670 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



ownership of railroads, election of senators by direct vote of 

 the people, non-ownership of land by foreigners, revenue of 

 state and nation limited to expenses, eight hours' work, postal 

 banks, pensions, and prohibition of the present contract law and 

 immigration system, these were the measures advocated. The 

 various platforms have been on the whole very much alike. 

 There has been, however, a gradual increase in the number of 

 demands. The St. Louis platform of 1889 contains only eight 

 planks; the Ocala, eight; Cincinnati, twelve; St. Louis, 1892, 

 ten ; and the Omaha, thirteen. Free coinage, government control 

 or ownership of railroads, the sub-treasury scheme, sufficient paper 

 money, revenue of state limited to expenses, and non-ownership 

 of land by foreigners are the demands put forth in every plat- 

 form. During the last three years nothing has been said about 

 the prohibition of futures. The trade in futures has been one 

 of the chief elements of complaint among the farmers ; but the 

 party has abandoned it as an issue. The real issue, according to 

 the Populist, is financial. The party, by taking one side of the 

 money question, hopes to force one of the old parties out of the 

 field, and thus to place itself in a position of power as one of 

 two parties, instead of being a mere third party. 



II 

 THE OMAHA PLATFORM 



The Omaha platform is the last of the national Populist plat- 

 forms. It contains the most advanced theories and demands of 

 the new party. In fact, the older platforms are seldom men- 

 tioned in the literature of the organization or by the speakers 

 who present its cause. But the Omaha platform is called a 

 second Declaration of Independence, an idea properly sug- 

 gested, not by any material which the platform contains, but 

 by the day, July 4, on which the convention assembled. The 

 preamble of the platform is the most curious part of the entire 

 production. After invoking the blessing of Almighty God upon 

 the convention, it goes on to say that " We meet in the midst 



