The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 22, 1895, Page 1

P v VOLUME LXXVIIL SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 22, 1895, THE SILVER CONVENTION ADJOURNS. A Plan for Immediate County Organization Decided Upon. ADOPTING A PLATFORM. Every County in California ‘Will Be Entitled to Three ‘Representatives. NON - PARTISAN SELECTION. These Delegates WIiI Constitute the State Central Committee of the Bimetalllc League. e W. Baker opened n yesterday morning \vitation of all previous from any of the dele- e to:address the There were SO Iany responses ker’scall that the entire forenoon over tothose who de- praises of the white s-restoration. bairman Baker referred to he said originated with the gs, to the effect that the conven- n was run by and in theinterestof a legation of silver-mine owners and min- cretaries. This statement he strenu- denied, clgiming that it had not the t foundation in fact. ‘He said that ed the press of San Francisco and vhole country to know the falsity charge, which could best be proved, is opinion, by asking all delegates who ‘WhenC the Silver Conver he reiterated sessions for speec gates w mee! to Mr. E session ws sired est he then put to the convention, and the delegates on the floor only se. Baker -then introduced the first er of the day, G. W. Fox of Oakland, ho spoke in substance as follows: ~We realize that for the last one hun- red years this has been a nation of nericans, and yet it has come to pass that we are compelled to borrow our finan- cial policy from England. There has been a d sition in this country for some years to run our finances on the basis of corporation rule. The best road to pros- perity, the best guaractee to future success lies along the lines of financial reform. The men who made the country were patriotic citizens, but patriotism has de- generated. “We have developed a clique of million- aires who run the politics of the country. How were these great fortunes amassed ? By bonest labor? Ne. No man can get together & million doliars by honest accu- mulation. Go through the long list of statesmen and political prophets and you will see that pecuniary trickery dominates all the affairs of our Nation. “There seems to be but one alternative. That is to organize a party with silveras | tion,” said he. “This country has been ruled.too long by the hired lawyers of cor- porations, masquerading as statesmen. } We \\'.ant a Congress of honest men— Americans. We want an American Presi- dent. We must go down among the com- mon people and find men who will put this country back where Thomas Jeffer- son left it. In addition to this we must watch our legislators and demand that they undo the work which has put the country on the brink of ruin. We must demand the restoration of silver. Major Moore of Colusa argued briefly in davor of immediate county organization. He wanted to hear what the other counties were doing in this regard—more specific facts and less of the glittering generalities of the question under consideration. “What are we going to do about itana | what have we done?’ These seemed to Mr. Moore the important questions for solution. J. W..Murphy of San Francisco recalled Hoar’s famous misstatement, that the sil- | ver question was not equal in importance | to the eggs laid in Texas for a single day, i and said that the goldbugs would soon come to see' that the question would cut a bigger figure in National politics than they affected to believe. In concluding Mr. Murphy advised the plutocrats and money-grabbers generally to beware of tie day when the laboring classes should rise in their might and demand their place at the helm of Government. Lee Fairchild introduced the following resolution,which was unanimously adopted by a rising vote, upon a suspension of the rules of the convention: WHEREAS, The cause of bimetalism early found a staiwart champion in John P. Young, managing editor of the San Francisco. Chroni- cle; and, whereas, his reeent treatises entitled respecti Bimetailism. vs. Monometallism’ and “Silver-Using Nations” furnish writers | and speakers with a storehouse of facts classi- fied and set to convincing argument; therefore, be it ¥ Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be extended to John P. Young for the good he | | has rendered the cause of bimetallism. Mrs. Frona Eunice Waite was intro- duced and spoke briefly upon European finances and the indemnity settlement be- tween China and Japan. Mrs. Waite was | followed by R. Guy McClellan of Berkeley. He said: *The country to-day is under a cloud of | humiliation. We have become bankrupt by a cowardly financial policy. When the Blue and the Gray shook hands over the | bloody chasm that had divided them we felt that we were indeed one great Nation, united for a common