People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-11-28
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 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-
compelled to Isolate the voters at the polling
places TO prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely sub
sidiIed or muzzled, public opigion silenced,
business Frustrated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor Impoverished and the land
concentrating In the hands OF the capital
lists. The urban workmen are denied the
right Of organization for self-protectionj i'm
ported pauperiged labor beats down theiI
wagesi hireling army, unrecognized BY oul
laws, Is established ~ shoot them down, and
they are rapidly degenerating into European
conditions. The fruits ofthe toll Of millions
are DOully bbOlsu 70 Uullu upl COlOoodl tut
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.
srnmental injustice we breed the two great
classes-tcamps 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-bearlng bonds
thereby adding millions 70 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 well as human labor, and the
supply Of currency is purposely abridged tc
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 oil
the world, II not met and overthrow al
once 1t forboGes terrible social commissions
the destruction Of civilization. or the estab-
lishment of an absolute despotism. We have
witnessed for more than quarter 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 OF
these parties have permitted the existing
dreadful conditions to develop without
serious effort to prevent or restrain them.
Neither do they 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
trusts, watered stock, the demonstration OF
silver, and the expressions OF the usureri
may all be lost sight Of. They propose tC
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar OF mammon; to destroy the multitude
In order TO 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 to re-
store the government OF the Republic TO the
hands Of the plain people" with whose elias:
1t originated. We assert our purposes to bt
Identical with the purposes OF the national
constitution, TO form Q 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 nstion; that it cannot DO pinned
together by bayonets: that the Civil war Il
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out Of 1t must die with 1t. ant
that we must be In fact, a. We are In name
one united brotherhood. Our country hnd
itself confronted BY conditions for which
there Ia no precedent In the history OF tn,
world. Our annual agricultural production
amount TO billions Of dollars 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 20 maxi
this exchange. The results are falling
prices, the formation OF combines and rings
the impoverishment OF the producing class
We pledge ourselves that II given power ",
will Dor to orrect these evils by wise ant
reasonable legislation In accordance Will
the terms OF our platform.
We believe that the powers Of goyeYnmen
lin other words. OF the people-should b,
expanded las In the case of the postal ser
vice. Ms rapidly and a. far as the good sens
OF an intelligent people and the teachings o
experience shall justify, 10 the end that op
preston, injustice and poverty shall eventu
ally cease In the land.
While our sympathies as party OF reform
are naturally upon the side Of every propo
sitlon which viii tend to make men intelli
gent, virtuous and temperate, we neverthe
less regard these questions-importsnt q
they areas secondary 70 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 del or
mine whether we are TO have o Republic v
administer, before We differ as to the con
ditions upon which 1t IA TO be administered
believing that the forces OF reform this da
iorganized will never cease TO move forwar
until every wrong is righted and equal right
and equal PRIVILEGES established for sll tn
men and women Of this country; we dsclsr
therefore,