The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 20, 1895, Page 1

NNyo: ( mZowoe U "VOLUME LXXVHOL—N 0. 8l. SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20, 1895. BIMETALLISTS MEET IN CONVENTION Making Ready to Se ver Party Ties and Traditions. DELEGATES IN EARNEST. | Répresentatives Present From | All. Parts- of California and | * Neighboring States. RUMORS OF A SILVER PARTY. The0ld Organizations Are Rather | Severely Handled by the White | Metal Advocates. i | | | er convention, re- | d a meeting of | met at the Pal- | wvened yesterday | 1 Hall. Delegates | 1 parts of California, hboring States. { chairman of the Bi- | Francisco and one | in the gathering, | vention with a brief ad- | ich the objects sought to be were outlined. He said in sub- rman of the Bimetallic League neisco it becomes my duty to meeting to order and to review | ects for which we are assembled. ell known to all of youthat the great »n before the American people to- f finance, before which all nk into insignificance. This reached out until it has made t in every part of our country. It the lining-up of the industrial | 1st the banker and bondholder of a corrupt and all-grabbing tem, that if persisted in will | nto absolute ruin. t if the people have a d in this matter of grave rue son of America that will repudiate the acts of the sharks | ] ‘and Lombard streets and declare | n policy, of American birth, | it upon ‘the principles of | Government — sound money. that we have a powrerful erous enemy in the field, at will not hesitate at any honorable or otherwise, to de- the crime which was committed st ‘this repu twenty years ago. nwmen people—the the wealth of this fi-Re 10 a8 gi exteut under the | iron heel of the money power. “This is the reason that seventy-fivemen | me* at the Palace Hotel on the 20th of last June and decided to issue a call for this con- vention. Wedecided there that recruits were bt sary to make this great fight in de- fense of the rights of the American people, and that the best way to get these recruits be to calla meeting and talk the ver. For this object we are here to- people who are ma ‘We are not here as partisans. There are members of all parties in attendance. We are here not as Republicans or Demo- crats “or- Populists, but as bimetallists. | Party lines here have been broken and be- s.we have left party names and con- . "We have gathered together a »wd of men determined to be right on eat question, whatever it may cost party ‘traditions and ties. We come from: tlie- workshop, the farm, and the forum, resolved to face this question and squarely in the eye. e want a sound-money man in the White'House, and we are going to have ch. a_ man. If he cannot be found in of the old parties, then we will land e from the Bimetallic League. We do seek political preferment or the spoils | D! ice. This is not our mission. What we do -want is the money given us by the founders of this republic—the currency of ‘Washington and Jefferson. That issound money, honest money, and good enough for America for many years to come. “If the thousands who are with us in prineiple will come forward and assert themselyes the battle will be easily won, and as eternal vigilance is the price of | Jiberty we must organize early and watch late.” The country must be defended from | the’ grasping moneyed oligarchies of the 01d and"New World. e hear from the press—not the press of California, to whom all honoris due for the-stand which it has taken on this ques- tion—that we are under great obligations to Morgan and the Rothehilds for coming to’.the rescue of the United States Treasury. Protection for the treasury of the United States, indeed! ““Wiho protected it during the dark days of :our great war? We carried on the greatest conflict at arms that the world has ever seen and bore our flag to victory on the credit of this Nation. “Some one in the New York Herald said recently that we were under great obli- | gations to the bankers for favors shown the Treasury Department. Forone I am opposed o turning the treasury of this country over to any three-ball game under the sun‘of heaven. The bone and sinew is entitled to some protection, instead of turning its efforts into the coffers of Wall et. “We believe in gold and silver as money. We believe that silver was stricken down by 2n arch conspiracy, and we seek to re- store it to its proper standard. We may, and probably shall meet with reverses, as did our forefathers of old, but right will ultimately preyail.” At the conclusion of Chairman Baker’s address a motion was carried calling for a committee of fifteen on credentials. Jilins Sonntag moved that all delegates from neighboring States be accorded the same privilege in the convention as regular California delegates, excepting the privi- lege of voting. 5. 8."Wright moved to amend Sonntag’s motion by granting delegates from other Btates.the privilege of voting on all ques- tions coming before the convention. D. W, McNiel raised a point of order to the effect that the call did not contemplate the voting of outside delegates, and that it ought not to be allowed. 