good. The 1873 law for the demonetization of silver was a crime which has pauperized our industries | and brought us to the very brink of ruin. ‘We are here to undo this work. We know no party. Upon one point we are united and determined—that is for the restoration of silver and the opening of our mints. They tell us that if we have the free coin- age of silver the country will be over- / AVILLIAM WESTERFIELD ‘A" FARRINGTON the dominant issue. If you look over the history of the country you will see that the white metal which has been disgraced onte stood side by side with gold and gave the country what it has of prosperity to- day. - Restore silver and you will again “hear the song of prosperity through all this proud land. The barren wastes of the West will blossom as the rose, and the wheels of commerce will again revolve. Cleveland has done more to retard the pro- gression of this country than any other man or body of men that ever had a hand iu the affairs of Government. “The constitution of the United States has disappeared. It bas become a myth of .history. The congtitution of the coun- try -is the Chief Executive, who has usurped the powers that belong to the people. How did it all come ahout? When the war closed, leaving one-half of this country a barren waste and the other half sacked by conquering armies, there wag.no financial depression. How is it to- day? Everywhere we hear the cries of poverty and distress; misery stalks upon all your streets and over all your fields— all due to a destructive financial system.” J. M. Barton of Sacramento did not be- lieve in giving the Democrats another chance, “ILam in favor of immediate organiza- | cotnage ratio of gold to silver as 16 to 1; involved in preparing the report which he was about to read had been arduous, from the fact that there had been a great deal of matter submitted touching all sides of the question under consideration, the essence of which it had been deemed advisable to embody in the report. It had, therefore, been made as comprehensible as possible without extension to an unnecessary length. The substance of the resolutions submitted to the committee by the various delegates had, in- Mr. Willey’s opinion, found some degree of expression in the final report, which he read as follows: We, the representatives of the American Bimetallic League of California, in convention assembled, do hereby declare: That the Constitution of the United States recognizes silver and gold coin as money for | all purposes, without partiality to either. That in 1792 the fathers of the Republic adopted a monetary system making our silver and gold coin money for all. uses, authorizing their unlimited coinage in our National mints, for individuals, without preference to either metal, and making our silver dollar a standard unitof the measure of value. That thereafter, under that system, with the namely, one ounce of coined gold equal to sixteen ounces, of coined silver, the parity of the purchasing power of our silver and gold coin was alike maintained, the real money of the country constantly increased, as also did the value of all property, and each suc- cessive. year our people grew richer, happier &nd more prosperous. That, on the 12tk day of February, 1873, the money kings of Europe, in- coliusion with those of our own country, by fraud, conspiracy and corruption, procured the surreptitious passage of a measure through our Congress, which inangurated a new and an untried monetary system, which has since been main- tained to our dire disaster. By this system First—The coinage of silver in our own ) tional mints, upon demand of our people, was prohibited. Second—The gold dollar was made the single standard unit of the measure of value as money, in our National mints. Third—Silver was reduced to a commodity of commerce, the market price of which was con- trollable, and has beén regulated by the Shy- locks who-debased it. Fourth—Moré than one-half of our money of | final redemption kras thus been destroyed, and the silver in ‘circulation ranks only as token money. ! Fifto—Our undoing is the exaltation of those who thus wrong us. While adversity increases with us, in like ratio they prosper, because all favoring bimetallism to aid in uniting and organizing all citizens of like convictions, that they engage in a crusade of education so de- termined, so diligent, that all may become fully informed and join in the people’s cause, each with a fixed and steady purpose to sup- port no person for any position of public trust not well known to be openly, unequivocally and earnestly upon the side of the people in the contest now existing between the people and the money kings; and be it further Resolved, That it is the sense and the recom- mendation ot this convention that bimetallic clubs be