The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 3, 1896, Page 1

[ Aot T ot wol jou ! eded °2q ©% sul VOLUME LXXX.—NO. 95. GOLDENROD DEMOCRACY First Day’s Session of the Third Party Con- vention. ORGANIZATION QUICEKLY EFFECTED. Bryan and the Chicago Platform Scored by Sound-Money Men. POPULARITY OF PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. Principles Advocated by Indianapolis Dissenters to Be Made Public To-Day. CONVENTION HALL, INDIANAPO- LIS, Ixp., Sept. 2.—The first day’s session of the National Democratic Convention, called by the Democratic advocates of sound money and the opponents of the Chicago platform, was marked by unani- mous action and favorable surroundings of wind, weather ana enthusiasm. Eight bhundred and twenty-four delegates were present out of a possible 900. These rep- resented forty-one States and three Terri- tories. In maay instances the delegates were supplemented by full sets of alter- Dates, so that the attendance equaled and almost surpassed the seating capacity of the hali, Asa body the delegates p sented the appearance of substantial business men— dressed, well mannered and exceed- some of them so unac- w ingly courteous—: omed to the w. that they hac tion. the simplest matte To leaven thi £ procedure. lump of political inno- cence there was ¢ ture of veteran horses of the Democra three United States Senators—Paimer, Caffery and Vilas—four or five Governers and ex-Governors of Stat-s—Jones of Ala- bama, Stockbridee of Delaware, Buckner of Kentucky and Flower of New York—be- sides severa! prominent ex-Congressmen, among them G. E. Everett of Massachu- setts and Perry Belmont of New York. The convention went to work with busi- ness celerity, effected both a temporary and permanent organization, and got down in one day to that important point ns, oid wheel- v in fact, including comes in. Senator Palmer of Iilinois, chairman of the committee which issued the call, rapped the convention to order. Ex Governor Flower was made temporary chairman, and read a very long address, many points of which were cheered. He was succeeded by Senator Caffery of Louisiana,’ whose speech was much shorter e a sufficient admix. | order of business where its platform | cheered, yet the most noticeable feature of | the day was the reception which met Mr. | qlevellnd'snlmn. ‘Whenever it was men- | tioned it was greeted with an uprising | demonstration of applause, the heartiness and sincerity of which seemed beyond gnestion. | _The convention was called to orderin { Tomlinson Hall. The interior of the building was profusely decorated with the ational colors and various designs em- biematic of the sound-money faith. The | | front portion of the stage was furnished | with plants in pots—the goldenrod being | | predominant. The main body of the hall, | | on three sides of which are galleries for | spectators, was occupied by delegates. A { band of music in a smaller gallery dis- { pensed popular airs during the day. { Hanviag high over the platform was the National coat-of-arms, on which a | golden eagie appeared to be triumpnantiy { Bapping his wings. To the right of this | | were hung framed likenesses of Jefferson, | | Jackson and ex-Senator McDonald, and to the left pictures of Cleveland, Hen- | dricks and Tilden. The appearance of the hall, on the whole, was very pretity { and attractive. | There was much applause as prominent | Democrats entered the Lall and took their | seats. Amone those tuus specially hon- | ored were Buckner and Breckinridge of | Kentucky. Senator Palmer of Iliinois | came “ All these remarks were vigorously in unnoticed and took his seat among the delegates from his State. A white silk flaz on which was imprinted a | likeness of President Cleveland, with the { motto, “Florida’s candidate,” was carried through the hall by a colored man, and | was cheered frequently. All the delegates | wore bright-colored badges on the lapels | of their coats, the prevailing hue being golden yellow, and many of them sported | in addition twigs of “goldenrod,” so that the character of the convention was as- | serted in unmistakable manner. The convention was calied to order at | 12:30 o’clock by Senator John M. Palmer | of Iilinois. He said: “Gentlemen, I bave the honor, mo- mentarily, to preside over the first Na- tional Democratic Convention heid in the year 1896, [Cheers.] The gavel will be in my hands, however, but a moment. We are assembled here for hign, noble, patri- otic purposes. Our earnest thought is to serve our counwry [applause], and in the sincerity of that purpose we may appeal to the Judge ot all hearts. In order that we may now appeal to the Great Master, the Great Giver, I beg you to listen to the invocation of Bishop White of the diocese of Indiana.” Bishop White delivered an earnest in- vocation that the Almighty would give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great | danger the Nation is in by our unhappy | divisions. The call for the convention was then read. When the name of Cleveland was mentioned in connection with the names of Jefferson and Jackson the members of the convention rose and cheered for sev- | eral minutes. i | The roll of States was read with several | | amusing incidents. When Colorado was called the response was ‘‘Present, with a | solid delegation of one.” Fiorida said, *“A doubie delegation and | overflowing.” Iilinois replied, “A full delegation and | some to spare.” | When Nevada was called there