The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-09-14

beats down their wages; hireling standing
army, unrecognized by our laws, is estab-
lfshed to shoot them down, and they are
rapidly degenerating into European condi-
lions. The fruits of the toll of millions are
boldly stolen to build uD colossal fortunes
unprecedented in the history of mankind,
and the possessors of these in turn de-
| spise the republic and endanger liberty.
From the same prolific womb of govern
mental injustice we breed two great classes
-tramps and milionaires.''
They denounced BOTH the old parties, as
equally responsible for the terrible condi-
ton of the people. The platform said:
I'VE have witnessed for more than a quar-
ter of a century the struggles of the great
parties for power and plunder, while griev-
Gus wrongs have been inflicted upon a suf-
fering people We charge that the control
| ing Influences dominating both these par
ties, have permitted the existing dreadful
conditions to develop without serious ef-
forts to prevent or restrain them. Neither
do they promise us any substantial reform.
They have agreed to ignore in the coming
campaign every issue but one. They pro-
| pose to drown the outcries of a plundered
people with the uproar of sham battle
over the tariff, so that capitalists, corpora
tions national banks, rings trusts, watered
stocks, the decentralization of silver and the
oppression of the usurers may all be lost
sight Of They propose to sacrifice our
homes and children on the altar Of Nam
mon, to destroy the multitude in order to Sc
cure corruption funds from the million
ares'
Upon this platform, with it's familiar con-
Guiding demands, we went before the peo-
pie, and, after four months campaign, we
polled 1,O55, ,424 votes and carried four states
and partially two more; receiving altogeth-
er y electoral votes The Democrats won in
the contest and elected Grover Cleveland
president by H7 electoral votes, against 145
for Benjamin Harrison. In the campaign
both old parties kept up their sham bat
tle' over the tariff and studiously ignored
the great issues raised by the Peoples
Party.
In 1898 the Omaha platform received strik-
ing corroboration from the terrible panic
which fell upon the country, sweeping away
banks and business, and plunging millions
into bankruptcy. Mr.. Cleveland's panacea of
free trade did not relieve the sufferings of
the people, In the elections of 1894 the
Democratic party was generally repudiated;
ana 1t became apparent that that venera-
BILE organization must find new issues or be
borne to its everlasting resting place. There
did not seem to be state it was certain to
carry in 1896.
The Peoples Party vote in 1894 and 1895
rose to nearly two millions, and everything
indicated its speedy national triumph.
In this emergency the Democratic party
saw that it had no resource but to steal
one Of the principles of the despsed Popu-
lists; and after having persistently opposed
the reconciliation of silver, in congress,
and defeating dozen bills looking to that
end, it changed front in the twinkling Of
an eye, and In the Chicago convention Of
1886, in a prearranged theatrical scene of
great uproar and enthusiasm, moved to the
front as the devoted and lifelong champion
|! of that which it had always opposed.
Having stolen one of the principles of our
PLATFORM it became necessary 10 steal our
votes and break up our organization. Hence
When the Peoples party national convention
met, tremendous pressure was brought to
bear upon it to do what no political party
had ever done before in the history of our
country to-wit, to nominate the candidate
of another party for president, and stop in
mid-career of it's own tremendous growth.
and tie itself to the doubtful fortunes and
| still more doubtful sincerity of rival or
| ganiZation.
| In vain it was urged upon the convention
| that If we maintained separate exist
| ence and nominated our own candidates. we
! could still unite with any other party in
| support of joint electordl t4c.,el III every
! state.
If this plan had been adopted. the Repub-
| lIcan party would surely have been de-
, feated; but Democracy insisted that the
battle must be won under their banner.
| Hence our noble candidate for vice-presi-
! dent was ostracized and pushed aside in
| behalf Of man whose every principle was
our party: and our organization. with its %
| electoral votes and nearly 100000 voters,
J was ignored and spit upon. Our nomination
was thrown back in our faces by tele-
gram from the gentleman we had nomi-
| mated. The telegram Of declination was
| suppressed by those who had betrayed US:
| but our votes were carefully exploited in
! the election which followed.
BY an extraordinary calamity gentleman
| was made chairman of our national COM
| y,t%<
| forces, who had achieved success by an un-
| holy combination with Republicans, and
! who was ready to equalZe things by sacri-
| ticing our party to accomplish another un-
| holy union with the Democrats.
| He preached disintegration and demorali-
zation, just Benedict Arnold stipulated
| for the scattering of the American forces
| that the British might the more readily
| overthrow the young republic.
Mr.. Butler taught our forces that the
first duty of soldier was to break ranks
| and go over to the enemy. 1t was as if
| Gen. Miles had issued orders to our troops
| at Santiago to tear down the American flag
| and merge with the Spaniards, because We
| all thought alike on the question of God
/ mental injustice we breed two great classes
! All efforts to chain the boundless subtlety
| of this cunning man have been in vain. AS
| late as Aug. %, 1885, in speech at Denver,
| Col. despite all previous compacts and
| promises he urged all friends of free silver
| TO act tOSetIcT, ana he denounced tHOSc
who were trying to divide it's friends be-
| cause they differed on other questions" j"
And yet he we'll knew that the Republicans
| and Prohibitonists of Colorado and all the
| Western states were also in favor of free
I silver, and that there was just much
reason to unite with them as with the DEM
| ocrats. He also knew that where a smaller
| and weaker party unites with a greater and
| stronger it is the inevitable union Of the
| lion and the lamb. He knew that the ex-
! pertinent had nearly obterated the People S
| party in several states. and that he was
| leading the rest of those who trusted him
! into the abyss where reposed the moulder-
ing bones of the greenback party. He well
| knew that the free-silver issue was but one
| of the many planks of the Peoples party.
| and while desirable in ITSELF. could not
| bring the people relief if corporate power
| was to continue to rule the nation and
| plunder unchecked the industry of the land.
| Our chief battle is not against the de-
| monetization of one metal for the benefit OF
| another but against the claiming of the
| worlds progress to the wheels of pre-
1 historic superstition. in the shape of both
| metals. The growth of population and the
| happiness of mankind are thus made contin-
! gent upon accidental discoveries of two in
| trnsically worthless metals. The whole
k. adora ton of gold and silver is but sur
yival of pagan barbarism more deadly in
Il its effects than slavery, polygany and
| witckcraft.
] While it is conceded that money is a gov
ermental measure of value and consists
! not in material but in the stamp of the la-
ton the whole world is today held in check
| by a system of gold barter, while enterprise