1 0.0.m fornia had been used to furnishing Nevada with Senators she should allow the Ne- vada delegates to vote. ‘The motion to allow outside delegates to vote was finally carried amid a storm of applause. Chairman Baker then appointea the fol- lowing committee: Resolutions—H..I. Willey (chairman), San Francisco; Green Majors, Alameda: A. L. Hart, Sacramento; W. C. Cressler, Modoc; T. J. Clunic, San Francisco; Colonel Cochrane, San Francisco; J. H. Budd, 8an Joaquin; E. L. Colnon, San Joaquin; J. C. Gree cisco; Frank J. Moffitt, Alameda; Mayor 8. S. Wright, Fresno; Julisn Sonntag, San Francisco; Ed Reddy, Inyo; M. K. Haurs, Fresno; E. M. Gibson, Alameda; George A.' Koch, Mariposa; George T. Wagier, Alameda; Thomas C. Welch, Orange; D. E. McKinley, Sonome; H. A. McCraney, Sac- ramento; William S. Edwards, San Bernar- dino; J. A. Plummer, San Joaquin; Mayor Orr, San Joaquin; T. S. Phelps, San Mateo; W. 8. Staley, Sonoma; Hon. J. L. Davie, Alameda; N. W. Epaulding, Alameds; Ben Morgan, Berkeley; R. Guy McClellan, Alameda; H. L. Austin, Fresno; C. W. Cottran, Stanislaus; Frank Short, Fresno. On permanent organization—J. H. Tingman (chairman), Los Angeles; W. E. Rogers, Kern; Dr. R. Brown, Sacramento; Hugo Hornlein, Sacramento; M. T. Campbell, Biskiyou; A. L.} after adjournment the delegates formed in line and led by a brass band marched to the Occidental Hotel, where headquarters are located. The committees on credentials and reso- lutions went into session at once, the for- mer to receive the credentials of delegates, and the latter to discuss the feasibility of forming a permanent silver party in Cali- fornia. Judge E. M. Gibson addressed the com- mittees at length. He said that he came to the convention as a Populist, but an- nounced his willingness to join hands with Clunie, Phelps and others in the forma- tion of a new party. In his opinion the time was ripe for such a move. Timothy Guy Phelps followed Judge Gibson. He said: “I am not in favor of the formation of a new party. The peovle are not yet ready for such a party. We know that, in an examination of this question, they can come to but one conclusion, viz: that the remonetization of silver is the only feasible financial policy. The most that we can hope to accomplish in this convention is to educate the public on this most important topic and to induce them to recognize it as a living issue in the affairs political of this country. “Party ties are strong, and it seems to | me that a break in the party lines at this time would be inopportune. If either of do. We should seek to educate the people on this question, but within party lines, at least for a time.”’ Judge Thompson said: “No attempt should be made at this time to switch delegates from either of the old parties. If we ao thisthe convention will be false to its call, which declares it to be non-partisan. Let us do the work for which we were called together, and not overstep the limits of our obligations. To educate, propogate and agitate on the sil- ver question is the object of this conven- tion as I understand it. Let us see to it that we attend to this duty.” The committee then adjourned. FOR THE PLATFORM. The Sub-Committee Appointed by the Committee on Resolutlons. At the evening session of the committee on resolutions it was decided after some discussion to take no further action at present than the appointment of a com- mittee to draft a preamble and résolutions that, when finally accepted by the conven- tion, shall stand as & platiorm or declar- ation of principles. Delegate McCraney moved for the ap- pointment of the committee, and Chair- man Willey named the following gentle- men to serve: Judge J. H. Budd of Stock- ton, General Robert M. Beatty of Nevada and M. M. Orr of Stockton. It was suggested, and approved by all, | that the preamble and resolutions to be drafted by these gentlemen should be brief PRICE FIVE CENTS. LIVES SACRIFICED BY NEGLIGENCE. the United States from a money panic in 1863. They are all warmed up to the situ- ation and are in just the humor to rej‘ec'. anything in the shape of a compromise. This dodge has been worked on them sev- eral times by both the old parties and they are now out and out for silver at the ratio of 18 to 1, without regard to any foreign country. They say so in their conversa- tion, write it in their arguments and think of it in their dreams. The one saving clause in the next campaign for the State | that has suffered more than any other sil- ver-producing State in the Union is the hope of free coinage. Many of them were interviewed last | night on the question that is nearest their hearts, and rather than enter into a re- vival of the old arguments that have been preached to the peonle of the West ever since silyer was demonetized they are more inclined to give voice to their indi- vidual opinions, and atthe same time sug- gest what will occur if something is not | done, and that soon. As several of them said: “We do not care to go into details as to the why and wherefore, for the