was no direct response, but a voice from the rear of the hall shouted, “Digging silver.” There was no answer from Wyoming. | When the call of States was finished | some one called for the Territories. | Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico were found to be represented. Senator Palmer then called for a report | from the Naticnal Committee, which was Roswell P. Flower, Temporary Ch. Convention, Begun at airman of the National Democratic Indianapolis Yesterday. than the temporary chairman’s, but was equally incisive. The oratorical effects of the day were secured by Dr. G. E. Everett of Massachu- setts and John P. Irish of California. Dr. Everett boldly declared that Massachu- setts was for cold and not for bimetallism by international agreement, asserting that every nation whose views were worth baving had adopted the gold standard. He also repudiated any alliance with the McKinley protectionists and proclaimed ‘regularity” for the present convention, which he believed would be the precursor of along line of regular Democratic con- ventions. The Chicago convention and platform were ignored as Democratic in- stitutions by i2e speakers and by the con- vention. Mr. Irish was very aggressive in his re- marks. He spoke of McKinley’s protec- n and Bryan's free-silver Populism as *‘twin sisters of the horseleech,” working in concer:, each to produce a dspres_sinn of prices for which free trade or iree silver was to be the remedy. He opposed the income tax and called upon al! true Demo- crats to protect the United States Sapreme Court from the degradation which would be thrast upon it by the ‘‘puppet of the silver syndicate.” :read by Mr. Brennan of Wisconsin. It | declared that delegates have been se- |lected and are present from forty-one States. Those in which no delegates have been seiected are Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Nevada. In justice to the true Democracy of those States it should be stated that they are so far distant from the headquartersof the executive committee that they are not available for correspondence, and organi- zation has been relatively so short and the population of said States so widely scat- tered that it has been impossible to take the necessary steps to form local organiza- tions and to secure the election of dele- gates to this convention. Democrats of the true faith in these States doubtless regret the absence of representatives in this convention as deeply as can the con- vention. Although Territories are not mentioned in the call for this convention, ibe Dem- ocracy of the Territories of Alasks, Ari- zona and New Mexico have gall antly sent delegations. We recommend that thedel- gates reported to the secretary shall be entitied to participate in the prehiminary organization of the convention and that those who are present and the alternates {for those absent, if any, shall be entitled | our to cast his full number of votes to which their respective States are entitled. It was also recommended that the rules of the Democratic convention of 1892 shail govern this convention. Ex-Governor Flower was nominated for temporary chairman. Ex-Governor Flower was then conducted to the chair and said, in substance: This gathering 1s notice to the world that the Demoeratic party has not yet surrendered to Populism snd anarchy. The true principles ot Democracy expounded by Jefferson and ex- emplified through & century of National his- tory, are mot deaa because those principles bave been repudiated by & convention calling itself Demoerstic, but controlled by um- Democratic influences. Those are true Demo- crais who remasin true to the principles of their party and who refuse to be bound by party deciarations which betray party faith ana threaten both party and country with disaster. By our presence here we emphasize the genuine character ‘of our Democracy and demonsirate the patriotic nature of our parti- sanship. Because Ilove my party and my country I em here to do what I can to shield them from dsngerous attack. The danger of the Chicago Pplatiorm does not alone nor chiefly lie in its declaration for a financial policy which would be ruinous. The danger liesin the revolution- sry influence which controiled the Chicago convention and animated its platform. Men may justly differ as to the best scheme of National finance, snd msy debate their dif- ferences without recrimination or without questioning the honesty of motives. But when men, led on by ambitious politicians, their minds fired not by the example of Amer- ican patriots, but by that of radicals of the French revolution, overturn party precedents and pack a convention to securs an effective majority, then by aid of that majority raise aloft the incendiary bannmer of the people sgainst the rich, attack the integrity of the Bupreme Court, threaten the subversion of Nstional institutions and the direct perver- sion of constitutional guarantees, incite disre- | spect of law and authority, suggest and in | substance recommend the repudistion of Na- | tional and private debts, and rejeet by intend- | ed implication the fundamental principle of | Democracy that that government governs best which governs least—then 1t is time not only | for Democrats to forsake that motley and un- American gathering, to reject that un-Demo- | cratic and un-American enunciation of doc- trines, and to join, in such manner asmay | seem vest, with all patriots who cherish their country’s bonor and wish to