The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-16
i PRESIDENT
BRYAN MUST YIELD
1t Not, California Populists
Will Knife Him at
st. Louis.
A PROPOSED PLATFORM.
1t Will Be Submitted for Adop.
ton at the ST Louis Con.
vention.
ITS PROMINENT FEATURES.
DR.. G w. Daywalt, One of the Dele.
cation, Speaks of the Chances
of Fusion.
ITS PROMINENT FEATURES.

For some time the leading members of the
Popullst party in California have been at
WORK preparing what is termed "a pro-
posed National platform OF the Peoples
party"
The intention is for the same to be
carried to St. Louis by the California
delegation and there to be submitted to the
National Convention.
Much pains has been taken by the per-
sons to whom the duty of drafting this
platform was assigned. 1t is as concise in
form as the authors deem compatible with
force and clearness.
Ihe rough draft was first made by Taylor
Rogers, who afterward pruned and revised
the original document. In this revision
he was assisted by DR.. G. W. Daywalt, one
OF the Califol MIA delegation, and E. M.
Wardall, chairman of the Populist State
Central Committee.
The most prominent features of the
proposed National platform. and those on
which the greatest stress is laid, are the
questions of finance, transportation, land
and direct legislation. Questions regarded
as important but not so urgent of i'm
mediate adoption are civil service, cor
porate monopoles, income tax, tariff,
election of President and Senators, pen-
sions, Monroe doctrine, issuance of Gov
eminent bonds, funding bill, immigration,
Cuban independence, woman suffrage and
continuance of settled policies. At the
last the author makes q strong plea to his
fellow-countrymen to study well the pro-
posed platform and take heed unto the
present condition of National affairs.
In full the proposed platform is as
follows:
The Peoples party of the United States, rep
resented in National Convention at ST. Louis,
Missouri. on the 22d day of July, 1896. hereby
proclaims these as its principles upon finance
transportation, land and direct legislation
and II promises to enact them into laws inn
mediately upon its accession to power:
FINANCE.
First-1. We demand Nation al money issued
directly by the General Government only, as a
full legal tender for all debts, and issued with
out the agency of any private corporation or
bank, and In circulating volume subject to law
and responsive TO our needs, ana speedily to
be increased to $50 per capita of the entire
people.
Such money shall consist of gold, silver and
paper. each dollar thereof endowed with the
same function, impaired solely by the stamp
thereon and not dependent for its money value
upon the price OF the material used. Each dol
lar shall be interchangeable with but not re-
deemable in the other. and shall be denomi-
mated respectively gold, silver or paper money
all National debts being payable in either at
the option of the Government.
2. AS the United States is a free and power
fnl Nation, and the financial and industrial
liberty of its citizens should be independent OF
the action OF any other Government, we de-
mand the free and unlimited coinage or gold
and silver by the United States at their present
legal ratio of Is to /, without reference to the
course OF any foreign nation.
8. We demand that all National banks be
abolished, and in lieu of them that the Gov
eminent establish a pos tai bank in each city,
O .ff tn1
Ing population of 1000 or more.
These banks shall receive deposits of money
from the people for safe-keeping.
Through them the Government shall trans
init money from place to place by the medium
OF postal exchange, issued and secured by Ma
tionai authority.
demand that Congress authorize the Govern
ment TO loan money to N unicipal corporations,
or counties containing population of 5000 or
more in the various States, for the purpose of
public improvement only, and not to exceed
in amount one-third of the assessed valuation
OF the taxable property in each municipality
or county.
The sum charged to be prepaid shall not
exceed the actual cost of issuing the loan, and
all loans so made shall be repaid in INSTALL
ments, each tnstailment not to exceed 4 per
cent of the sum borrowed
The gross sum so loaned to municipalities and
counties by the Nation shall not at any time
entire population of the United States.
D. We demand that Congress declare that all
contracts and judgments requiring the pay
ment OF money shall be payable at the option
of the debtor in any lawful money OF the
United States
Such law shall declare void every provision
inserted In any such contract or judgment
which requires payment hereunder in any
specified coin.
TRANSPORTATION.
Second-1. We demand that the National
the benefit of the people, and to accomplish
that purpose department of transportation
shall be organized, and through 1t the Govern
ment shall acquire or build q system of rail-
Z We demand that the Government shall
own ana operate the telegraphs and telephones
OF the country as part of the postal system.
LAND.
Third-1. Land, air, water and sunshine are
the requisites of all human life and the nat
ural sources of all our wealth, and being Gre
eted Dy no man are intended by God as gifts
lot al and hence they should not be held fer
speculative purposes Therefore, in order to
decrease and finally destroy land monopoly,
we demand that land held in private owner
snip shall De classified, and the owner thereof
De compelled TO pay graduated tax rated
upon the value of the holding.
< All lands now held by railroads or other
corPoTatlons In excess OF their actual needs
ano all lands now owned by aliens shall be re-
ciaimeo py tne government upon Just recon-
pense and held only for actual settlers, alien
ownership being prohibited.
DIRECT LEGISLATION.
clare their win on all domestic policies of the
government or upon all treaties with foreign
nations, and therefore we demand that the
Natonai constitution be so amended as to
provide for action therein by direct legisla-
ton.
RESOLUTIONS.
we, the Peoples party, express our views
upon the questions and policies embraced in
the following resolutions, but do not regard
snem SO urgent for immediate adoption as we
90 our fundamental principles on finance.
above stated.
=. upon all the subjects named in these reso lu-
. IONS we VIII act as early as expediency may
CIVIL SERVICE.
l, we believe that in each and all of the de-
partments OF the Government civil service
system should be at once adopted, thereby
MAKING the appointment to any Federal en-
pioymen save in the heads of such depart
nents, depend upon fitness and good charac-
yer, snd continuing the tenure thereof upon
CORPORATE MoNoPoIIEs.
z. In order TO abolish the evils OF corporate
monopohes now used for private profit we de-
ciare mat every enterprise, in the form of q
puDnc utility which requires the aid of the
sovereign power of eminent domain or taxa
sion should be owned by the Government or