The conditions which surround us best justify our
co-operation; we meet in the midst of a nation brought to the verge of moral,
political, and material ruin. Corruption
dominates the ballot-box, the legislatures, 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
intimidation and bribery. The newspapers
are largely subsidized or muzzled, public opinion silenced, business
prostrated, homes covered with mortgages, labor impoverished, and the land
concentrating in the hands of capitalists while imported, pauperized labor
beats down wages.
The fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to
build up colossal fortunes for a few, unprecedented in the history of mankind;
and the possessors of those, in turn, despise the republic and endanger
liberty.
From the same prolific womb of governmental injustice we
breed the two great classes – tramps and millionaires.
You probably thought I was describing the existing
conditions in Washington DC today, but this is an excerpt from the preamble of “The
Populist or People’s Party of America,” founded on July 4, 1892. The Party
was founded as a response to the overreach and corruption in government. Somebody learned from history but it sure
wasn’t the voters!
Thank you Logan Moore for this interesting bit of history!
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