People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-02-06
THE OMAHA PLATFORM.

Assembled upon the one hundred and sig.
teenth anniversary OF the Declaration OF In
dependence, the Peoples Party OF America
IN their INST national convention, invoking
God, puts forth In the name and on behalf Of
tne people Of the country the following pre-
amols and declarations Of principles:
Inc conditions which surround US best
justify our corporations 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
ermlne on the bench. The people are de-
noralised; most OF the States have been
compelled To ISOLATE the voters at the polling
places 70 prevent universal intimidation OF
bribery. The newspapers are largely SUBJ
sidlled or muEzled, public opigion sllenced,
business Frustrated, our homes covered with
mortgages, labor impoverished and the land
concentrating In the hands OF the can tai
lists. The urban woPkmen are denied the
right Of organization for seli-protection; i'm.
ported pauperized labor beats down their
wages hrehng army, unrecognized by out
laws, established " shoot them down, and
they are rapidly degeneratlng 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 ankind, and the possessOrs OF these In
turn despise the Republic ana endanger lib.
erty. From the same prolific womb OF gov.
srnmental In uStice we breed the two great
classes-t. amps 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-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-
monetiIed TO add TO the purchasing power OF
gold, BY decreasing the value OF all forms OF
property a. well as human labor, and the
supply OF currency Is purpOsely abridged 10
fatt- usurers, bankrupt enterprise and en-
slave industry. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tinents, and Il is rapidly taking possession OF
the world, IL not met and overthrow at
once II forboGes terrible social commissions,
the destruction OF civilization, or the estab-
llshmsnt OF an absolute despotism. We have
witnessed for more than quarter OF GEN.
fury the struggles OF the two great political
parties for power and plumber, while
grieVons 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 icy 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 piundered people with the up
roar OF sham battle over the tariff, SO that
capitalists, corporations, national banks,
trusts, watered stock, the demonstration VI
silver, and the expressions OF the usurers
may all DO lost sight OF. They propose TO
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar OF msmm0n; TO destroy the multitude
In order to secure corruption funds for the
miliionaires. Assembled on the anniversary
OF the birthday Of the nation and filed with
the spirit OF the grand general chief, who es-
taollshed our Independence, we seek to re-
store the government of the Republic 70 the
hands OF the plain people" with whose class
1t originated, We assert our purposes 10 be-
identical With the purposes OF the national
constitution, TO form q 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 a. free government while built upon
the love OF the whole people for each other
and for The nation; that IL cannot be pinned
together BY bayonets; that the Civil war is
oyer and that every passion and resentment
which grew out OF 1t must die With II, and
that we must be In fact, "a We are ia name.
one united brptherhoOd. Our country find,
Itself confronted BY conditions for which |
there Is no precedent In the history OF the |
world. Our annual agricultural productions
amount 70 billions OF dollas in value which !
must In few weeks or months be exchanged |
Tor billions OF dollars OF commodities con-
sumed In their proc uction; the existing cur
rency supply Is wholly inadequate to make
this exchange The results are falling
prices, che formation Of combines and rings,
The impeachment Of the producing class
we pledge ourselves that hglven power We
will labor 10 orrect these evils by wise and |
reasonable legislation in accordance with |
the terms Of our platform.
We believe THAI the powers OF government |
In other words, OF the people-shoud be |
expanded las IN the case OF the postal SER |
vice. rs rapidly and as far as she good sense |
OF AL Intelligent people and the teachings OF !
experience shall Justify, to 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- |
Iition which will tend TO make men inteili- |
gent, virtuous ana temperate, we neverthe- |
less regard these questions-impOrssn as |
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 institution depend, |
and We ask all men TO first hep u to de- err |
mine whether We are TO have a RrDablc 10 |
administer, before We differ as u the con-
ditions upon which 1t is TO be admit slcred, |
believing that the forces OF reform this day |
will never cease TO move f0rT ard |
until every wrong is righted and equal rights |
and equal privileges established for all the l
men and women Of this country; We declare
therefore,