People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-11-21
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-
amble 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-
ton dominates the ballot box, the legisla-
lures, the Congress and touches even the
ermlne on the bench. The people are de-
moraliIed; most OF the States have been
compelled 10 Isolate the voters at the polling
places 70 prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely sub.
sidifed 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
lists. The urban wOPkInen are denied the
right Of organization for self-protection; I'm.
ported pauperized labor beats down their
wages; hlreling army, unrecogniled by our
laws, Il established ~ shoot them down, and
they are rapidly degenereting into European
conditions. The fruits OF the toll OF millions
are bodily stol TO build up colossal for
tunes IOT n lew, III but ni1tOiy
OF mankind, and the possessOrs OF these In
turn despise the Republic ana endanger LID.
erty. From the same prolific womb OF gov.
ornmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-t amps and millionaires.
The national power 10 create money Is ap-
preristed TO enrich bondholders; vast pub
lie debt, payable In legal tender currency,
has been funded into gold-bearlng 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-
monetized to add TO the purchasing power OF
gold, by decreasing the value OF all forms OF
property as we'll as human labor, and the
supply OF currency is purp0sely abridged TO
fat, u usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tinents, and II is rapidly taking possession OF
the world, II not met and overthrow at
once IL fOrboGes terrible social convulsiOns,
the destruction OF civilization, or the estab-
lishmeut OF an absolute despotism. We have
Witnessed for more than aquarter OF 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 ley now promise US any sub
stantisl reform, They have agreed together
TO ignore, in the coming campaign, every
issue but one. They propose to drown the
outcries OF 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 70
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar Of msmmon; TO destroy the multitude
In order to secure corruption funds for the
millionaires. 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 TO the
hands OF "ths plain people with whose elias:
Il originated. We assert our purposes TO bt
Identical with the purposes OF the national
constitution, 70 form more perfect union
and establish justice, insure domestic tran
Iqnility, provide for the common defense
promote the general welfare. and secure tn,
blessings OF liberty for ourselves and oul
We declare that this Republic can only en-
dure n a free government while built upoI
the love OF the whole people for each othel
and for the nation; that Il cannot be pinned
together by bayonets; that the Civil war 4
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out OF 1t must die with It, ant
that We must bel fact, a. We are In name
one united brotherhood. Our country find
Itself confronted By conditions for whicl
there IL no precedent In the history OF IN,
! world. Our annual agricultural production
amount 70 billions OF deliars Ia value whicl
must In few weeks or months be exchanges
for billions OF dollars OF commodities con
sumed IN their production; the existing cur
rency supply is wholly inadequate to max
this exchange. The results are fallln
prices, the formation OF combines and rings
!, the lmpoyerishment OF the producing elias,
We pledge ourselves that II given power "
will labor to orrect these evils BY wise an
reasonable legislation In accordance wit
the terms OF our platform.
We believe that the powers OF government
In other words, of the people-should 0
expanded (ss In the case Of the postal Sci
yice) rs rapidly and ~ far as the good sens
OF an intelligent people and the teachings Q
experience shall Justify, TO the end that OF
preston, injustice and poverty shall eventu
ally cease In the land. lt..l .i
While our sympathies a. party Of reforI
e are naturally upon the side OF every propt
lsition which viii tend TO mako men INTEL
gent, virtuoui and temperate. We neyerth,
n less regard these neutrality-suspicious.
they areas secondary 10 the great issue
r now pressing for solution, and upon whic
not only our individual prosperity, but u
very exIsteace OF free institutions Deepen,
and We ask all men to 6rst hcip us TO dele
q mlnr whether We are 70 have q Republic
sdminister, before We differ as 70 the col
o dltions upon which II Is 70 be administers
il believing that the forces OF reform this do
"a organized will never cease TO move forwai
2 until every wrong 10 righted and equxl RICH
and equal privileses established for all u
men and women OF this country; We decia
therefore,