peo- ple of the Pacific Coast are familiar with the question, its advantages and the neces- sity of favorable legislation; but we do wish to express ourselves on the point and pointed and couched in as plain and | which touches the question as it stands in simple language as may be. restoration of silver, that party will get | there promises to result from their labors | | a statement that shall be noted for its | polls, and in order to do that we have got | had the following to say: my vote.” The commit- | its unsettled state to-day—its thousand the old parties should declare for the | tee itself was heartily in favor of this, and ' and one idle mines and its chief industry | dormant. We want to settle it at the | CHAIRMAN GEORGE W. BAKER OPENING THE CONVENTION AT METROPOLITAN TEMPLE. LA 7 . 7] /,44;,// !4’%// 75 ; 3 -, > 7 = [Sketched by a “Call” artist.] J.H. TINGMAN Warner, Sonomo; W. R. Pond, Yolo; George W. Grayson Jr., Butte; J. P. Edoff, Alameda; John Moore, Colusa; Major James Kip, San Fran- cisco; A. Meyers, Alameda; B. K. Collier, San Frencisco: R. B. Snell, Alameda; Thomas Eager, Fresno; Dr. W. B. Wall, Orange; Hugh Davie, Lake; W. D. Heitman, Alameda; William Pardy, 8an Francisco; W. L. Dickenson, Merced ; E. P. Jones, San Francisco; R. M. Beatty, Nevada; C. C. Powning, Nevada. On credentlals—Lyman Bridges, Alameds; M. A. Hurley, Calaveras; M. M. Muller, Fresno; G. E. Foster, Kern; D. E. Alexander, Sacra- mento; Dr. Hudson, Joaquin; Robert Me- Kiilican, Alameds; Martin Eoughton,Sonoma: Fred Kirkland, sacramento; P. C. Hyman, San Francisco; Captain Charles M. Leary, San Francisco; F. sey, San Francisco; P. H. Medley, Stani; ; Major M. Biges Jr. C. C. Powning of Nevada was introduced to the convention as “‘the old Nevada war- horse.”” He was escorted to the platform by a committee appointed by the chairman composed of Messrs. Clunie, Willey and Sonntag. Responding to an invitation for a speech Mr. Powning said that he was not much of a warhorse, but that he was proud to hail from the grand silver State of Nevada. He decla_red that whatever other states might do, Nevada would vote for no man that did not stand for the restoration of silver, in a ratio of 16 to 1, first, last and all the time. Following Mr. Powning’s address came a discussion as to the disposition of reso- lutions offered to the convention. Some were in favor of referring all resolutions to the committee without reading in open convention. Others held for a reading, to be followed by a five-minute discussion, of each resolution. It was finally decidea to read all resolutions in open convention, and then submit the same to the proper committee without debate. D. W. McNeill submitted the following resolution, which was adopted without discussion : _Resolved, That the State Central Committee be composed of eighty members, on the basis of Assembly District representation, and that the delegates present from therespective coun- ties select such members to serve in the State Central Committee. - An adjournment was then taken until H, A. McCraney responded that as Cali- | this morning at 9:300’clock, Immedfately Tom Clunie was the next speaker. He ; strength and clarity than its number of also emphasized the strength of party ties, | words. and felt that they were hard to sever. He said that he had been trying to serve the Cleveland administration and at the same time the silver men. He found it a diffi- cult position indeed, and it had become veg tiresome, e did not believe that the rank and file of the Democratic party were opposed to free silver, but when the United States is obliged to go to foreign lands for its finan- cial policy, he thought it time for all good Americans to call a halt and look about for a blunder somewhere. . “I propose,” he continued, “to give the Democratic party one more trial, and in the event of a failure in this question, to go with any party that declares for silver.” General H. A. Beatty of Nevada said that Navada is the daughter of California and thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the pioneers. He then told how the silver agitation had been conceived and prose- cuted in his State by hard, honest work, which finally resulted in the Silver party of Nevada. ““We cast our electoral vote for Weaver,” said he, “not because he was a Populist, but because he was a silver man. The party that comes out boldly for the re- | monetization of the white metal can have the vote of Nevada every time. Against the money of the two great parties we have won two victories by votes, and we can do it again. The way to organize for silver is to get individual pledges.” T. C. Welch of Orange County, secre- | tary of the committee, said: ““We should organize as an emergency organization—like the minute men of the revolution. Then if either of the old par- ties fail us, we are in a position to act. I never will again vote for a President who sings ‘Those Golden Slippers,’” while his parasites dance a clog dance before the American people. We should organize at once.” Majors of Alameda said: “When a man leaves his party, his op- portunity for making silver converts di- minishes. Even if we organize a new party the people will not come to us until they see what the old parties are going to Green Majors acted as secretary pro tem of the committee. After the sub-commit- tee had been appointed the main commit- tee adjourned till this afternoon at 1 o’'clock. NEVADA IN REVOLT. Uncompromising Attitude of the Delegates From the Sagebrush. The Sagebrush State has sent down a list of delegates that have not forgotten Robert M. Beatty, Who Will Be One of the Leading Speakers To-Day. [From a photograph.