8
THE ALLIANCE - INDEPENDENT.
THE PLATFORM.
Assembled upon the one hundred anfc
sixteenth anniversary of the Declaration
of Independence, the People's Party of
America, in their first national conveu
tion, invoking upon their action the
blessing of Almighty God, puts forth in
the name and on behalf of the people of
this country, the following preamble and
declaration of principles:
The conditions which surround us best
justify our co-operation. We meet in.tbe
midst of a nation brought to the verge of
moral, political and material ruin. Cor
ruption dominates the ballot box, the leg
islatures, the congress, and touches even
the ermine of the bench. The people are
demoralized. Most of the states have
been compelled to isolate the voters at the
polling places to prevent universal in
timidation or bribery. The news
papers are largely subsidized or muzzled,
public opinion silenced, business pros
trated, our homes covered with mort
gages, labor impoverished, and the land
concentrating in the hands of the capital
ists. The urban workmen are denied the
right of organization for self protection;
Imported pauperized labor beats down
tfceir wages; a hireling standing army, un
recognized bj our laws, is established to
shoot them down, and they are rapidly
degenerating into European conditions.
The fruits of the toil of millions are
boldly stolen to build up collosal fortunes
for a few, unprecedented in the history of
, mankind, and the possessors of these, in
turn, despise the republic and endanger
liberty. From the same prolific womb of
Covernmental injustice we breed the two
great classes tramps and millionaires.
The national power to create money is
appropriated" to enrich bondholders. A
vast public debt payable in legal tender
currency has been funded into gold bear
ing bonds, thereby adding millions to the
burdens of the people.
Silver, which has been accepted as coin
eince the dawn of history, has been
demonetized to add to the purchasing
power 67 gold by decreasing the value of all
lorms of property, as well as human labor,
and the supply of currency is purposely
abridged to fatten usurers, bankrupt
enterprise and enslave industry. A vast
conspiracy against mankind has been or
ganized on two continents and is rapidly
taking possession of the world. If not
met ana overthrown at once it forebodes
terrible social convulsions, the destruc
tion of civilization, or the establishment
of an absolute despotism.
We have witnessed for more than a
quarter of a century the struggles of the
two great political parties for power and
plunder, while grievous wrongs have been
inflicted upon a suffering people. We charge
that the controlling influences dominating
both these parties have permitted the exist
ing dreadful conditions to develop without
serious efforts to prevent or restrain them.
Neither do they now promise us any
substantial reform. They have agreed to
gether to ignoie in the coming campaign
every issue but one. They propose to
drown the outcries of a plundered people
with the uproar of a sham battle over
the tariff, so that capitalists, corporations,
national banks, rings, trusts, watered
Ptock, the demonetization of silver, and
the oppressions of the usurers may all be
lost sight of. They propose to sacrifice our
homes, lives and children on the altar of
mammon; to destroy the multitude in
order to secure corruption f uuds from the
millionaires.
Assembled on the anniversary of the
birthday of the nation, and filled with
the spirit of the grand generation who es
tablished our independence, we 6eekour
independence; we seek to restore the gov
ernment of the republic to the hands
of "the plain people'' with whose class it
originated.
p We assert our purposes to be identical
with the purposes of the national Con
stitution "To form a more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic tran
quillity, provide for the common defense,
Eromote the general welfare and secure the
lessings of liberty for Ourselves and out
posterity.". We declare that this repub
lic can only endure as a free government
while built upon the love ot the whole
people for; each other and for the nation;
that it cannot be pinned together by bay
onets; that the civil war is over, and that
every passion and resentment which grew
out of it mus. die with it, and that we
must be in fact, as we are in , name, one
united brotherhood of freemen,
fc Our country finds itself confronted bv
conditions for which there is no precedent
in the history of the world our annual
agricultural productions amount to bil
lions of dollars ba value, which must
within a few weeks or months be ex
changed for billions of dollars of com
modities consumed in their production:
the existing currency supply is wholly in
adequate to make this exchange; the re
sults are falling prices, the formation o
combines and rings and the impoverishf
ment of the producing class. We
pledge ourselves that if given
power we will labor to correct
these evils by wise and reasonable leg
islation in accordance with the terms of
our platform. We believe that the pow
ers of government in other words, of the
people should be expanded (as in the case
of the postal service) as rapidly and as
far &a the food sens .of an intelligent
people ana tne teacnings or erperrencU
Khali justify, to the end that oppression,
injustice and poverty shall eventually
cease in the land.
While our sympathies as a party of re
form are naturally upon the side of every
prupustuuu waica wm ienq to ma&e men
intelligent, virtuous and temperate, we
nevertheless regard theso questions, im
portant as they are, as secondary to tho
great issues now pressing for solution, and
upon which not only our individual pros
perity, but the very existence of free in
stitutions depend; and we ask all men to
first help us to determine whether wo
are to have a republic to administer, before
we differ as to the conditions upon which
it is to be administered, believing that the
forces of reform this day organized
will never cease to move forward until
every wrong is remedied, equal rights
and equal pri vileges are securely establish
ed for all the men and women of the
country.
