the
midst of nation brought to the verge +6 or
ballot box, the legislatures, the Congress,
h AND touches even the ermins on tnS
most of the states have been compelled
TO isolate the voters at the polling places
to prevent universal intimidation or br,-
business Frustrated; our homes covered
and the ang aa9r in the hands
of the capitalists. The urban workmen
are denied the right Of organization for for
Dor beats down their wages; hireling
army, unrecognized by our laws. is estab-
nshed to shoot them down; and they are
altlons The fruits of the tolls OF mill
ions are bodily stolen to build up colossal t
history of mankind, and the possessorss
OF these in turn despise the republic ana
, G;aaoanger liberty. From the same pro TO
breed the two great classes-tramps and
millionaires.
The national power to create money is
appropriated to enrich bondholderS' a
vast public debt, payable in legal tender
currency orrny has been funded into g old
to the burden dtias Of t the people eoo'S
silver, which has been accepted as com ON
since the dawn of history, has peen ne, aer
of gold by decreasing all forms, Of prop
erty, as well as human labor, and the sup
Ply OF currency is purposely abridged TO
a a! mankind has been seI' organized Or, on
possession of the world. If not met and
overthrown at once it forebodes terrible
social commissions, the destruction of civ
solute despotism. We have witnessed for
more than a quarter of century the
struggles Of the two great political parties
wrongs have been inflicted upon the suf-
fering people We charge that the con-
parties have permitted the existing dread
ful conditions to develope, without seri-
ors ehort to prevent or restrain them n;,n
stantial reform They have agreed to-
gether to ignore, in the coming campaign,
eyen Issue but They neon 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.
to destroy the multitude in order to secure
corruption funds for the millionaires. AS
of the nation, and filed with the spirit
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 constitution:-"to form
more perfect union, establish justice, in
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the
he of
for ourselves and our posterty;'"
We declare that this republic , can only, 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
sentiment which grew out of it must die
with it; and that we must be in fact as
Our country finds itself confronted by con-
ditions for which there is 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
of dollars of commodities consumed in
their production; the existing currency
supply is wholly inadequate to make this
exchange. The results are falling prices,
the inpoverishment OF the producing
class. we pledge ourselves that if given
Rby wise and reasonable legislation, in
accordance with our platform.
We believe that the powers of govern
ment-in other words, of the people-should
be expanded Gas in the case of the postal
seryice) 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.
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
prosperity, but the very existence of free
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 he administered: believing that the
forces of reform this day organized will
never cease to move Forward until every
wrong is righted and equal privileges estab-
lished for all the men and women Of this
country.
We declare therefore.
UNION OF THE PEOPLE.
First-That the union of the labor forces
of the United States this day consummated
spirit enter into all hearts for the saliva
ton Of the republic and the uplifting of
mankind.
Second-Wealth belongs to him who Gre
ates it; and every dollar taken from in
dustry without an equivalent, is robbery
eff any man will not work, neither shall
he eat The interests of rural and civic