Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1896 — THE PEOPLE’S PARTY. [ARTICLE]

THE PEOPLE’S PARTY.

Brief History of Ite Inception end Subsequent Growth. The recent event* at St Louis make of interest some account of the growth and origin of the People’s party. hue party had its inception at a meeting held at St Louis in December, 1889. In 1867 the farmers’ movement began In this country with the organization of the grange, or patrons of husbandry. This wa* not a political organization, bnt it spread with the most astonishing rapidity through the western and southern portions of the country. The popularity of this movement caused the organization of a large number of similar societies and all of them grew numerically and acquired some political power. An effort was made to unite all these vartans orgataxations, and at the meeting held in St. Louis in 1889 a consolidation was effected and the name of the “Farmers’ Alliance and Industrial Union” was adopted. This was followed by a convention called to meet at Ocala, Fla., on Dec. 2, 1890. The convention was held, composed of 163 delegates, representing thirty-five States and territories, and independent political action was decided upon.

A platform was adopted which cmbodiad the following prinoiples: (1) The abolition of national banks and tbe establishment of sub-treasuries to loan money to the people at 2 per cent interest, with an increase of the circulation to SSO per capita; (2) laws to suppress gambling in agricultural products; (3) unlimited coinage of silver; (4) prohibiting the alien ownership es land and restricting ownership to actual use; (5) restricting the tariff; (6) government control of railroads and telegraph lines, and (7) direct vote of the people for. l'resident, Vice-President and Uhited States Senators. This convention was followed by another, held in Cincinnati on May, 10, 1891, at which were 1,418 delegates from thirty States and territories. At this meeting the Ocala platform was reaffirmed and the name of the “People’s party” was given to the organization. A third national convention was held in St. Louis on the 22d of February, 1892, at which little of an important character was done. The first nominating convention was held at Omaha July 4, 1892, composed of 1.299 delegates. No great change was made in the platform, but the income tax and postal savings banks were demanded. In the election thnt followed the People’s party polled for Gen. Weaver, its candidate for President, 1,055,424 votes and he received 22 electoral votes. He carried the States of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, North Dakota and one vote in Oregon. The party received almost votes enbtigh to eatfi-y Nebraska, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. There hnve been no elections since then to test the voting strength of the party as a national organization, but in the congressional election ih 1894 the total vote enst for the congressional candidates of the party aggregated 1,310,397, which shows a gain of 254,973 in two years.