immediately formed in each and every county in the State, and in such numbers as the convenience of members and the popula- tion will justify; that'as soon as such organ- izations are perfected the said clubs shall meet in joint county conventions and elect three of their members as county committeemen, one of whom shall be chosen from the Republican, one from the Democratic and one from the Populist party; that, when so elected, such members shall constitute and be members of the State Central Committee of the American Bimetallic League of the State of California. Respectfully submitted. HENRY I. WILLEY, Chairman of the Committee on Platform and Resolutions. The report was unanimously adopted by the convention upon motion of Tom Clunie, seconded by John D. Moore of Colusa. The feasibility of naming the Silver Ad- vocate, a journal published in San Fran- cisco, as the organ of bimetallism for the Pacific Coast, was discussed at length. Julian Sonntag opposed such a course. He did not believe in singling out any one paper as an advocate of the silver issue. McCue of Marin County declared that all of the newspapers in California would ultimately come out boldly for silver. He was opposed to naming any one publica- tion as a champion of the cause. Murphy of 8an Francisco and Moore of Colusa held like opinions, and without a vote the discussion was dropped. Alex Majors, a California pioneer, white with the storms of 80 eventful years, was introduced and spoke for half an hour on the duty of citizens during what he con- siders a “trying time in the history of the Republic.” There was little of the silver argument in his address, but his venerable appear- ance and unstinted enthusiasm aroused a great demonstration on the part of the delegates and they cheered the vld man to the echo. He said that he was 80 years of age and had recently decided to live for ten or twelve years longer, if for no other reason than to see a flood of silver in this country. He said that the honest money cry had been used or misused by men and PRICE FIVE CENTS. OHIO DEMOCRATS STRIKE AT SILVER. The Springfield Convention Ruled by Senator Brice. legitimate means to secure the election of the candidates so nominated and so pledged; and be it also y Resolved, That the members of the State Cen- tral Committee hereaiter to be selected be anthorized to sélect delegates to represent their several Congressional districts in said Bimetallic National Conference when called, and that this convention now select four dele- gates-at-large to represent the State of Califor- nia in the same. And lastly be it Resolved, That the condition set forth in the second of these resolutions requiring the lay- ing of the said bimetallic platform before the sald conventions of the various political parties be conditioned upon the supposition that said conventions be convened at no later date than July, 1896. T. . WELCH. “Now then,” said Mr. Welch, “if this convention prefers to refer these resolu- tions to the committee it may do so, but I want you to know where I stand in this matter. I shall not submit to the dicta- tion of three men—" £ An objection to: the effort of Mr. Welch to make a speech was presented in the form of a point of order, and ' the speaker retired from the platform. James McCue, apparently ignoring: the resolutions or the mover of them, under- took to speak. “My first interest,” he said, “is in Marin County, then in every county of the State of California; after that the United States; and I have no interests THE MONEY OF THE CONSTITUTION AND SOME OF IT3 DEFENDERS. [Frem an original sketch for ‘‘The Call’” by Nankivell.] Lo HENDERSON. whelmed with the white metal from all over the world. This is. & ghost story which I am obliged to refute nearly every day in the week. The whole of Europe only produces twenty millions of silver an- nually, less than the United States can produce in ninety days. England produces neither gold norsilver, and yet she controls the finances of the world. “We produce the silver of the world and could easily force the nations of the world tocome to us for this supply. Wearein this fight to stay and we do not propose to be deceived by the old party platforms, which- declare that ‘We are in favor of both met- als as money.” This has become a chest- nut. We have been fooled too often by the word-juggling of party plaiforms. We want representatives from the people and for the people.” At the conclusion of McClellan’s re- marks the convention adjourned until 2 o’clock P. M. AFTERNOON SESSION. A Plan for County Organization Adopted. The first business of the aftefnoon ses- sion was the reading of the report from the committee on resoultions. Chairman Willey of this committee was introduced by Mr, Baker. He stated that‘thelabor gold and all