Wc declare, therefore
First That the union of the labor forces
of the United States, this day consum
mated, shall be permanent and. perpetual.
May its spiri enter into all hearts for tho
salvation of the Republic and the uplifting
of mankind.
Second Wealth belongs to him who
reat lfc. nnr! pvpvt Hnllnr ta Iron Ts-int
- - ? - bn.VU M.M. JIU
Industry without an equivalent is robbery.
"If any will not wort, neither shall he
eat." The interests of rural and civic
labor are the same; their enemies ar
identical.
Third Wfi helievA that, tha fima V.oa
come when the railroad corporations will
either own tho people or the people
must own the railroads, and should
the government p.nter unnn tho
work of owning and managing
nnvnr a1 rnilrm'lc ma chnnl fmm r.
J " ....... " " if V Ul 61 U
amendment to the Constitution by which
an persons engaged in tne government
KP.rviPft k1ia.11 lin nlamrl nnrlor a nixrii otit
vice regulation of the most rigid charac
ter, uas 10 prevent me increase or tne
DOWCr Of thfl national nlminictfafinn Kn
the use of such additional government
employes.
fourth Wfi dpTTlflTlfl flinf Tint innol r,ir-
reucy, safe, sound and flexible, issued by
mc uuertii government oniy, a iuu legal
tender for nil ilfVita mi litis Qtifl niivofa
and tnat without the use of banking cor
porations, a just, equitable and efficient
means of distribution direct to the
people, at a tax not exceed
ncr 2 ner cent, ner unnnm !- nrnriilofl aa
Kfit forth in Rllh-trpanrv nlnn rf VQfmfli'0
Alliance or soe better svstem: also bv
p-iymenis in discharge of its obligations
for public improvements.
TTift.h Wfi HemgnH fron n nrl nnlimifail
coinage of silver p.nd gold at the present
legal ratio of 16 to 1.
Sixth We demand that the amount of
the clrculatinjf medium be speedily in
creased to not less than $50 per capita.
Seventh We demand a graduated in
come tax.
Eighth We believe that the money of
the country should be kept as much aa
possible in the hands of tho people, and
nence we demand that all state and na
tional revenues shall be limited to the
necossary expenses of the government
economically and honestly administered.
Ninth We demand that postal savings
banks be established by the government
for the safe depowt of the earning? of the
people and to facilitate exchange,
Tenth Transportation being a means
of exchange and a public necessity
the government should own and operato
the railroads in the interest of the people.
Eleventh The telegraph and the tele
phone like the postoflice sysjem, being a
necessity for the transmission of news,
should be owned and operated by the gov
ernment in the interest of the people.
Twelfth-The land, including all the
natural sources of wealth, is the heritage
of all the people aud should not be mon
opolized for speculative purposes, and
alien ownership of land should be pro
hibited. All land now held by railroads
and other corporations in excess of their
actual needs, and all lands now owned by
aliens should be reclaimed by the govern
ment and held for actual settlers only.
The foil owing resolutions were also
adopted:
Whereas other questions have been pre
sented for our consideration, we hereby
submit the following, not as a part of the
platform of the People's Party, but as
resolutions expressive of the sentiment of
this convention. "
First Resolved, That we demand a
free ballot and a fair count in all elections
and pledge ourselves to secure it to every
legal voter without federal intervention
through the adoption by the states of the
unperver ted Australian or secret ballot
system.
Second-Resolved, That the revenue
derived from a graduated income tax
should be applied to the reduction of the
burden of taxation now resting upon the
domestic industries of this country.
Third Resolved, That we pledge our
support to fair and liberal pensions to ex
Union soldiers and sailors.
Fourth-Resolved, That we condemn
the fallacy of protecting American labor
under the present system, " which ope"j
our porta to tfca pauper and crimii
clfjfees of the world," and teds'but onf
wage earners; and we denounce the pres
ent ineffective laws against contract la
bor, and demand the further restriction
of undesirable immigration.
Fifth Resolved, That w cordially
sympathize with the efforts of organized
worfcingmen to shorten the hours of labor,
and demand a rigid enforcement of the
existing eight-hour law on government
work, and ask that a penalty clause be
added to the said law.
Sixth Resolved. That we regard the
maintenance of a large standing army of
mercenaries, known as the Pinkerton
system, as a menace to cur liberties, and
we demand its abolition; and we con
demn the recent invasion of the territory
of Wyoming by the ' hired assassins of
plutocracy, assisted by federal officials.