protect the wel- | fare of its people. | 1 mistake the moral sense of the American people if the action of the Populistsat Chicago, reinforced and emphasized by the action of the Populists at St. Louis, has not rekindled the | spirit of American patriotism and awakened | the American conscience to the national dan- | gers which lurk in the forces and influences behind Bryan #nd Sewell or Bryan and Wa son. The real issue in this campaign is an is- sue of patriotism. In many a Presicential election bas the fight raged fiercely be'ween the advocates of different political do:trines and the ruin of the country freely predicted it either set of doctrines were established as the policy of the Government—such prediciions being merely the extreme expression of party politics; but in this etection the issue arcund | rity of our institutions and the sacredness of National honor, predominates and all good citizens staud which the battle is waging involves the integ- | and when men have | stirred that deep well of sentiment, ordinary | periy differences dissppear, the moral issue | campaign that we have had since the war.” shoulder to shoulder against those who would de troy tbe American name and undermite the walls of her politigal structure. Mr. Bryan re- iterates, in about every second speech, that he stands squarely on the Cnicago platiorm and supports every one of its planks. =He has not yet announced bis scceprance of all the planks of the Populist platiorm, but inasmuch s these are only different in degree and he has been identified with Populism quite as much as with Democracy, it is but iair to assume thet he stands on both plat- forms. Not quite so radical in his views, per- haps, as Altgeld or Tillman. not quite so frank as Tom Watson, he is, nevertheless, a fit representative of the revolutionary forces be- hind him—ambitious, unsteady and unsafe, There is nothing in his career or in his pres- ent utterances to encourage the hope that if elected he wou'd rise above his surroundings or stay the hand which threatens to destroy and pervert. An untried man, a demsgogue, s word juggler, he well represents the restless mob from which he rose, and with cheracter- | istic recklessness does not hesitate to appeal to | base human passions in order to atiract votes. l That in this ircenaiary’s role, standing as he professes to stand, on principles as un-Demo- cratic as those of Herr Most, heshould deserve, | by any conception of party reguiarity, the | support or wue Democrats, is past compre- | hension and explainable on'y by :gnorance of the man and his platform or disloyaity to ®enuine party faith. Nosound conception.of ‘can justify encouragement to social disorder. Not even the homest believer in asilver } standard or the most enthusiastic bimetallist Senator John M. Paimer of Ilfinois, One of the Organizers of National Democratic Party. : ean, if he be s patriotic citizen,consclentiously | support the forces of political suarchy. The | advocacy of free-silver coin ge by Bryan ana | many of his adherents is only s closk for the spirit of revolution behind. Every true bi- metailist must blush to have his cause depend- aat for success upon those who would reorgan- | ize the Sapreme Court when its decisions do not please & party convention, who would re- pudiate the National debt if free silver coinage did not accomplish bimetallism, who would attempt to destroy the sanctity of private con- tracts, who would have the Government take and operate the country’s railways and tele- graph, who would restrain the strong arm of law in suppression of disorder. Even if 1 believed that free coinage of silyer by the United States independently and alone would, under proper couditions, restore bimetallism, I could not bring myself to intrust so delicate and important an undertaking to men of Bry- an’s inexperience and associations,and I would suffer forever the alleged evils of a gold stand- ard-pefore I would be a party to contempt of law, t0 an attack on our highest courtand to a subversion of our form of government by losding it down with ungovernmental func- tions. Before such a spectacle how would the shadow of Jefferson, Jackson and Tilden shud- der and surink. Whoile, 2s I have said, Mr. Bryan boldly pro- fesses to stang on every one of the strange attempts to divert Democratic attention from the revolutionary spirit which prevades most of that document by confining the larger part of his public utterances to what be calls bimetallism, and he evidentiy hopes by mag- unifying the importance of this financial issue and distorting its phases so that it will ap- pear to be the movement of the masses against the classes, to make Democrats forget their dislike of the plainly un-Democratic features of the platform and to persusde them that after all oniy an economic 1ssue isinvolved and this shou!d not justify a breaking of party ties. But that kind of tactics should deceive no one. We believe that Mr. Bryen's arguments for free silver are fallacious and demsgogic, but we oppose his candidscy not chiefly be- cause he favors free coinage, but because his advocacy of that policy is but a feature of his support of & set of doctrines which we have been taught to regard as the very opposite of Democratic and the support of which demon- strates the unfitcess of Bryan and his assocl- ates for positions of public trust. Let not this fact escape Democratic atiention. Every sppeal in the name of party regularity to support