obligations payable in gold are enormously appreciated. Sixth—Many ol our most important indus- tries have Leen rendered profitless; others are languishing, almost lifeless; the burden of in- debtedness upon our people has been doubled; business enterprise is manaclgd; . honest, in- dustrious wage-earners can find no occupation. We are1n charity, being forced to pity and provide for the great army of unemployed, and each successive year the condition of our peo- ple is becoming worse. ‘We further declare that this Nation is power- ful enough, and ought to be independent and brave enough to determine its own financial policy and maintain it, without suggestion, dictation or advice from any other nation or nations whatsoever; therefore, be it Resolved, Thatat the earliest moment that it can be legally done and without in any way considering the financial policy of any: other nation or nations, and ignoring all advice, suggestions or threats from any and every source, our National Government shall return to the monetary policy of the Fathers of the Republic; snd, at the coinege ratio of gold and silver of 16 to 1 respectively, should again permit to individuals the unlimited coinage of silver and gold in our National mints without preference to either metal, thus again making our silver and our gold coin money for all purposes in this country without discriminetion for or against either, thereb; u ‘making our silver dollar, as it should remained, 8 standard unit for the values; and be it further 3 That it is the duty of every citizen | again have alwa; messure Resolved, parties to confuse the people asto their real attitude, and then he asked: ““What is honest money? Cleveland says he is in favor of honest money. The stamp of the Government makes money, not the intrinsic value of the material stamped, be it sole leather or paper. We are hastening on to serfdom. If some- thing is not done soon by ballots, then bullets will'be used. We cannot have too much silver. If all the money of the United States was invested in silver mines, and every man set to work taking out the white metal, we should not then have too muck. We want floods of it. Statesman- ship has degenerated until it has reached the low level of political trickery. Our law-makers are hired attorneys of the bankers and brokers, posing as legislators.” At the conclusion of his address Mr, Majors was given a hearty vote of thanks by the convention. At this juncture in the proceedings the delegates were treated to a surprise. Thomas C. Welch of Orange County walked down the aisle with a roll of paper in his hand, which he said was a set of resolutions that he did not propose to sub- mit to the committee on resolutions until he should be permitted to read them to .the convention. Mounting the platform, he read as follows: Be it resolved, That it is the sense of this con- vention that a National conference of the Bi- metallic League of the United States of America be convened at as early a date as may be thought advisable by the bimetallic National committee at a place to be by that committee designated, and a plattorm clearly and unmis- takably enunciating the principles .and demands of the friends of silver adopted and proclaimed and,' that a = commit- tee be by such conference appointed whose duty 1t shall be, to appear at the Na- tional conventions of the various existing political parties to be: held in the year 1896, and to urge upon said conventions the incor- porating of the principles so enunciated and proclaimed by said National Bimetallie Con- ference into their platforms and the nominat- ing for the various offices of National trust of men of well-known and- sterling integrity, pledged to faithfully and fearlessly fulfill the ‘propositions thus adopted and proclaimed; and be it further P o % i Resolved, That we herewith as representatives of'the friends of silver, 4n our various States and sections, pledge ourselves 'to give our un- hesitafing ‘allegiance and earnest support to that party which accepts the T propo- oregoing » sition; and we call upon all friendsof silver throughout the Nation to unite with usin this uadertsking and to use all honorsble snd outside the United States. If I had not begun this fight thirty years ago I would be to-day the worst broke man in this hall.” There was a cry of *‘Order” and a de- mand to know what Mr. McCue was get- ting at. “You. might as well listen to me,” he shouted, “because I am going to talk.” But Mr. McCue was told by the chair that he was out of order and promised that he should be permitted to make a speech in good time, when tnere was nothing else State, and if we let it drag the old parties sidetrack us.”” Jonn D. Moore of Colusa settled the con- troversy by calling the attention of the chair to the fact that a series