The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-09-27
The PLATFORM FOR 1895.
The Omaha Platform VIII Be It's Basis an,
There VIII BE No Backward Movement.


There win BE No Backward Movement.
As the time approaches for entering
actively upon the great campaign of
1896 there is great anxiety manifested
among prominent workers of the peo-
Piles party, as no doubt among many
not considered prominent" relative
to the platform of principles to be
adopted at the next peoples party ma
tional convention.
This feeling is an index of earnest
ness in the work and a determination
to win in the coming fight, and is to
be commended rather than severely
criticised.
AS might be expected, there is d.
versity of opinion in the peoples party
ranks as to what changes, if any,
should be made in our present declara-
ton of principles before entering upon
a political contest that promises to be
without parallel in the history of
the country as regards its Importance
and the desperate determination of
plutocracy to win at all hazards.
Among the platform makers of the
peoples party there are those who
would reaffirm, in the main, the Oma ha
PLATFORM; also those who would add to.
or substitute for a portion. compare
lively new and radical principles; as
we'll as those who would eliminate the
whole platform except single declara-
ton of a single plank-making the
fight ION the silver issue alone"
Foremost among those who may be
termed the radical element of the par
ty are the old-time green
who voted for Peter Cooper twenty
years ago, and who have been in the
thickest of the fight ever since; men
who have sacrificed money. friends and
many of them fortune; who have en-
dured privations, suffered ridicule. So
cial ostracism, and snapped their fin
gers at golden opportunities to secure
personal ease and enjoyment rather
than relinquish their powerful and per-
sistent advocacy of national curren-
cy, safe, sound and flexible, issued BY
the general government only, full
legal tender for all debts, public and
private, and that without the use of
banking corporations
These cld-time greenbackers have
long been the nucleus about which ev-
cry monetary reform has rallied; they
have furnished the motive power, so to
speak, of every third party movement
since the first green back plank was
proposed by Bob Schilling and adopted
at the Cleveland convention of the
labor reform party in 1872.
These old warehouses of reform, for
the sake of union and "harmony''
and ''conciliat ion," have repeatedly
submitted without murmur to change
of party name, to change of party
leadership. to change of party policy
on important questions. provided there
was always a straight, clear-cut. con-
sistent. greenback plank in every third
party platform-whic h has always been
the case.
Now that certain party leaders, who
can count on the fingers of one hand
the years of their opposition to the old
parties. propose for the peoples party
a presidential campaign ION the silver
issue alone" it is not to be wondered
at that these old veterans of reform
should indignantly protest and clamor
for an immediate advance on the en-
envy under the old greenback banner
1t is not at all surprising that Col.
$. f. Norton, the veteran reform editor
who spent twenty of the best years of
his life building up the organized OPP
position to the old parties now known
as the peoples party, should impatient
ly exclaim: 1--WE are sick unto nausea
with all this clap-trap about the rel
ative merits of gold and silver" should
demand the demonstration of both,
and fling to the breeze the old banner
of ''greenbacks and prosperity"
No dnnht many nf tho old .t;p, a
workers are at heart inclined to join in
expressing the same sentiment and
would naturally lose interest in the
fight narrow down to an Issue" which
is already agreed upon by the leaders
of the two old parties.
As we'll discharge all the veterans of
an army on the eve of great battle as
as to enter the next campaign of the
peoples party without the advocates
of green back currency.
The next populistplatform must con-
tain the usual greenback plank.
AS to the Introduction of a plank de-
handing the decentralization of both
gold and silver, these old green hackers
themselves would unhesitatingly dis
approve such a proposition as being
impracticable aud untimely. 1t would
be regarded, also, just as inexpedient
to eliminate the silver plank, upon
which issue alone some want to make
the entire fight of the campaign, as to
eliminate the greenback plank. which
has been a leading feature in every
campaign.
The greenback plank is good as far
RS it goes: the silver plank is good as
far as it goes; every word uttered in
favor of either is gospel truth and is
approved by every populist from Maine
to Texas, but neither of these, nor
both of them together, constitute the
main political issue before the Ameri.
can people.
The great overshadowing issue
which confronts us and which must be
fought to a finish in the next cam
paign, is this: Shall this government
continue a plutocracy, or become
government Of the people?
There are only two parties-the
party of the plutocrats, and the party
of the people. the peoples party.
To properly express opposition to
plutocracy, as represented and fostered
by the old parties, and assert the ina
lienable rights of the people, the
Omaha platform was promulgated.
Not since the 4th of July, l776. has
public document been received with
the demonstrations Of approval aud
delight on the part of the common
people of America that greeted the