Seventh Resolved. That we commend
to the favorable consideration of the peo
ple and th reform press the legislative
system known as the initiative and re
ferendum. Eighth Resolved. That we favor a
constitutional provision limiting the
office.of president and vice president to
one term, and providing for the election
of senators of the United States by a di
rect vote of the people.
Ninth Resolved. That we oppose any
subsidy or national aid to any private cor
poration for any purpose.
Resolved, That this convention sympa
thizes with the Knights of Labor in their
righteous contest with the tyrannical com'
bine of clothing manufacturers of Roches
ter and declares it to be the duty of all
who hate tyranny and oppression to refuse
to purchase the goods made by said man
ufacturers or to patronize any merchants
who sell such goods.
"The People's Party at the outset to
secure permanent control of the party
organization unaffected by the interests
of those in public servi ;e does hereby in
national convention assembled at Omaha,
on this 4th day of July, 1892, establish this
ordinance as fundamental law of party
organization, vi::No person holding any of
fice orpositonof profit.trust or emolument
under the federal or any state or munici
pal government, including senators, con
gressmen and members of the legislature,
state and local, shall be eligible to sit or
vote in any convention of this party, and
a copy of this ordinance shall be annexed
to every call for any future convention of
the party.
DID THE PELICAN COUNT.
The Story Told of a Fisherman's Intelli
gent Pet.
Houzean do la Haie tells of a peli
can living in a fisherman's famifv at
Santo Domingo that fed upon the re
fuse of tho fish cleaning. Every weelc
day it would go to the shore looking
for the food which the boats wore
sure to bring in. Now tho owner of
this pet pelican, although a rough
fisherman was of a pious turn of mind
and always observed Sabbath. The
Pelican was not long in learning this
and the fact that he was unwillingly
made to observe a forced fast every
seventh day. Within a very short
time he had such a clear idea of tho
regular return of the day that ho
would sit motionless all day on Sun
day ca a tree near the house without
once attempting to go to the beach
for his daily allowance of refuse trim
mings. Mme. Koyer in commenting
on this remarkable exhibition of rea
soning faculties in a bird, says:
"It is not necessary to suppose that
the pelican, had learned to count the
six da3's, at tho end of which timo its
masters would not go fishing; but,
while it really estimated daily tho
time when it must make its excursions
to the beach, it was informed of the
return of Sunday by what was going
on at Ihe house, as, for an instance,
the fishermen putiing on their Sunday
clothes. In the same way a dog knows
when his master is ready to start on
a hunt by seeing him with gun and
game bag.
"In such instances animals show
that they have the faculty of asso
ciating ideas and of observing con
secutive facts. Thus they show tha;
they are capable of establishing cor
relative connections between things,
which demonstrates not less intelli
gence than actual acquaintance with
the six or ton signs which express the
first six or ten numbers, or the use of
a system of enumeration to express
larger numbers."
The National bank of Mexico, as
listed by merchants of the City of
Mexico, has advanced the government
iredit to the extent of 600,000 without
lecurity.
fflNN!
m
FARM
If you want to sell your farms
for cash,
-OR-
If you wish to trade them come
and see us.
We Can Find fa Bup.
We have all kinds of city prop
erty for sale or trade. If
you want any kind of
merchandise for
your lands
We Cap Suit You9
We make a specialty in this
line.
If you have horses and cattle
to trade for city property or
farms, send full particulars to us.
C. Loweth 4 Co.
15th and O Sts.
READ THIS-
ui
Awarded First Premium and Cold
Medal at the World's Industrial Cotton
Centennial Exposition at New Orleans,
La., in 1881-5 after a trial Lasting
Four Months.
the EUREKA SSiuSTK'fSS
WORLD and to-day stands at the head and fron
of the whole wind mill family. It is the cheap
est and best as O "van P"
are also the 0TAR PLUMPS
We Have Them Also.
Screen Wire, Fibre Ware,
Screen Doors, Ladders,
Fam Dinner Bells, Western Washers
Plain Wire, Barrel Churns,
Poultry Netting.. Refrigerators,
New Idea Gasoline Lawn Mowers,
Stoves, Pumps and Pump
All Kinds of Pipe, Repairs,
Tin Roofing and anvthing in the Hard
ware Line.
Especial attention paid to Harness Re
pairs and Tin Job Work,
G. M. LOOMIS
905 O St., Lincoln, Neb.
HOWARD'S
1 COLIC,
DIARRHOEA
REMEDY.
An etteciua medy for the cure of
Patn in the Stomach. Colic, Chelera Morhim
Cramp Colic, Bilioua oli l'a nteVa clu '
ic, feUBnm.r Complaint i)yVentoir
Diarrhoeo. BDcody FiUv Chronic
Diarrhoea, Cholera Inantum,
Cholera atd Bowel Com
piaint in all forms.