Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-15
ticed under the monarchies and .despotisms
of the old world The eneuaiea of good

government, the enemies of the peoples
prosperity and the enemies of struggling
humanity had dominated and controlled
both these parties for twenty years. Both
of these parties had long ceased to regard
the interest of the masses, and became the
agents through which corporations and
trusts exploit the people; both of these par
ties have betrayed the people and have leg
tsiated In the interest of bankers, specu-
lators, bondholders and monopolists, thus
enabling the favored few to absorb the mil
mems OF property earned and created by
the toiling masses. They have been the
agencies for robbing the millions to make
the few nlillionaireS, and, worse than this
they have placed the welfare and happi-
ness of the whole nation in the hands of.
and subject to, the confederated money
power of the world. The candidates of both
of these parties for the past twenty years
have been pledged to the gold standard,
and have used the power of the government
on the side of gold. No matter which party
the people voted for their votes were cast
for their enemies and to enslave themselves
NO matter which party went into power,
times grew harder and the wealth of the
many concentrated into the hands of the
few.
Another party, an American party, was
wanted. There was need for such a party
70 Keep alive the American spirit Of 1776.
to advocate and enforce the principles of
the Declaration of Independence, to advo-
cate the rights of American labor and
American manhood, to restore prosperity
~ q suffering people, ana 10 rescue q great
and rich nation from the quicksands of
bankruptcy and ruin. Thus the people s
party stands for the great principles of a
republican fern of government as repre-
sented by the forefathers and came into
existence to restore the government to the
people.
First to Demand Free Silver.
1.-THE peoples party was the first political
organization in twenty-three years that
made an honest demand for the free and
unrestricted coinage of silver. Until the
present year both old parties put into their
platforms a demand for the restoration of
silver, but coupled with it qualifying and
ambiguous phrases that negatived the de-
mand, and then rallied the voters of the
west and south for silver and the north
east for the gold standard on the same
platform. The peoples party was the first
political organization that declared against
the surrender of the governmental func-
lions OF issuing paper money to national,
state or private banks. The peoples party
definite and specific what is meant by OPP
position to monopolies instead of indulgng
in giittering generalities. The peoples par
ty was the first political party to nominate
candidates for President and Vice Presi-
dent that were not golobugs and did not
receive goldbug support. 1t is the only
Earty now in existence which, with an un-
divided membership and solid 'front.' Is
tSiiiduulLS leSISlcllOn the suppression
of monopolies, and for the equal protection
OF all citizens against the encroachment of
individual and corporate power. So sue
cessfully has it exposed the shortcomings
OF the two old parties, so vigorously ar
raigned them for the betrayal Of the people,
SO vigorously has 1t taught the principles of
true democracy and true republicanism
that one of these old parties has been
forced to retrace its erring steps and cast
Off, for the time being, at least, its base
and treacherOuS leaders
1t was the peoples party that brought
the all-important and overShadowing ques-
ton of financial reform to the front. It
was the peoples party that made 1t impos-
sible for the old parties to longer keep In
the background the real national issues,
while they fought sham battles over the
tariff and other minor local issues. The
peoples party is the real force, the main
spring behind this great political revolu-
ton.
1T is the indomitable force that has
driven the democratic party to make It's
patriotic declaration in the Chicago plat
form, and Is now the constant and
strengthening force that holds them up to
that declaration. If this patriotic and ele-
waiting influence. as an organized force.
were removed then inevitably the evil and
biighting influences that have dominated
and corrupted the democratic party in the
past would creep into its councils and
control it again. Besides, there is a con-
siderable minority of the democratic party
who, for policy, are in a manner support
ing the action of the Chicago convention.
yet who are radically opposed to Mr.
Bryan and the principles which he repre-
sents. These are the natural allies of the
boiting plutocrats of the Indianapolis con-
vention, and will spare no effort to defeat
the reforms which every principle of good
government demands.
Thus. the democratic party, so long de-
bauched, and now divided; a party beset
from without and within by the gold and
monopoly democrats, who are plotting to
q ylIr troll ha I'LL
carry out these reforms of the people
party, and to restore prosperity to the
American people. Therefore, there was
never greater need for the continued ex-
than now. Without it, the democratic
party. If in power, could not redeem its
pledges. Without 1t the next national con-
vention of the democratic party would
repudiate the platform it has so recently
adopted at Chicago, and Mr.. Bryan would
stand no more chance of becoming it's
nominee than would Thomas jefferson If
he were again on earth.
Why Mr.. Bryan WINS Chosen.
I'm 1892 the democratic politicians de-
nounced the principles of the peoples
party. In 1886 these same men were forced
to purge themselves of their modern false
doctrines and return to the principles of
Jefferson and Jackson. That party, in its
national convention, nominated for the
Presidency William J. Bryan, a man who
was ready to renounce the false gods of
corrupted republicanism. The peoples
party, in its second national convention,
held few weeks later. put country above
party and rose to higher plane of pa
triotism than has ever been shown by any
other party-it recognized in this young
patriot of the west man who stands,
in the broadest and truest sense, for Amer
lean institutions and American principles
a man as worthy and as true as any one
within our own ranks. and, besides, one
who had already several millions of
votes pledged to his support, and who,
therefore, we could be sure of electing in
the present contest. Thus was presented
to us an opportunity to elect this year
man who would be the first friend of the
people in the White House in twenty
years, such a man as the peoples party
had scarcely hoped to elect before 1900.
If the democratic party had been true to
the people and its own platform in its
selection of candidate for Vice President,
we would not now have the honor of adj
dressing you, one of the worthiest. and
most beloved sons of the peoples party,
in this official capacity, for in that event