People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-02-20
THE OMAHA PLATFORM.

Assembled upon the one hundred and si1-
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
Cod, puts forth In the name and on behalf OF
the people Of the country the following pre-
ample and declarations Of principles:
The conditions which surround US best
justify our corporations we meet In the
midst OF nation brought TO the verge OF
mora, 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-
moraliIed; most Of the States have been
compelled to Isolate the voters at the polling
places to prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely sub.
slolzed 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; a 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 stOlsn 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
classes-ttamps and millionaires.
The national power TO create money is ap-
preriated to enrich bondholders; vast pub
lie debt, payable in legal tender currency,
has been funded into gold-bearing 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 well as human labor, and the
supply OF currency is purpOsely abridged TO
fatten usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tinents and 1t is rapidly taking possession OF
the world. II not met and overthrow at
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 a GEN.
fury the struggles OF the two great political
parties for power and plumber, while
| grieyous 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 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
outcrles OF a plundered people with the up
roar OF a sham battle over the tariff, SO that
capitalists, corporations, national banks,
Trusts, watered stock, the decentralization Of
| silver ana the expressions OF the usurers
may all be lost sight OF. They propose to
sacrifice our homes, lives ndchlldren on the
altar Of mHmmon; to destroy the multitude
in order to secure corruption funds for the
milliQnaires. 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 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 tram
guilty, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and secure the
blessings Of liberty for ourselves and our
posterity.
We declare that this Republic can only en-
dure as free government while built upon
the love OF the whole people for each other
and for The nation; that It cannot be pinned
lOBOlutl ny budl buC NtNil war 10
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out Of 1t must die with 1t, and
that we must be in fact, US we are In name,
one united brotherhood. Our country finds
Itself confronted by conditions for which
there Is no precedent In the history OF the
world. Our annual agricultural productions
amount to billions Of dOllas In value which
must in few weeks or months be exchanged
for billions Of dollars Of commodities con-
, int ~ Of
rency supply is wholly inadequate to make
this exchange. The results are falling
! prices, the formation Of combines and rings
the impoveris hment of the producing class
We pledge ourselves that II given power we
will labor to orrect these evils by wise and
reasonable legislation in accordance with
the terms Of our platform.
We believe that the powers OF government
in other words, of the peOple-shOuld be
expanded las in the case Of the postal Ser
vice. as rapidly and as far as the good sense
OF an intelligent people and the teachings OF
experience shall justify, to the end that oD.
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-
IltiOn which will tend to make men intelli.
gent, virtuOus and temperate, we neverthe.
less regard these questions-importsnt a.
they areas secondary TO the great issues
now pressing for solution, and upon which
not only our individual prosperity, but the
very existence Of free institutions depend
, and We ask all men to first help US to del err
mine whether we are to have Republic U
administer, before we differ as to the con.
ditions upon which it is TO be administered
= believing that the forces of reform this day
organized will never cease to move forward
until every wrong Is righted and equal rights
and equal privileges established fer all the
men and women OF this country; We declare
therefore,
UNION OF TRs PRoPLE