The People’s Party

Abstract

This chapter of Populism and Populist Discourse in North America examines the principal manifestos of the People’s Party, specifically the famous Preamble to the Party’s Omaha Convention in 1892, the two platforms of the People’s Party in 1892 and 1896 and finally the Preface to A Call to Arms (1892) written by James B. Weaver who ran successfully as leader of the party in 1892. What is significant is the definition and redefinition of the concept of ‘the people’ in these documents exemplifying Ernesto Laclau’s main argument that ‘the people’ is a constructed concept, rather than a given or a priori entity. There is a major transition from ‘the people’ being defined as “the plain people” to a “producing class.” Their opponents are defined as “capitalists” without reference to Marx’s concept. A division is created between “trash” and “millionaires,” the latter of which concern themselves only with the worship of money. A key redefinition of ‘the people’ is in James B. Weaver’s Preface to A Call to Arms (1892). Weaver positions ‘the people’ as warriors who use the ballot as a weapon to overthrow an oppressor. The People’s Party was an extension of this ballot-box bullet designed to reclaim livelihood, identity, status and real economic self-determination.