People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-07-09

| twenty-five years. All arguments nave
ceased against its principles; there is
nothing left but Misrepresentation.
1t is the only national party in the
United States. It has eliminated the
last lingering bitterness of the civil
war. There is no fraternal blood on
its garments Its mission is education
and peace. 1t will eventually make us
one people, bound together by liga-
ments of mutual esteem and love from
the lakes to the gulf.
We call upon the whole people to
rally to It's standard. There is room
for all and heart big enough for all.
Let dissensions cease. Close up the
gaps and forward to victory. Let every
Populist become missionary to pros
elyte the unthinking and convert the
mistaken. Let US meet prejudices with
facts. passion with patience and igno-
rance with intelligence. The fat of
God must be repeated-"Let there be
light"
We see our leading men traduced and
libeledbecause they will not sell us out
We must stand by them. We see our
newspapers boycotted because they
will not assist in the destruction of the
liberties and rights of the people. We
must sustain them and spread their cir
culation everywhere.
| We are engaged IN the most desper-
ate battle ever waged in the world. 1t
is the conflict of the few armed with
gigantic powers against the many. 1t
signifies the exploitation of labor by
the idle rich, so that those who toll
not, neither do they spin," shall rob
| industry of it's reward and leave those
who produce all wealth without homes,
clothes or food. The eight million far
mers who have just persisted of starva-
ton in Hindostan are not the victims
of drouth alone, but of cruel misgovern
ment also by their English masters,
who so impoverished them that they
had no resources to fall back upon
when a failure of crops occurred. In
their miseries we read our own danger;
in their present we see our future,
unless we possess more than Hindoo
capacity to defend ourselves against
the despoilers of the world.
We ask all who are in deadly earnest
in seeking reform to uniteuwith us.
For the mere pullers of wires and seek
ers of office we have no place or pa
tience. When humanity is sinking into
the abyss it is of no moment whether
the duty on calico is half penny more
or less,
When we are utterly opposed to fu-
sion, and know that it has brought
dissension in our ranks, welrecOgnize
the fact that many who favored it did
so in the sincere belief that it was best
for the country and for the party, but
while holding these views, we declare
| that no convention. caucus or commit
tee of our party, shall ever again bind
us to any fusion agreement with either
the Democratic or Republican party.
We call the attention of the Ameri-
l. &C. 41,.r l.
banks under Repu blican administra-
ton are now fast putting into circula-
ton vast quantity of national bank
notes, taken out on the 1862, 900, 900 of
| Cleveland bonds, which, though adding
to the burden of debt and reaching cir
culation by high interest, furnishes an
increased supply of money and better
pricing opportunity on the American
markets. If prosperity, even Temporal
ry, comes to our people, it will be by
this increased money supply-not by
the Dingley tariff or any other tariff
measure, as will probably soon be
claimed by the Republican politicians.
We believe that no reliance can be
placed in the promises of those who
control and manipulate the policy and
:.ct;ols Ct the two old parties. Tl2y-
have broken every pledge and violated
every trust reposed in them by con-
iding constituency. With the anti
election promises in favor of free silver
still ringing in the peoples ears, the
Democratic Legislatures of five States
defeated bills to prohibit the making
of gold contracts.
With the suffering and dissatisfied
rank and file of those parties, we are
in hearty sympathy and will gladly
welcome them into the Peoples party.
We reaffirm the principles enunci-
ated in the platforms of our party in
the full belief that when enacted into
law they will produce universal pros
perity.
We reaffirm the previous declarations
of our party in favor of the initiative
and referendum and recommend thatthe
Peoples party adopt this system in all
party proceedings, believing that the
direct control of legislation by the peo-
pie themselves is the only remedy for
corruption in party management as
well as in the law-making power, by
corporate wealth, now so universal in
this country. We look upon this as
the most important question now be-
fore the American people, since it in
wolves the continuance of free institu-
tions.
PLAN.
To the end of forming more perfect
and compact organization, extending
the work of education, adding recruits
to and preserving the autonomy of the
Peoples party, we recommend the
ado ption of the following plan:
1. The election by the conference of
a national organization committee to
be composed of three members from
each State here represented said mem
bers to be selected by the several State
delegations. In States not represented
at this conference, the national organi-
zation committee, here created, NAV at
their discretion provide for a proper
representation on the committee,
2. The election by this conference of
chairman of the national orqaniza-
ton committee, whose duty it will be
to push the work of organization along
strictly Populist lines, and in the inter.
est of Populist principles and Populist
candidates; to preside over all meet
ings of the national organization com
mittee and to perform all other duties
usually incumbent upon such officer
3. The election by this conference of
an executive committee of five mem
bers whom the chairman may nomi-
nate from the members of the national
organization committee, whose duties
shall consist in assisting in the work
of organization and education, and who
shall cooperate with the chairman in
his efforts to preserve and extend the
organization of the party.
4. The election of National Secre. |
tary whose duties shall be such as are
usually performed by such officer.
5. The election of Treasurer, who |
shall have charge of the funds of the |
organization and perform such dl1ties
as are made incumbent upon him by
the Executive committee
6. The officers of this organization
shall hold their office until the time of |
holding the next national convention. |
7. The National Organization Com
mittee hereby created is instructed to
look after the work of organization
and education in each state, to reform
our lines and to cooperate with the |
regular organization when in line with
Populist principles.
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