of resolutions had been reported by the committee on organization and the report had been adopted, and that it could not be amended without a motion to reconsider. The chairman eonsidered the point well taken and so ruled. Then he called on the convéntion to listen to a speech from Thomas J. Clunie, who was invited to the platform and spoke as follows: “We have a great duty to perform, and the California friends of silver have issued to-day a new declaration of independence. We have said to England what she could not do in war by the combined force of her army and navy, and we say now what she cannotdo in peaceful times in the latter part of the nineteenth century—the great mass of the people of the United States say this. ““‘We have a great battle before us, The EULOGY FOR CLEVELAND, Policy of the Administration Lauded in Speech and Resolution. CAMPBELL FOR GOVERNOR, Placed at the Head of the Ticketin Spite of His Repeated Protests. SPRINGFIELD, Ommo, Aug. 21.—In spite of James E. Campbell’s earnest and repeated protests that his friends must not nominate him as the Democratic candidate for Governor, as he could not make the money power of this country, assisted by the money power of England, will have to be met face to face and conquered. We whipped them in the Revolutionary War, we whipped them again in 1812 and we will whip them again in the battle that is soon to be opened up. “We want to reach the people. In com- mon with other Democrats in this State I have gssisted in preparing platforms to suit the administration Democrats and sil- ver people. And asmy friend Braunhart will tell you it wasa pretty hard job. I have cut loose from any further attempt to suit any administration on the money question. \ *1f the forefathers of this Republic ha been in power in the past few months there would have "been a little hanging, match in this country. It rmay be that the opponents of ‘silver, are honest in their opposition.. Let us hope they are. This is the grandest country on earth and has the greatest of resources, and it is not likely that we will lie down at the feet of Great Britain. “I am ready in conjunction with your honored chairman and the son of this grand old patriarch, Alexander Majors, to go from one end of thig State to the other and organize the people and teach them, if they would not enslave the unborn generations, to rise up in their might an teach the misguided leaders their duty.”” At the conclusion of Mr. Clunie’s ad- dress the press was given a vote of thanks and the convention adjourned wuntil 8 before the convention. Mr. Welch’s resolution seemed to have been lost sight of in a scramble to learn what there was before the house. Then, for the edification of the gentleman from Orange, a motion prevailed that section 8 of the report of the committee on organi- zation be read, recommending the selection of George W. Baker (Republican), James J. Doolin (Democrat) and Alexander Majors (Populist) as members of the Na- tional committee of the American Bimetal- lic League. * Mr. McCue again arose. ‘‘The National banks have had the greatest champjon,” he said, “‘and I admire John S8herman. He is a greater. man' than ever Chris Evans SR But Mr. McCue was finally subdued, and the section was read. b 2 "Mr. Welch asked for an explanation of the duties of thg committee of three and what authority it was empowered to exert. Secretary Eeley explained that the com- mittee had no power, except that as mem- bers of the National committee it had three votes, and that the power would be where it belonged—in the hands of the bimetal- lists of the several counties. 4 “It was well known,” continued the sec- retary, “that an attempt would be made to have the organizers governed or con- trolled by gentlemen selected from this convention. But the counties are able to manage their own affairs. What rignt has is convention tosay what the bimetal- list in any particular county shoula do?” ” Mr. Green of San Francisco declared'that,| ‘three men could not organize the State'in one year. “The intention of the resolu- tion I ‘introduced yesterday,” he said, “was to have persons selected to go into every Assembly district of the State and organize them. As soon asthe clubsare organized they will take matters into their own hands. ‘We came here to organize the o’clock. SRR CLOSING SESSION. After Stirring Addresses the Con- vention Adjourned Sine Dle. Ex-Congressman Horace F. Bartine, for- merly of Nevada, now of Utah, made the first address at the evening session. He ‘was introduced by Chairman Baker as the man who made the best silver speech ever delivered in the halls of Congress, and commenced by praising the work of the convention about to close. In the course of his address Mr. Bartine said: “You have done well in your decision to