The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-20
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD"
This Wing of the PopuIist Party Has
n Platform Drawn Up.

n Platform Drawn Up.
ST LOUIS. Mo-. July 19.-The mid
die of the road Populists have a plat
| form prepared, drawn up by Hon.
Alfred Daggett, of California, which
they will support, and under which
they will attempt to nominate a
straight out Populist for the presi-
dency. The financial and tariff planks
are:
Finance-Eirst, we demand a ma
tional currency, safe, sound and fiexi-
BILE, issued by the general government
only as a full legal tender for all debts,
public and private; and such national
currency should be issued by the gem
eral government direct without the in
tervention of any national bank and
without the agency Of any financial or
other corporation whatever.
Second-We believe that the United
States is. in fact, free and independ-
emit nation and that its freedom and the
financial and industrial liberty of its
citizens should not be made to depend
upon the financial Whim, caprice or
avarice of any foreign nation and,
therefore, we demand the free and I'M
limited coinage of gold and silver by
the government of the United States
without reference to the action or
financial course of any foreign nation.
Third-We demand that the laws
authorizing the Incorporation of ma
tional banks be absolutely and uncon-
ditionaIly repealed and that all ma
tional banks and the national banking
system now in vogue be abolished.
F'ourth-We demand that congress
enact a law which shall declare that all
contracts, obligations and judgments
of every kind and character requiring
the payment of money shall be payable
at the option of the debtor in gold or
silver coin or other lawful currency
Of the United States and that such law
shall declare that every provision in
serted in, or made a part Of any such
contract, obligation or judgment which
requires the debtor to pay the money
due hereunder in any specified kind
of coin or currency shall be null and
void and the court in which suit may
be brought to obtain Judgment on such
contract, obligation or judgment shall
adjudge the provision which requires
the debtor to pay the sum due there
under in any specified kind of coin or
currency, to be null and void.
Fifth-We demand that the amount
of circulating medium be speedily in
creased to not less than $50 per capita
of the population.
Sixth-We demand that the govern
ment establish a system of postal saw
ings bank in each city, town, village
and hamlet of the United States which
contains a population of 1000 or more,
and that the people be permitted to de-
post their money for safe keeping in
such postal savings banks, and that the
government carry on the business of
transmitting money from one point to
another through the medium of postal
bills of exchange issued by authority
of the government through said postal
savings banks.
Seventh-We demand that a law be
passed by congress authorizing the
government to loan to citizens of the
United States, but not to aliens or to
corporations. money ON all landed
property to the extent of two-thirds of
the assessed value of said landed prop
erty, which said loans should be Sc
cured by mortgage to the government,
and should be made for periods of not
less than five years nor more than ten
years to any one citizen upon a rate of
interest not to exceed 2 per cent per
annum.
Eighth--We demand that a law be
passed by congress authorizing the gov
eminent to loan money to municipal
corporations IN the various states for
the purpose of public Improvement /
only to the extent of one-third Of the
assessed violation OF the taxable prop
erty in such municipal corporations,
and the rate Of interest charged should
not exceed the actual cost Of issuing
loan, and ali loans should be paid to the
government by the municipal cor
poration receiving the loan, in annual
installments, each installment not to
exceed per cent of the sum loaned
We recognize that the government ;
must have revenue with which to pay
the expenses thereof, but in view of
the constant agitation Of the questions
involved in tariff legislation and the I
unsettled condition of business brought +
about by such agitation. we demand I
that congress pass a law providing for
a non-partisan tariff commission, to
which commission all the laboring, (
agricultural and min
ing industries of the country shall be
the members of which
shall be selected from the different
states of the Union. which said commits
sion shall collect all the facts and data.
as to the operation of the various laws
passed on the subject of tariff and shall
annually report the same to congress
for its information, to the end that
congress may have authentic knowl-