People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-12-05
THE OMAHA PLATFORM.

Assembled upon the one hundred and six.
teenth anniversary OF the Declaration OF In
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-
amDle and declarations OF principles:
The conditions which surround us best
Justify our Cooperation; We meet In the
midst OF q nation brought TO the verge OF
moral political and material ruin. Corrup-
tlon dominates the ballot box, the legisla-
lures, the Congress and touches even the
ermine on the bench. The people are de-
moraliIed; most OF the States have been
compelled TO Isolate the voters at the polling
places 10 prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely SUBJ
slolIed or muzzled, public opiglon silenced.
business Frustrated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished and the land
concentrating In the hands OF the cap tai
ISIS The urban woPkInen are denied the
right OF organization for self-protectien; i'm
ported pauperized labor beats down their
wages; a hireling army, unrecognized by our
laws Is esta blished " shoot them down. and
they are rapidly deTenerating 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 mankind, and the posseSsOrs OF these In
turn despise the Republic and endanger lib
erty. From the same prolific womb OF gov.
ernmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-t amps and millionaires.
The national power TO create money Is ap-
preriated to enrich bondhOlders; a vast pub
lie debt, payable In legal tender currency.
has been funded into gold-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions 10 the brudens Of
the People.
silver, which has been accepted as coin
ever since the dawn OF history has been de-
monetlaed to add 10 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 10
fatttn usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave Industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tlnents, and IL is rapidly taking possession OF
the world, II not met and overthrow at
once IL fOrboGes terrible social commissions,
the destruction OF civilization, or the estab-
lishment OF an absolute despotism. We have
witnessed for more than quarter OF u cen
fury the struggles OF the two great political
parties for power and plumber, while
grievous wrongs have been inflicted upon
the suffering people. We charge that the
controlling Influences dominating both CT
these parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions TO develop without
serious effort TO prevent or restrain them.
Neither do { icy now promise us any sub
stantisl reform, They have agreed together
10 Ignore, In the coming campaign, every
issue but one. They propose 10 drown the
outcrles OF a plundered people with the up
roar OF sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks,
trusts, wstered stock, the demonetizatlon II
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 10 secure corruption funds for the
milliOnaires. Assembled on the anniversary
OF the birthday OF the nation and filed with
the spirit OF the grand general chief. who es
tablished our Independence, we seek 10 re-
store the government Of the Republic 10 the
hands o. the plain people" with whose class
IL 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 IL cannot be pinned
together by bayonets; that the Civil war is
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out Of Is must die with It and
that we must be In fact, as We are In name,
one united brotherhood. Our country fnds
itself confronted by conditions for which
there is no precedent In the history OF the
world. Our annual agricultural productions
amount 70 billions OF dollars IN value which
must In few weeks or months be exchanged
for billions OF dollars OF commodities con-
sumed In their prod uciion; the existing cur
rency supply Is wholly inadequate to mako
this exchange. The results are falling
prices, the formation Of combines and rings,
the impoveris hment Of the producing class.
will labor 10 orrect these evils by wise and
reasonable legislation In accordance with
the terms OF our platform.
We believe that the powers OF government
In other words. OF the pe0ple-sh0uld be
expanded las In the case Of the postal ser
vice) rs rapidly and a. far as the good sense
OF al Intelligent people and the teachings Of
experience shall Justify. TO the end that OPP
preston. injustice and poverty shall eventu-
ally cease In the land.
While our sympathies rs party OF reform
arc naturally upon the side OF every propo-
sition which will tend TO make men intelli-
gent. virtaous aad temperate, we nevorthe-
less regard these questions-importsnt as
they areas secondary 70 the great issues
now pressing for solution, and upon which
not only our individual prosperity. but the
very existence Of free institutions depend.
and We ask all men 70 first help US 10 deter
mine whether we are 70 have q Republic 10
administer, before We differ as, 10 the con-
ditions upon which u Il TO be administered.
believing that the forces OF reform this day
organized will never cease TO move forward
until every wrong 10 righted and equal rights
and equal privilcses established for all the
men and women OF this country; we declare