conduct this fight on non-partisan lines. In. time the move is bound to assume a partisan aspect, but at the present time I am of the opinion that a partisan plat- form would be premature. So far there is nothing of a partisan nature in what you have done, but should it have the effect of breaking old party lines we shall shed no tea IS, “On the Pacific Coast men recngnize the fact that silver is the issue. East of the Missouri River the case is quite different. Here the silver man wants silver, but he wants something else with it. Heis not prepared to break all party ties and affilia- tion. I have notchanged my views on the silver question since I first commenced to examine it. some eight years ago. In speeches which I made in Congress years ago I said that the silver issue was beyond ‘all comparison the most important ques- ‘tion before the people. , Harrison may not .be sound on silver, but he is infinitely bet- .ter than - Grover Cleveland. In this great struggle we are confronted by the money power—ndt the money power of the | United States alone, but the money power of the whole world. This power is always —— e Continned on Bighth Page. race for various reasons, the ‘ex-Governor was put at the head of the ticket by acclamation against his will to-day by the 800 delegateg to the convention. The nomination was forced upon the Hamil- ton County man while he was in the midst of a speech and in the act of pre- senting the name of Judge Peek of Cincin- nati for the same’ honor. Then camea graceful acceptance, and the rest of the ticket was made up on the acclamation order. E Senator Brice won his point of having only a reaffirmation’ of the National cur- rency plank inserted ‘in- the platform, “sound money’’ winning by 'a majority of 255 when the free-silver amendment to } the platiorm was put to the convention. ‘When Senator Brice appeared on the stage at 10:15 o’clock he was given a fairly cordial reception from the 1500°delegates and spectators that packed the ‘floor and galleries almost like layers of figs from Palermo. Ex-Governor Campbell followed soon after this and took his seat among the Third District delegates. Just as soon as he appeared the convention asone man cheered again and again, while the band added to the din with, “The Campbells Are Coming.” At10:25 State Chairman M. A. Smalley called the convention to order. He had yelled so often to his predecessors to ‘“cut it'short” and ‘‘leave to print’”” that he re- frained from making a speech himself. Prayer was offered by Rev. 8. F. Brecken- ridge, and then, amid more cheers, Senator Qalvin 8. Brice was presented as tempor« ary chairman. Senator Brice said: 1t is now less than a year since we wera beaten in this State by nearly 140,000 plu- rality. Nor was this s local disaster affecting only the party in the State. We suffered from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the lakes to the gulf. We were beaten on our stronghold as well as in doubtful places, and it is idle to talk of its being the fault of any one man or any single act of the party or any of the minor causes thateffect political success. The shadow of the great world-wide panic, the industrial and financial depression, low prices for all products, low wages or no wages for working- men everywhere, despair for farmer and me- chanic, terror and ruin for banker and mer- chant, and at the bottom of alla false tarift system ruining in turn manufacturer and con- sumer, and an unwise and fatally weak cur- rency—this situation had thrown over the whole Nation resentment against the party ‘which happened to be in power when the dis- aster came. But, gentlemen, does not this convention and the intense feeling manifested by those who attend it and those who have sent their delegates here tell the storythat a change bas come over the public mind; that the Demo- cratic party is no longer prostrate; that its for- tunes are rising and thatit is quite worth while to be in the Democratic army, which already has the assured and confident step of a march toward victory ? Panic and fear have passed away. The beneficence of Democratic legis- lation has already produced and is producing its effects. The three great promises made to the American people in 1892 have been more nearly fulfilled and carried more nearly into execution than any three promises ever made by any party in any platform. What were they ? They were summed up by Samuel J. Tilden forty years ago as home rule, sound money and free trade, as nearly as govern- mental requirements permit, and they were fulfilled under the very shadow of the disasters brought on this by the Republican laws, dgainst which we protested, and whose repeal we demanded—the force bill, the McKinley ‘bill and the Sherman bill. Gentlemen of the convention, when sent by