LAD #23: The Populist Party Platform

Today's Democratic Party is similar to the Populist Party because they fight for better minimum wages, protecting workers rights, and closing wage gaps.




The Populist Party Platform Summary: The Populist Movement emerged from the farmers alliances of the 1870's and 1880's. In the 1890's it emerged as a viable third party as it was a response to the growth of industrialism. It opposed the concentrated capital of banks and big businesses.

It begins with a preamble which states that the nation is on the verge of moral, political and material ruin. There is corruption throughout and the public doesn't have a say. The right to unionize is denied and the conditions of work are left awful. The value of silver has gone down to make way for gold which is controlled and is hurting the people. There are controlling influences dominating both parties and they are willing to sacrifice our well being to make more money. We believe that the power of the government should be expanded in order to end this oppression, and corruption.

Their platform is this... that labor Unions are permanent, wealth goes to he who earns and creates it, and the government should own and manage railroads. When it comes to finance, they demand a national currency that is safe and sound and issued by the government. There should be free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the ration of 16 to 1, the amount of circulating money is to be increased, an income tax is to be implemented, the money should be kept as much as possible in the hands of the people and the state and national revenues are to be limited, and postal savings banks are to be established for the safe deposit of peoples earnings. In terms of transportation... the government should own and operate the railroads in the interest of  the people as well as the telegraph and the telephone. For land, it is the heritage of the people and it should not be monopolized, and the alien ownership of land should be prohibited, land owned by railroads and aliens should be returned to the government and reclaimed for actual settlers.

There is also an expression of sentiments with some of the big points being, fair elections, income taxes, pensions for ex-Union soldiers, protecting American labor, create better working conditions, presidents and vice-presidents should only be able to have one term, and national aid for private corporations should be forbidden.