People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-10-17
THE OMAHA PLATFORM.


dependence, the Peoples Party OF America
in their first national convention, invoking
upon their actions the blessing OF Almighty
God, puts forth In the name and on behalf OF
the people OF the country the following pre-
amble and declarations OF principles:
The conditions which surround us best
justify our cooperation; We meet in the
midst OF nation brought TO the verge Of
moral, political and material ruin. Corrup-
ton dominates the ballot box, the legisla-
lures, the Congress and touches even the
ermine on the bench. The people are de-
mOraliLed; most OF the States have been
compelled TO Isolate the voters at the polling
places TO prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely SUBJ
sldized or muzzled, public opigion silenced,
business Frustrated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished and the land
concentrating in the hands OF the cap tai
ISIS The urban wOrknen are denied the
right OF organization for self-protection; i'm
ported pauperiZed labor beats down their
wages; hireling army, unrecognized by our
laws, is established - shoot them down, and
they are rapidly degenerAting into European
conditions. The fruits OF the toll OF millions
are bodily stOl'n 10 build up colossal for
tunes for few, unprecedented In the history
Of man kind, and the possessors OF these In
turn despise the Republic ana endanger lib.
ITOIu llic WOIuO VI gov
ernmental injustice We breed the two great
classes-tfamps and millionaires.
The national power TO create money Is APP
preriated to enrich bondholders; vast pub
lie debt, payable In legal tender currency.
has been funded into gold-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions TO the brudens Of
the PEOPLE.
Silver, which has been accepted as coin
ever since the dawn Of history, has been de-
monetiIed 10 add TO the purchasing power OF
gold, by decreasing the value OF all forms OF
property as well as human labor, and the
supply Of currency Is purposely abridged TO
fatt usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tiDents and II is rapidly taking possession OF
the world, IL not met and overthrow AZ
once II f0rbOGes terrible social coAvulsi0ns,
the destruction OF civilization, or the estab-
lishmentOf an absolute despotism. We have
witnessed for more than a quarter OF CEN
fury the struggles OF the two great political
parties for power and plumber, while
grlevous wrongs have been inflicted upon
the Suffering people. We charge that the
these parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions TO develop without
seriou, effort to prevent or restrain them.
Neither do icy now premise Us any sub
stantial reform. They have agreed together
| to ignore, In the coming campaign, every
issue but one. They propose to drown the
outcries OF a plundered people with the up
roar OF sham battle over the tariff, so that
! capitalists, corporations, national banks,
trusts, watered stock, the decentralization Of
silver, and the expressions OF the usurers
may all be lost sight Of. They propose 10
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar Of mammon; 10 destroy the multitude
| in order TO secure corruption funds for the
| milllonaires. Assembled on the anniversary
| OF the birthday OF the nation and filled with
| the spirit OF the grand general chief, who es-
| tablished our independence, we seek to re-
store the government OF the Republic 10 the
hands Of "the plain people" with whose class
II originated. We assert our purposes to be
, Identical with the purposes OF the national
| constitution, TO form more perfect union
and establish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings Of liberty for ourselves and our
pOsterity.
We declare that this Republic can only en-
dure as free government while built upon
the love OF the whole people for each other
and for the nation; that II cannot be pinned
together by bayonets; that the Civil war Is
over and that every passion and resentment
that we must be In fact, as We are In name
one united brotherhood. Our country find
itself confronted by conditions FOR which
there Is no precedent in the history OF the
world. Our annual agricultural productions
amount 70 billions Of dOlla in value which
must In few weeks or months be exchanged
for billions OF dollars Of commodities con.
sumed in their production; the existing cur.
rency supply is wholly inadequate to make
this exchange. The results are taking
prices, the formation Of cOmbines and rings
We pledge ourselves that II given power w
will hbor to orrect these evils by wise anC
reasonable legislation In accordance with
the terms OF our platform.
We believe that the powers OF government
In other words, OF the people-shOuld b,
expanded las In the case OF the postal Ser
vice. rs rapidly and as far as the good sens,
OF M intelligent people and the teachings o.
experience shall Justify, TO the end that op
preston, injustice and poverty shall eventu
ally cease In the land.
While our sympathies as a party OF reform
are naturally upon the side OF every propo
sition which win tend TO make men intelli
gent, virtuous and temperate. we neverthe
less regard these questions-imRprtBnt a:
they areas secondary 10 the great issue:
now pressing for solution, and upon which
not only our individual prosperity, but tn,
very existence Of free institutions depend
and we ask all men to first help US TO deter
mine whether we are TO have a Republic v
administer, before We differ as TO the con
dltions upon which 1t is TO be administered
believing that the forces Of reform this day
organized will never cease TO move forward
until every wrong IL rightsd and equal right
and equal PRIVILEGES established for al thu
men and women Of this country; we declar'
therefore.