} why Nevada was admitted to the Union and how instrumental she was in saving 3 4 to formulate a plan of action, and that’s what we are here for.” Dr. Bergstein, chairman of the Nevada delegation, said: “The fight for free coinage that was begun in Nevada in 1892 has been kept up systematically by Jones, Stewart, New- lands and the people ever since, and to- day it looks as though we were to have something to say in the next Presidential election. “One can readily see how strong the sentiment is in Nevada by the converts we make up there. Congressman Bartine, although a warm and constant advocate of free coinage, not long ago preferred the Republican party to the out and out ad- vocacy of silver without regard to politics, and was turned down for Congress, and left the State for Utah. Since ther, how- ever, he has placed silver above party, and is a silver man tothe backbone, and while heisin Utah he has become one of the strongest and ablest silver advocates on the Pacific Coast. “On two different occasions we have swept the field in Nevada and the silver party has triumphed over all opposition. 1 have been a Democrat most of my life, but left the party because of the failure of Congressmen to cast their votes for the white metal. There is no option for them when Nevada and the West is concerned. ‘We want free coinage without compromise and without regard for any other country under the sun.” Mr. Eugene Howells, secretary of the Nevada delegation and Becretary of State from that section, having been elected on the silver ticket, is perhaps better able to talk of that campaign and its watchword than most men. Mr. Howells says: “We have come down here with thirty- two delegates, and there is not a man among them who does not know that the action of 1873 was deadly to the State of Nevada. We stood it as long as we were able o, and now there is nota Democrat or a Republican of influence left in the State. We feel the effect of a single stand- ard daily, and we will accept no compro- mise upon free coinage and no straddle will blina us as to the purpose of the twe An Intoxicated Youth Caused the Gumry Hotel Disaster. old parties. We have encountered those things before, and this time we must have ‘a clean platform from both ends or the re- i volt will go across the country with re- newed energy. The watchword is16to1, and we will take nothing less.” Senator William H. Sharon of Storey County believes that California is making a step that will redown to her credit in after years. *‘Nevada is a unit,” he says, ‘‘on the silver question, and I believe if anybody understands it we do. We have come down here as the guests of the Bimetallic League and were very kindly given seats on the floor of the convention. We did not expect to take part in the discussion, but have merely come here to witness the work that is of such importance to this coast and the United States generally. We do not care to interfere, but the courtesy we have been accorded is most acceptable and pleasant to us. takes in this issue will meet with the ap- proval of Nevada provided they keep con- swngisight of the watchword, ‘sixteen to one.’” State Treasurer Westerfield, who left the Republican ranks for silver some time ago, a o~ - ¢ A 12 \ GEN.- PAWNING, “I believe Nevada has the honor of be- ing the first State in the Union to begin the revolt, and I think I can say truthfully that the Carson Appeal was the first paper to suggest it. preaching insurrection against the old parties and the influences cf Wall street, and clamored for more protection for the things we produced in Nevada, principally silver. It called upon the people of the State to rise up and stand for themselves on an issue that was of more importance Senator William H. Sharon of Storey County. [From a photograph.] to them than anything else and to begin striking hard -ynd sturdy blows for the Oontinued on Fifth Page. Any action California | Four years ago it began | OVER A SCORE KILLED, Scenes of Horror and Death After the Explosion of the Boiler. NOBLE WORK OF RESCUERS, Ex-Governor Routt Stated That the Terrible Wreck Was Due to Dynamite. DENVER, Coro., Aug. 19.