The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-04
THE FRIENDS OF SILVER.
NATIONAL CONVENTION AT ST. LOUIS
They Propose That silver Shall be Placed
an Equality With Gold-"SiIver'
Bland Heads n Strong Committee
on Resolutions.

Sr. LOUIS, Nov. 26.-Mr. James Campbell
called the $50 delegates to the national silver
convention to order at IL o'clock and named
l. NJ. Rumsey of st. Louis temporary chair
man. On taking the chair Mr.. Rumsey said
that on the deliberations of this convention
largely depended the future prosperity of the
country, for congress would undoubtedly listen
10 the voice of this convention which was
thoroughly representative of the country. The
people should have the right to coin their sill
yer freely as they coin their gold. The
/ necessity of the unlimited coinage of silver is
apparent and imperative. He hoped no hob
! bies would be brought in and that the conven-
| ton would devote its whole time TO the main
end sought to be reached. After the appoint
! ment of committees recess was taken until 3
p. IN. During the recess the committee on
resolutions chose II. P. ('Silver') Bland of
Missouri chairman. The committee discussed
its work, but will meet again tomorrow morn
ing. 1t is regarded as a very strong committee,
! being constituted as follows:
Arkansas, B. D. Williams; Arizona, John C. Loss;
/ Alabama, A. Irwin; Colorado L. B. Buchanan ;
/ California the Hon. L. NJ. Pxey; Idaho, William
llindman Indiana. Peter p Kennedy; Illinois,
Kentucky, Henry Watterson; Montana, W. G. Gal
| ligher; Missouri, Il. T. Bland; Nebraska, William
| Wallace; New Mexico, J. a Niazanaris; New York.
J Thomas Jordan; Nevada, Francis Y. Newbanks;
Pennsylvania, w. J. Chayney; Texas, Charles
LOngueme; Utah. C. C. Goodwin; District of Column
Wyoming. W. N. Grant; Tennessee ,' A J. KellaI ;
/ Virginia, john W. Porter.
! While the committees were out Gov. Francis
was introduced to the convention and said he
thought it fitting that the first silver convention
should be held in Missouri-at the home OF the
( father OF the silver dollar of to-day. Refer
/ ence to the deserved failure" of the efforts of
| Germany and the United States TO demonetize
! silver was warmly applauded. Gov. Francis.
/ in the course of his remarks, said ON the ques-
| ton OF the characterization of silver:
The question which you have met to consider is a
living one yea il is live and pressing issue. second
IN Importance only TO the great question whiSh Is az
ways brst with all nations, all clmes and all races
namely, the question Of taxation. For centuris the
precious metals OF gold and silver have been looked
| upon standards OF value, mediums Of exchange
/ Less than two decades ago Germany, enriched by
! the payment OF a large tribute from defeated and
Inundated France, attempted to demonetze silver,
tempt to follow the baHeful example. Both efforts
have met with the failure which thew so richly de-
served applausel and to-day silver passes current
/ legal tender in Germany, whilst in own
country we witness the unprecedented spectacle OF
our government buying from its own citizens a
commodity at 80 cents which il pays out for value
| received at 100 cents Applause.l
| Touching upon the results of the convention
and the influences it would exert, the governor
said:
There is now in session in our national capital a
congress OF ali the independent nations in America
| OF North Central aud South America-the countries
which produce nearly all the silver produced in the
world. Applause. One of the objects OF that con-
venton is think, and trust, at any rate. to
standard silver dollar that will pass current for 100
| cents from Alaska to Patagonia. Applause
At 3 D. m when the convention reassembled,
| il was decided to open the doors 10 the public.
A long discussion was had over the manner of
voting, but 1t was decided that each state dele
! CATION should have twenty votes, and one vote
each for all over that number in any delegation.
| The committee on organization reported n. D..
Warner Of Ohio, chairman; J. NJ. McMichael OF
| Colorado vice chairman; Albert Singer OF Mis-
| souri,, secretary. and F. L. Dana OF Colorado,
: 7. j. Palmer OF Kansas, and j. A. Greer OF
| Pennsylvania, assistant secretaries. On taking
the chair Mr.. Warner said
subject than which none other affects the people
OF the entire world with equal weight is the silver
question. Since Germany, in 1872 followed later by
other European powers and partly by the United
question has been vital issue and in the discussion
bimetallists have won the victory. The attempt to
change the money standard from gold and silver TO
gold alone was worse than mistake-was almost a
crime. The men who favored such course knew
| what the consequences would be on the debts and
commerce of the nations of the world and they were
aided by men who did not realize the far-reaching
results OF the change. The demonstration OF silver
made the gold standard different from
| what IL was before that act. Decentralization
/ OF silver was, in fact, a great crime,
and sver's restoration is the important
| suffered
more from bad monetary legislation than from any
| other cause. The first duty is stability OF the
finances. What is asked is the restoration Of that
| money standard which existed for ages that silver
be placed equality with gold at the ratio which
has existed Ii is the duty OF the country to re-
| store what should never have been dsturbe 3, and
this convention has assembled here TO decide on the
best methods TO be pursued in reaching the desired
| end
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 27.-After several de-
layed delegates to the silver convention
| had presented their credentials this morn
| ing, Mr.. Morse OF Colorado offered the
following which, after discussion, was re-
ferred to the resolution committee:
| Resolved That the senators and representa-
tives in the congress of the United States be
and are hereby requested to establish a unit
| for the coinage of silver with the South Ameri-
can states that shall make silver coin pass cur
rent on par with gold in all the Americas OF
| the Western Hemisphere, and that they also be
| requested to open negotiations with the con-
gress OF all the Americas now in session in
! Washington for rebuilding of railroad from
the United States to and through the states of
| South America.
After listening to a paper on the silver
| question from Thomas Jordan, editor OF
the New York Mining Record, the conyen-
ton took recess until 80 p. IN.
The convention reassembled promptly
at $50 and listened to papers from Judge
Morris of Richmo Ind, and Congress-
man Symmes of Colorado. Mr. Symmes
referred to the article from the pen oil
John Jay Knox, in which Mr.. Knox took
position adverse to the sentiments of the
convention. and said:
And this is the man who advised congress TO
demonetize silver from 1870 to 1873 because, MS
he argued, an American silver dollar exceeds
by per cent. the standard of gold, and will
not circulate, but will be exported for recon.
age.
Congressman Symmes was followed by
Senator Stewart of Nevada, whose ringing
remarks evoked frequent outbursts of ap-
plause. The senator's address was dis
tinctively of-hand talk, and seemed to
suit the delegates much better than the
printed papers TO which they had previ-
ously listened. Among other things, SEN
ator Stewart said:
During the deliberation thus far / have beeu
profoundly impressed with the fact that the
question of money is involved in these pro-
ought to be done we must confne ourselves 10
elementary principles that govern money.
Civilization without money is impossible No
progress whatever has been made toward civil
ization without the use of some medium of ex-
change. The individual by himself however
strong he may be, cannot become civilized OF
maintain civilization. The most intelligent
and strongest men amongst us, isolated in the
wilderness, is comparatively unable 10
maintain civilization. We must avail
ourselves of the efforts, labors and
intelligence of others. There must be an in
terchange of commodities In early times and