As a reaction to the rise of Big Business during the heavy industrialization in America came about the Populist Party Platform. The preamble begins with talking about the horrible condition the country is in. There is corruption, workers are being denied rights, people are begin demoralized and impoverished, there is a large gap between the rich and the poor, etc. The also describe adding gold to the currency as dangerous and demoralizing. The Democrats and Republicans have done nothing to stop the negative effects of the American lives. In return the populist seek to return the power to the "plain people" to correct these evils and ensure equality. The Populist Platform declared that the Union of labor forces will be permanent, wealth belongs to him who creates it, and the government will own and regulate railroads, the telegraph, and the telephone. The also demand free coinage of silver and gold at a 16 to 1, a graduated income tax, and that money be kept in the hands of people for the majority of the time. The also request that land not be monopolized for speculative purposes. In the expression of sentiment, the last part, they demand things like free ballot, liberal pensions to ex-union soldiers, shorter hours of labor, a one term limit for the president and vice president, and over all more rights and liberties to the people.
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