People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-11-14
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-
amOle and declarations OF principles:
The conditions which surround US best
justify our cooperation; we meet in the
midst OF a nation brought 10 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-
mOraliged; most Of the States have been
compelled 10 Isolate the voters at the polling
places TO prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely sub
business Frustrated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished and the land
concentrating In the hands Of the cap tai
lists. The urban workmen are denied the
right OF organization for self-protecti0nj 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 to build up. colossal for
tunes for few unprecedented In the history
OF mankind, and the pOssessors OF these in
turn despise the Republic ana endanger lib
erty. From the same prolific womb Of gov
ernmental injustice we breed the two great
clssses-tramps and milliOnaires.
The national power TO create money is ap.
preriated 10 enrich bondholders; vast pub
lie debt, payable In legal tender currency,
has been funded Into gold-bearing bonds,
thereby adding millions 70 the brudens OF
the People.
Silver, which has been accepted as coiu
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 well as human labor, and the
supply OF currency Is purposely abridged 10
fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry, A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tinents, and it is rapidly taking possession OF
the world, II not met and Overthrown at
once it fOrboGes terrible social commissions,
the destruction OF civilization, or the estab-
| liShment OF an absolute despotism. We have
witnessed for more than aquarter Of a 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 OF
these parties have permitted the existing
| dreadful conditions 10 CevelOp without
serious effort TO prevent or restrain them.
| Neither do I ey now promise 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 plundered people with the up
roar Of sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks
/ NJ DOT de ftyut ion, 4
| silver, and the expressions Of the Insurers
may all be lost sight Of. They propose "a
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar OF mammon; TO destroy the multitude
in order to secure corruption funds for the
milllonaires 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 to re-
store the government Of the Republic TO the
hands Of "the plsiR 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 oul
pOsterity.
We declare that this Republic can only en-.
dure as free government while built upor
the love OF the whole people for each othel
and for The nation; that It cannot be pinned
together by bayonets; that the Civil war 1,
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out OF 1t must die with 1t, anC
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 tn,
world. Our annual agricultural production
amount TO 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 max,
this exchange. The results are falling
prices, the formation OF combines and rings
he impoveris hment Of the producing class
We pledge ourselves that IL given power ",
will labor to orrect these evils by wise AM
reasonable legislation In accordance Will
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. as rapidly and as far as the good sens
Of an 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
sltiOn which will tend 10 make men intelli
gent, virtuous and temperate, we neverthe
less regard these questions-important a
they areas secondary TO the great Issue
now pressing for solution, and upon whicl
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 Republic 3
= administer, before we differ as to the con
ditions upon which 1t is TO be administered
believing that the forces OF reform this da
; organized will never cease 10 move forwar
until every wrong Is righted and equal right
and equal privileges established for all tn
men and women Of this country; we declar
therefore,