The herald., 1897-08-20
Iowa Populists in State
Convention
FREE SILVER IS NOT ENOUGH
A DEMAND IS MADE FOR FIAT
MONEY
National Prosperity Can Never Re
turn Until the Competitive Sys-
tenn Is Destroyed
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
DES MONIES, Iowa, Aug 1s.-The
middle of-the-road Populists held a
state convention here today which was
largely attended. about fifty counties
being represented. M. c. w. Weeks of
Madison county presided.
A. W. Kicker of Iowa City, temporary
chairman, said: Nothing short of the
absolute destruction of the competitive
system applied to those things which are
in themselves essentially public utilities
or public necessities will relieve society
from the load under which it is at pres
ent struggling.
"The convention held in this city May
21st, called by the chairman of the Peo-
pies Party State Central Committee,
deliberately and seemingly willingly
abandoned the principles of the Omaha
platform, gave up the name of the parry.
adopted that of Democrat, and by this
act became absorbed into the Demo-
cratic party. 1t is useless, therefore, to
expect a continuation of the battle from
this organiza tion
"A partisan press tells us that pros
perity is returning. Do not be deceived.
So long as capital has power, by COM
bination, to levy fixed charges upon
industry, prosperity to the great indus
trial classes can never be more than a
chimera, a will-o-the-wisp, a phantom
of the imagination.
The free coinage of silver will in
crease the volume Of money and raise
prices. but will destroy no trusts no
monopolies, will in no wise deprive cor
porations of their enormous absorbing
powers, in fact could they but realize it.
they would increase. No party can ever
succeed upon the single silver issue, for
| its inadequacy to relieve society from
| it's stricken condition is apparent"
PEFFER'S SPEECH
The feature of the afternoon was the
address by ex-senator Peffer. He said
in part:
IF recent discoveries of free gold
mines should prove to be as valuable as
present appearances indicate, the silver
question may soon be eliminated from
Republican discussions. except, possibly,
as to those persons whose individual in.
terests are at stake. Silver Republicans
want more metallic money and they
would probably be satisfied with gold if
there is enough of it,
1T is proposed that the Populist party
shall do two things-limit the range of
our discussions to the silver branch of
the money question and ally ourselves
with the Democratic party. These are
the propositonso on which we are divided.
l am opposed to both of them.
TT may be urged that the Democratic
party has changed its policy in respect
to the coinage ratio. I deny ii. The
platform utterance is merely declama-
tory, inserted to catch the Populist vote.
The responsible men of the Democratic
party have not been and are not now
tenacious about the ratio. Its candidate
for the presidency and his associate on
the ticket would, as l verely believe,
consent to any compromise that would
secure the unlimited coinage of silver.
There is nothing in the Democratic
platform or in that party's policy which
is any way responsible to the pressing
demand of the working classes.
THE coinage of silver and an income
tax are the only matters about which
the Democratic and Populist parties are
even approximately in accord"
The following state ticket was placed
in the field: Governor, Charles A. Lloyd,
of Musca tine county; lieutenant-gov-
ernor, D. L. Perkins. Lyons; judge of the
supreme court, j. A. Lonburg, Wapello;
superintendent of instruction, William
Blain,' Marion; railroad commissioner,
L. H. Griffith, Lee.
The platform adopted reaffirms the
st. Louis and Omaha platforms; de-
clares for direct legislation; for a "suffi-
ciert amount of sound and flexible mon
ey;" for the issuance of money to state
county township and municipal gov
ernments, the principal to be paid back
to the government at per cent per an
rum, without interest, the said money
to be full legal tender.