The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-03
PEOPLES PLATFORM.
ADOPTED BY THE CONVENTION
AT OMAHA, NEB., JULY 4, 1892.

sixteenth anniversary of the Declaration
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 of
The conditions which surround us best
Justly our cooperation: We meet In the
ballot box, the legislatures. the Congress,
benc fss psnne the srn
most of the states have been compelled
to Isolate the voters at the polling places
berry The newspapers are largely sub
sidized or muzzled; public opinion silenced;
business Frustrated; our homes covered
and the land Concentrating in the hands
of the capitalists. The urban workmen
are are denied denied the right Of organization for
seiI-protectlon; imported pauperized Ia
Dor beats down their wages; hireling
army army; unrecognized by, our laws; Is estab-
rapidly de soe nto ana con
ditions. The fruits Of the tolls of mill
ions fos are bodily stolen to build up colossal
history of mankind, and the pOssessors
OF these in turn despise the republic and
Gnoan non as From the same pre- e
breed the two great classes-tramps and
mlllionaires.
The national power to create, money is
vast public: debt payable in legal tender
currency currency, has been funded into e, gold
to the burden of the people.
silver which has been accepted as coin
fhe dawn s Of h1sor has been ae
OF gold. by decreasing all forms of prop
cry err, as We'll as human labor. and the sup
ply OF currency Is purposely abridged TO
DanKrunt GnfaYnr1Se
against mankind has be sS' organized on
possession OF the world. II not met and
ov eiaI at once it forebodes terrible
solute despotism. We have witnessed for
more than quarter of century the
power an md ' p0n stas' R%hiie greas
f fer15;g people. We charge that the CON
| parties have permitted the existing dread
full conditions to develope, without seri-
Gus ; e1fort to prevent or restrain them;
Neither DO they now promise US any sub
stantial reform. They have agreed to-
gether to ignore. in the coming Campaign.
drown the outcries l'; of plum People
with the uproar of 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 n PROCESS to sacrifice a our homes
to destroy the multitude in order to secure
corruption funds for the millionaires. AS
of the nation, and filled with the spirit
Of the grand generation of men. who estab-
lished our Independence. we seek to re-
whose class it originated ted We Ro assert our
pr the na to sf ctn the o4
! more perfect union, establish justice, in
sure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general well
fare, and secure the blessing of liberty
for ourselves and ,Sl our posteritSy n,
| upon the love of the whole people for each
other and for the nation; that it cannot be
is n a paanan and
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 no precedent in
the history of the world: Our ANNUAL age
| dollars in value, which must within few
weeks or months be exchanged for billions
their production; the existing currency
supply is wholly inadequate to make this
exxchange The results are falling prices
the impoverishment of the producing
class. we pledge ourselves that. if given
by wise and reasonable legislation, in
accordance with our platform.
We believe that the powers Of govern
be expanded (as in the case of the postal
service) as rapidly and as far as the
good sense Of an intelligent people and the
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. and temperate, we
portant as they areas secondary to the
| great issues now pressing for solution
but of
institutions depends; and we ask all men
to first help us determine whether we are
we differ as to the conditions upon which
it is to be administered: believing that the
forces of reform this day organized will
wrong is righted and equal privileges estab-
lished for all the men and women Of this
We declare. therefore. =
UNION OF THE PEOPLE.
First-That the union OF the labor forces
! Of the United States this day consummated
shall be permanent II ana perpetual; may Its
ton of the republic and the uplifting OF
| mankind.
second-wealth belongs to him who Gre
dustry. without an equivalent. is robbery
'If any man will not work, neither shall
| he eat" The interests of rural and civic
labor. are the same; their enemies are
Third-we believe that the time has
| come when the railroad corporations will
either own the people pie, or r.. the people must
ment enter upon the work of owning and
| managing the railroads. we should favor
an amendment to tie constitution by
which all persons engaged in the govern
| ment service shall DE protected by civil
| service regulations OF the most rigid char
| acter SO as to prevent the increase of the
| power Of the national administration by
| ployes.
We demand national currency. safe,
sound, and flexible; issued by the gen
for ali debts public and private; and that
| without the use of banking. corporations a
| lust equitable and efficient means of distri-
button direct to the people, at tax not to
yided as set forth in the sub-treasury plaI
of the Farmers Alliance. or some better
system; also BY payments ,,fa IN discharge OF
We demand free and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold at the present legal ratio
| of 16 to 1.
We demand that the amount Of circulat-
| ing medium be speedily increased to not
less than $50 per capita.
We demand a graduated income tax.
| We believe that the money of the coun-
try should be kept, as much as possible, in
| demand that all state and national reves
nues shall be limited to the necessary
expenses Of the government government, economically
! We demand that postal savings banks
be established by the government for the
safe deposit of the earnings of the people
and the facilitation OF exchange.
| TRANSPORTATION.
TRANSPORTATION being a means of ex-
| change and q public necessity, the govern.