The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-13

VI y VI w n, iowa, aug 12.-SIldIl
attendance of delegates, proponderance
of Populists and perfect unanimity
were the characteristics of today's
conference Of the free silver Democrats
of Iowa. The attendance is the small
est that has been noted at any con-
vention held in Iowa for years. Three
of the counties-Audubon Cass and
Guthrie-were represented by only one
delegate each, while it is said few
counties were not represented at all
The forenoon session convened at
! 1855 and lasted till shortly after noon.
The most important work of this ses-
sion was the address Of the temporary
chairman. A. A. Van Wagenen.
Judge Van Wagenen said in part:
my friends-We are upon the eve of
a great struggle; struggle for liberty,
a struggle for existence, individuality
and as a nation. It must be evident TO
any man who has studied the course of
events for the last twenty years, that
the very existence of free Institutions is
imperiled if there is to be continuance
of the present drift of affairs. Our
farmers, once the most prosperous peo-
pie on the face of the earth, have been
reduced To that point where their crops
will scarcely bring the cost of produc-
ton. Our merchants, once the most
thrifty in the world, have been driven
to the verge of bankruptcy. Our labor
ing men, once generously employed,
and able to build homes for themselves.
have been reduced TO a condition of
POVERTY WITHOUT PARALLEL
in a free country. The great wealth of
this nation, created by the toilfng mil
lions CT men, women and children, Is
fasG becoming concentrated into the
hands of the favored few.
Money kings, without check, have
juggled the national finances. We hav-
seen national convention helpless in
the hands of the gamblers of Wall
street, tutvsd at their selfish will to Dor
row money by the issuance of bonds
We have seen the government COM
PEELED to sell these same bonds to the
men who created the necessity of their
issuance on such terms as melted them
more than ten millions of dollars in less
than thirty days.
THE demands of the usurers and
money lenders Of Europe became all
powerful and the pleadings of the over
taxed and oppressed common people OF
this country have been met with de-
rision and treated with contempt. The
climax in this respect was reached at
the convention held at St. Louis, where
one of the great political parties of this
country declared that we shall not re-
turn to the money of the constitution,
the money of our creator, the money of
our forefaGhers and the
MONEY OF THE COMMON PEOPLE
until we have secured the consent of
all the aristocracy and the monopoly
ridden monarchies of the old world
Recognizing the existence Of these
conditions the great question before
the American of today is what is the
cause OF the deep and widespread de-
/ preston and what are the remedies
which should be applied? We have
tried all kinds of tariff. high and low,
without amy material charges in the
tendency of affairs. The eyes of the
people are now turned TO the only other
source from which lit could reason
ably be expected THAT such serious con-
sequences could come.
eve charge that the prime cause Of
the trouble lies in tine fact that the
money lenders and money owners Of
the world, by fastening upon us the
gold standard, have increased by near
j " so per cent the purchasing power Of
the money which they own and have
correspondiugly depressed the value Of
all kinds of property. We contend
that there has been no fall in prices,
but an increase in the
PURCHASING POWER OF MONEY.
If this be true, 1T will be admitted by
all thinking men that sufficient cause
has been assigned for the distressed
condition of all classes of industry to-
day. 1t is clear tat the volume Of
money should be increased in the same
ratio as the volume OF business in
creaees, with perhaps a slight addition
ON account of the increase in popula-
ton.
I'VE have in circulation, according to
the last report of the director of the
mint. about sixteen hundred millions
dollars. If the volume of our business
Increases 10 per cent it is clear that
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