the Bryan ticket is an appeal to support the governmental ownership of rail- roads and telegraphs, to attack the independ- ence of the Federal judiciary, to abolish the credit system as a test of fituess for pudlic office, to refuse to uphold tne National eredit by theé issue of bonds when necessary, to scale down the pubiic deb: by repudiation, to invite not only the evils which wouid follow a silyer standard, but those which would iollow irre- deemable paper money, for even purely fiat money seems to be recommended in theChicago p.atform. The men who represent such a coa- of poor principies and radical no- tions are not Democrais. They have no claim on Democrats, and sll over tue land to-day Democrats are rising to overthrow their party etters, which mean slavery, and to staud be- tween the people and ihe certain injury which the party’s rash leaders would infiict upon the Natfon. The revolutionary spirit which forced Bry- an’s nomination is manifest in his speeches now being delivered throughout the éountry. His conspicuous failure at Madison-square Gar- den to sdvance the cause of silver by close ar- gument has induced him to abaudon the weapons of the logician and statesman and to end of cars he has been flinging out social and political firebrands among the people. He appeass to the base instincts of the igoor- antortc the misery of the distressed. He strives to array class sgainst class, 1o ineite employe against empioyer, to stir up debtor against creditor, to make this a contest of the poor agsinst the rich. Mar God prevent this incendiary work! ‘In this broad iand it has baen anr nrond hoast that tha avannas af sna. pianks of the Chicago platform, he adroitly | M. Bryan said: “This is a polfixal-‘mmmgm It is developing more public cess have been open to all. The rich to-day were the poor of yesterday. No families of in- berited wealth dominate our polities or our society. Before the law all men are equal. The same opportunities do not come to all men; some succeed, many fail, but no barrier to success or position is created by law. Industrial condi- tions may be affected by unwise laws,and when this is demonstrated we attempt to change them through the opportunity which every man has to register his vote at the polls. But though some men succeed and many fail, this is the lot of life, and no candidate for the Presidency has ever dared beiore to use this fact to arouse men against men and to kindie the fires of social discontent and disorder. Proud as we have been of America’s mate- terial prosperity, we have been prouder still of the self-reliant, independent and sensbile spirit of her peopia. When foreign critics have told us democracy here would some dsy prove a failure, that universal suf- irage would lead to anerchy, that class feeling would be engendered which would result in riot or in the confiscation of properiy, we have lsughed and have pointed to the sturdy Americanism on our farms, to the influences of our public schools, to the respect for law and order in our cities, to the examples of seif-made men in every f.mily, to the educat- ing influenses ot our press, to the fullness and broadness of our charities, and more than all, to the solid patriotism of our pecple. T be- lieve that we can still depend upon these. Bad as the times are, stagnant as industry is, distressed as many homes are for lack of em- ployment, the common-sense of the American people will not be deceived by appeals 10 pas- sion, but will perceive clearly what is truth, namely, that the present conditions are largely caused. not by the influences against which Mr. Bryan in lurid words disclaims, but by fear of the very rem edies which he suggests. When this great snadow which he and his sssocietes have created passes off tne surface of the financial and industrial world, then confidence will be restored, money will seek investment, factories will be reopened and employment be secured. There can be no prosperity without confidence, and Mr. Bry- an’s plan shatters confidence and portends business tailures and panic. These mean more men cut of employment, more homes without fcod and clothing, more misery and distress. Allof Mr. Bryan's speeches, pleas and argu- ments for silver are based on the assumption that the free coinage of silver by the United States aione wouid estabiish and maintain bi- metallism—the parity of gold and siver at the exchangeabie matio of 16 to 1. If that assump- tion is ineorreet or ili founded each of his ar- guments falls to the ground, and every one of his predictions loses its force. Not one word has he uttered in advocacy of a silver stand- ard; not one word does he dare in behalf of & silver standara. He will declaim by the hour against the evils of gold monometallism,and nearly every- thing he says on that subject is equally appli- cable to silver monometallism also. Bimetal- lism is a genuine Demoerat.c doctrine, but bimetallism can never be attained by the men who dominated the Chicago convention or by the method implied in the Chicago platform. There is resson to doubt whether the forces which controlled that convention even de- sired o sccomplish bimetsllism. The word bimetallism does not appear in the platform. The convention by an overwhelming vote re- jected a proposition pledging the Government to maintain the parity of the two metals. The disposition of the conventios, as dictated by its expressions and iis actions, was toward silver monometailism or irredeemable