Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-01
The Winning Issue.

GENERAL j. IL. weaver, OF Iowa, was on
| Friday last chosen temporary chairman
OF the st. Louis Populist Conference. He
| made q speech, in which he said that
| money would be the winning issue In
the next presidential campaign. Inas-
| much as he is a leader Of the Peoples
party. 50 called. his views may be deemed
Of some Importance, though that party
| can hardly live through the next cam
| paign. Such parties are temporary. The
Peoples party has lived too long already.
OF course. Messrs. Weaver. Field. and the
rest Of the leaders OF the Populist hosts
will laugh TO scorn the suggestion that
their party is SO near its end.
General Field. OF Virginia, represented,
we think, the Populist or Peoples party
OF this State In the st. Louis CONFER
nounced week or two ago that he
would do So However. It is a matter Of
no great Importance.
General Viewers declaration that the
money Issue would be the winning issue
Of the next presidential campaign. and
ence not to alter or amend the Omaha
platform in any respect render 1t proper
TO reproduce the money plank OF that
celebrated platform. Here it is:
Fourth. We demand a national cur
rency. safe. sound. and flexible. issued by
the General Government only, full legal
tender for all debts. public and private,
and that. without the use of banking cor
porations. just. equitable. and efficient
means of distribution direct to the people
at tax not to exceed per cent per
annum be provided, as set forth in the
Sub-Treasury plan Of the Farmers ALI
ance. or a better system; also. by pay
ments in the discharge of its obligations
for public Improvements.
"(A) We demand the free and unlim-
tied coinage OF silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of Is to /.
OBJ We demand that the amount OF
the circulating medium be speedily in
creased to not less than $50 per capita.
"(C) We demand a graduated income
tax.
"D) We believe that the money Of the
country should be kept as much as posi-
BILE in the hands of the people, and hence
we demand that all State and national
revenues shall be limited to the necessary
expenses of the government, economically
and honestly administered"
This is what we have styled the money
plank of the Populists, and contains what
General Weaver says will be the winning
issue In the next national contest.
1t will be seen that the demand Of the
Peoples party as to the proper manner
Of providing a currency is for the General
Government to issue all the circulating
legal tender for all debts. public and
private"-that Is to say, they are to be
irredeemabIe Treasury notes or fiat money.
The banks are not to be allowed to issue
any paper currency whatever. The free
coinage of silver is demanded at the
ratio OF 16 to 1. A circulation OF $50 per
capita is demanded, though the
per capita circulation was. in 1850
only $3.50 graduated income
tax cannot well be an issue as
between the several parties. Nor can
economy in expenditures be an issue.
The st. Louis conference claimed, Of
course. TO speak for the people. 1t Is
certainly worthy Of notice for one thing
namely. II was movement principally Of
western and northwestern politicians.
This fact may be set down as indicating
that some unexpected things may yet
take place before the forces OF the sew
eral armies are placed in battle array |
for the grand national contest Of 1896.