People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-02-13
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
COD, 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
mora, political and material ruin. COrrup-
tlon dominates the ballot box, the legisla-
lures, the Congress and touches even the
srmine on the bench. The people are de-
noraIlIed; most OF the States have been
compelled TO Isolate the voters at the polling
places TO prevent universal intimidation OF
Drioery. The newspapers are largely SUBJ
sldlZed 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 wOPkmen are denied tbs
right OF organization for self-protection; i'm
ported pauperized labor beats down their
wages; 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 and endanger lib
erty. From the same prolific womb Of gov
ornamental injustice we breed the two great
| classes-tramps 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 geld-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-
m0netized 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. A vast conspiracy against
mankind has been organized on two con-
tinents, and it is rapidly taking possession of
the world, II not met and overthrow at
once II fOrboGes terrible social convulsions,
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
grieyous wrongs have been inflicted upon
the suffering people. We charge that the
controlling Influences dominating both CT
these parties have permitted the existing
NOuulllOuS W NtNtlOD
serious effort TO prevent or restrain them.
Neither do tley 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 a plundered people with the up
roar OF a sham battle over the tariff, so that
capitalists, corporations, national banks,
trusts, watered stock, the demonstration Of
silver, and the expressions Of the usurers
ma all hs. Lot 81 %
sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the
altar Of mammOn; to destroy the multitude
in order 10 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 tran
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
together by bayonets; that the Civil war is
over and that every passion and resentment
which grew out Of II must die with II, and
that We must be In fact, as We are In name,
one united brotherhood. Our country finds
ltseA confronted by conditions for which
there is no precedent in the history OF the
world. Our annual agricultural productions
amount to billions Of dOllafs In value which
must in few weeks or mouths be exchanged
for billions Of dollars OF commodities con-
sumed in their production; the existing cur
rency supply Is wholly inadequate to make
this exchange. The results are falling
prices, the formation OF combines and rings,
the impOverish ment OF the producing class.
We pledge ourselves that IL given power We
will labor to orrect these evils by wise and
reasonable legislation in accordance with
the terms Of our platform.
We believe d. at 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 Op-
preston, injustice and poverty shall eventu-
ally cease in the land.
While our sympathles as party OF reform
are naturally upon the side OF every propo-
sition which will tend TO make men intelli-
gent, vlrtuous and temperate, We neverthe-
less regard these questions-importsnt 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 institutions depend,
and We ask all men to first help US to defer
mine whether we are TO have Republic 10
administer, before we differ as to the con-
ditions upon which 1t Is TO be administered,
believing that the forces Of reform this day
organized viii never cease TO move forward
until every wrong 10 righted and equal rights
and equal PRIVILEGES established for all the
men and women Of this country; we declare
therefore,