Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-18
SUNDAY........,...JUNE IL. 1873.
The Populists-General Field.

As the candidate last fall of the Pop
ulists for Vice-President OF the United
States. General JAMES G. FIELD must be
regarded a. authorized to speak for his
party-that is. If anybody NAV set up that
claim. In the following letter to the DIS
PATCH hs defines his own position on sew
eral questions and tells us also some
things that We may expect from his party.
In our editorial. which ia the basis or ms
letter 70 US, there is nothing that makes 1T
orr duty to publish his letter. We pub
hsh it, rs we have inst intimated, because
twill enable our Democratic readers to
form their own opinions as 10 what the
Populist or Peoples party intend to try
10 mako some Of the issues between Their
party and the Democratic party in the
campaign which will soon be upon US.
General FIELD writes as follows:
GoKDoSsyILLE, VA, juno 10, 1899.
TO the Editor Of tho pspatch:
In your paper OF tho 9th instant and In yonr
article on The Populists" you think you re-
coenize my hand in tho preparation OF the al
dress OF tho state Committee OF the Peoples
party 10 the people OF Virginia, from which nd
dress you mako some short citation. feel COM
pliinented by your allusion, but as do not wish
10 10 crowned with honOrs that belong 10 an
other bog TO say that while l approve every
sentence and sentiment Of the address ] have
no tito whatever TO is authorship. / never
saw or heard one word OF IT until Il was read be-
fore the committee by Mr. c. H. Pearson, who,
] suppose Uhourh be did not assert ~, is tho
author OF tho paper and entitled 10 all the Gre
dit or discrodit that results from IL.
lam glad to say that if i understand the
teachings OF the DISPATCH upon the question OF
the currency. ! am In full accord with II In de-
clnring that there should be no currency but
national one. dollar, whether OF god, silver
or paper, should bear the impruaGiur Of the
government and in its rocelvabiiity a. money
should cover every inch Of the territory OF the
United States.
am opposed 10 the tax on tho "so-called"
Issues Of State banks, because do not believe
that Congress has the right 10 impose a tax on
an 4lleyai thing. Congress has 10 right by i'm
posing n tax TO give to "a Illegal thing the quasi
condition Of legality. Congress should prohibit,
not tax, the issues OF all banks as money.
The power to coin money and to declare the
value thereof is not only exclusive power in
Congress, under tbs United States Constitution,
but it's deicJaied pousr, and upon the OLD
courts. "p0uers that are desgated cannot DO
delegated 10y the agent, unless by authority en-
bnced in the instrument comforting the power"
The United states Constitution confers on Con-
gross tho power to coin money and to declare
the value thereof, but does not author
ITO Congress to delegate this authority
20 States, banks or any secondary Institution.
j claim, and my party will claim, that no State
nor bank can properly issue money, and that
no bank should DO allowed TO pay over its coun-
ter anything "a money but the coin and Trea-
sury notes Of the supreme government. State
aud national banks may exist, and may be OF
great benefit to the people, but only as fiscal
AGENTS paying out the money Of the govern
mcnt. Tho present United States banks go
called arc odious: State banks as banks OF
issue would DO more 80. JAAES Il. FIELD.
We prefer to say for ourselves whatever
we have to say on the currency question.
We cannot concur IN General FIELDS dc
tum that Congress has no power to levy o
tax upon State-oa issues. We have
shown In these columns that the Supreme
Court of the United States has decided
that the existing law taxing the circulating
notes of State banks 10 per cent. is not an
unconstitutional law. We don't like the
proposition to return to tho old wildcat
banking system: but no more do we like
the proposition to food the country with
irredeemdbe greenbacks.
We commend General FIELDS letter to
the attention of the Democrats OF Vir-
GINA. 1t takes an advanced position.
They will learn from 1t that the Peoples
party deny out and out the right of any
State to issue circulating notes, and they
will recollect that on tho other hand the
advocates of the wildcat banking system
deny out and ont the right of Congress to
prohibit the States from issuing such cir
culating notes.