—~Additional details of the terrible disaster at the Gumry Hotel, shows that without one moment’s warning the boiler in the base- ment of the structure on Lawrence street, near Seventeenth, exploded shortly after midnight this morning and with terrific force tore away the entire rear portion of | the building, demolishing the rear and side walls and reducing the place to one mass of confused timbers, bricks and debris, which shortly after took fire. So far as have been recovered, eight bodies are at the city morgue and ten more are known to be buried beneath the ruins. Altogether seventeen people are missing, and the loss of life will not be definitely known until order is restored from the confused mass of ruins. The killed are: R. C. Greiner, assistant superintendent of construction at the State Capitol, and his wife, who acted as clerk of the destroyed hotel; George Burt of Denver, a conductor on the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad; Fred Hubbold of Lisbon, Iowa, aguest of the hotel; F.J.McClosky of Longmont, Colo., guest; Will Richards of Denver, elevator-boy, and an unknown woman and child about 3 years old. The only means of identifying the body of the woman is by a gold band ring with the initials “H. B.”” engraved thereon. The missing, and supposed to be still in the ruins, are: Peter Gumry, owner of the hotel and superintendent of construction at the State Capitol; General Charles Adams of Manitou, Colo.; James Murphy, a prominent Democratic politician of Omaha; E. N. Edwards, a butcher of Den- ver; W. J. Blake, W. J. Corson, F. French, County Treasurer of Gilpin County; Mrs. G. R. Wolfe, Grace Wolfe, 5 years old, of Lincolin, Nebr. ; B. L. Lurch of Blackhawk; an unknown woman and three unknown. . chambermaids. Those injured and safely attended to at the hospitals are: M. E. Letson, Joseph Munal, Alex E. Irwin, Fred Coleman, Nathan C. Burgess and Bud Hopkins. “This so far is a definite knowledge of the people to be accounted for, but the hotel register shows people who have safely materialized, and some missing are not on the register. The latest obtainable infor- mation regarding the most terrible catas- trophe that isrecorded in Denver’s history, clearly shows that a 17-year-old boy, El- mer Pierce, who was temporarily placed in charge of the boiler, was directly respon- sible for the accident. With the boiler almost at a red heat he injected cold water into the tubular affair, causing an immediate explosion. Strange to say and by a miracle he escaped unscathed, and to-night was being hunted by an angry crowd of people who would havedealt with him hastily had he been apprehended. He seems safe, however, as no clue has been unearthed as to his whereabouts. The story of suffering amid the ruins is agon- izing and even repulsive. Few people other than firemen, the hastily summoned rescue corps and policemen, remained near the scene to witness the excavating for the horribly burned human masses and dis- torted remains. M. E. Letson, who was the first live man taken trom the ruins, had an experience that at which all mankind can marvel. He slept on the third floor, and when found was encased in a conical-shaped mass of mortar and bricks that barely allowed his freedom of movement. Chief Roberts of | the fire department first discovered him, | and rapidly began the removal of the tons of material that seemed to rest directly upon his body. In agonizing and heart- rending appeals he begged an instrument to end his life. The rescuers worked with a will, and in two hours had succeeded in displacing enough plaster and bricks from the apparently lifeless body to allow & re- moval. With most gracious thanks the man was removed to the County Hospital, | and though his lower limbs were horribly contused, he will survive his terrible ordeal. He had been imprisoned for ten hours. No words could portray the scene around the ruins late this afternoon. Women and children, maddened by terrible sus- pense, hurried to and fro in anxious in- quiry concerning loved ones that are miss- ing. Strong men, hard at work amid the ruins, quaked at the sickening smell of roasting flesh, and turned with pallid countenance from the scene. Never before has such absolute wreckage and ruin de- vastated any portion of the State. About 10 o'clock in the morning a woman’s hand protruded almost unno- ticed from among a pile of laths, brick and otner material. With the precision of & trained corps of life-savers attention was turned by the rescuers to the delicate member that almost beckoned for help. ‘When the work of removal of the debris from her body commenced it was discov- ered that she was dead. Lying beside her in lifeless, yet tender affection, was the corpse of a small child, innocent looking even in death. Bravely on worked the firemen, superintended by Mayor McMur- ray of this city and Police Commissioners Hogle, Church and Wilson. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon coffee and sandwiches were served to the inde- fatigable rescuers by prominent ladies of the city who volunteered their services. Aldermen Leet and Ross were begrimmed with smoke and dirt from their labors in attempting to render all possible aid. At 5o’clock the body of an unknown man was uncovered and it was immediately taken to the city morgue, where it was later thought to be that of F. J. McClosky, Half an hour later the remains of