fiat money. As well might theark of the covenant have been entrusted to tne Philistinesas to entrust the cause of bimetallism to the revo- lutionary people behind Bryan. It is not a difficult task to show that under present. conditions free coinsge of silver by the United States alone would resultin silver monometailfsm. Foolish experiments in that direction have siready caused the loss of & great part ot our gold from circulation. Part of it has gone abroad, withdrawn from invest- PRICE FIVE CENTS TAXES MAY BE RAISED, Equalizers Will Attack San Francisco County Assessments, IGNORED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, None Appear to Show Cause Why There Should Be No Increase. TROUBLE IN PROSPECT FOR ALAMEDA. Assessor Dalton’s Explanation Not Satisfactory—Beamer Expresses an Opinion. SACRAMENTO, Car., Sept. 2—From all appearances the Board of Supervisors intend to totally ignore the existence of the State Board of Equalization in as far as coming before that body to explain why in proportion to taxable wealth City property is assessed at a lower basis than is that of agricultural counties of the State. On the original date set by the board for hearing tne arguments of the representatives of San Francisco County the equalizers received a petition asking for further time, and in granting this they did so with the expectation of a battle royal. In consequence they have been laying in a supply of ammunition. But to-day San Francisco failed to putinan appearance and all the gathered data was as naught. Perhaps the reception accorded Assessor Daiton of Alameda County last week dampened the ardor of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; at all events the equalizers met an Arctic irost instead of a torrid heat. San Francisco and Alameda counties are not assessed for more than 50 per cent of their true values, declare Equalizers More- house and Beamer. There are entire dis- tricts within the Bay City which are not assessed for anywhere near the face value of the mortgages they carry, and capital is not so essily misled that it will advance itself for anything bke the true monetary valuation of property. Speaking more fully on the subject Equalizer Beamer said: “The agricultural counties of this State are assessed much higher in proportion to their real vaiue than are the counties of San Francisco and Alameda. The assessment of Henry P. Dalton in Ala- meda County is at least 20 per cent below the figures furnished from forty agricule tural counties. ‘*All property in Alameda County 1s as- sessed low in proportion to its real yalue, excepting some farming property in sec- tions where the land is not valuable and productive. We have abundant evidence to prove this. Property-owners in differ- ent counties have voluntarily come before the State Board cf Equalization and testi- fied that they could not pay the taxeson their farming property were it no:that they owned property in Alameda County. Iam confident that Mr. Dalton knows he has not assessed Alameda County at its value. His assessment is unquestionably popular with the mass of property-owners in his county, because of it they avoid the payment of their share of State taxes. In about nine cases out of ten Mr. Dalton has cat down the value of improvemeénts and Icannot see why this should have beea done, except to populsrize Mr. Dalton with those by means of whose votes he expects to be retained in office. “I am informed that prior to his elec- tion Mr. Dalton promised the taxpayers that if elected he would reduce their taxes 25 per cent. He made his campaign in a buggy piacarded with this announcement and as far as he could do it he has kept bis promise. But that promise was kept at the ‘expense of every taxpayer of this State outside of Alameda County and Mr, Daiton’s assessment should not be allowed to stand. I have annusally examined the assessment-roli of Alameda County for several yearsand have slways thought it was low, and yet Mr. Dalton makes a cut on valuable improvements that cannot be characterized in any other terms than as ridiculous.” It is claimed, however, that Equalizer Chesebrough, whose property interests all lie in San Fraacisco, does not fully accord witk bhis associates. But the outlook is that the assessment of Alameda and San | Francisco counties will be accorded a hori- zontal raise tbat will place them on an «quality, in proportion to their taxable properties, with other agricuitural coun- ties of the State, as the equalizers view the situation. El Dorado Kepublicans. PLACERVILLE, CaL. Seot. 2.—The Republicans of Granite , Coloma and Lotus have organized a McKinley club with a creditable roli of membership. The president is A. F. Anabie; vice-president, M. J. Alholff; secretary, A. Rasmussen. The Republicans of El Dorado County have called a county convention for Sep~ tember 12, tc elect a new central commit~ tee and nominaie candidates for Super- visors, County Judge, Assembiyman and joint Senator. The Placerville McKinley Club is steadily growing and has 100 mem- bers. 2 e Lake Tahoe’s Mail Service, LAKE TAHOE., Cin, Sept. 2.—United States Posial Inspector Thrall was sent to the lake yesterday to examine into a pum- ber of complaiats made by San Francisco people against the mail service on the steamer Tahoe. Thrall says it could not be in berter condition, and entirely exone erates Frank Oliver, the mail clrk, saying that he can find no foundation for the ace cosations againsi him.