LAD#19 - Populist Party Platform

In the 1890s the POpulist Party emerged independent of the Democrats and Republicans. They opposed the "concentrated capital" of banks and big businesses. Their party platform was drawn up and publicized in 1892. The Preamble covers their main points. They felt that Corruptiong dominates the ballot-box of a nation on the verge of moral, political, and material ruin. A nation which now bred two great classes of tramps andm illionaires. That the supply of currency is purposel limited in order to fatten the pockets of creditors. Democrats adn Republicans have done nothing to prevent or correct the dreaful conditions which have and are developing. The Populist Party thus sought to restore the government to the hands of the "plain people". Thus the power of the government, moreover of the people, should be expanded in order to eventually cease opression, injustice, and poverty. The nation will never move forward until every wrong is righted and equal rights and privileges are guaranteed to all men and women. This platform declared three main parts pertaining to finance, transportation, and land. But also covered the fact that labor unions should be permanent and perpetual and that wealth should remain in the hands of its creator. In dealing with finance, the Party demanded that a nation curreny, safe, sound, and flexible be issued with free adn unlimited coinage of silver and gold with a ratio of 16 to 1. They also demanded that the amount of ciculating medium be increased, a graduated income tax be collected, that money shoudl be kept in the hands of the people, and for the creation of postal savings banks for the comman people. They felt since transportation should be open to the general public, that the government should own adn operate the railroads as well as the telegraph and the telephone. The party felt that land should not be monopolized for speculative purposes and that alien ownership of land should be prohibited. Nine resolutions were present in an Expression of Sentiments. These nin resolutions called for many different changes in nation: a free ballot and a fair ount in all elections; that revenure from the graduated income tax be used to reduce industrial taxation; that to protect American labor, there be further restrictions on the flow of immigrants which threaten American labor; and that the Pinkerton system be abolished. The Populist Party also stated their support for pension to ex-Union military men and their sympathy with the effort to shorten the hours of labor.