Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-28
FREE SILVER.

FREE SILVER.
Adopted BY the Denver Con- /
vention-Silver and Arid Lands Discussed |
Final Adjournment.
DENVER, Col. May 23.-The report of |
the committee on resolutions Of the !
Transmississippi congress recommend
ed that congress pass the Burroughs
bill appropriating $4,000, 900 for the
building and maintenance of 1evees of
the Mississippi river; demanded wise
governmental supervision of railroads;
recommended the granting of liberal
charters and subsidies 20 support the
establishment of steamship lines to sail
under the American flag; favored the
admission of New Mexico and Arizona
into the union; asked congress to pass
the Torrey bankruptcy law; requested
congress to cede to the different states
all the arid lands within its borders ex-
cept mineral lands, that such might be
put under cultivation by means
of irrigation through the stor-
age reservoir or other means:
earnestly asked congress to en-
act such legislation as would
foster the mining interests and forever
prevent the mines and mineral lands
bearing gold, silver, copper or lead
from becoming the property of foreign
corporations, and asked Of the delega-
tons in the convention from the terri
tories of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico
and the states of California, Nevada,
Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana, which had common interest
in this subject, that they select three
of their citizens. who should form
20, H. -
such united and efficient action as
should save these mines and mineral
lands to the people; recommended more
stringent naturalization laws, and
favored the immediate construction of
the Hennepin canal and the immediate
completion of the jetties for the deep
water harbor at Galveston.
Upon the silver question the resolu-
tons were as follows:
That the congress of the United States be
pesitioned to repeal all laws which, in their
effect, work dishonor upon or in the least
challenge the sovereignty of the silver dol
lar as absolute measure of value and to
restore to silver the place given it as perfect
money by the trainers of our government.
Resolved, That the only modification of
the above which we Will accept is the linn
iting of the operation of the law to the silver
product of the United States, and this we
will accept. believing it will be but change
of method which will reach at once the same
desired result.
Resolved. That petition the president
and congress of the United States to once
more attempt to bring round an internation-
al recognition and adjustment of silver as
money, and should this effort fail that linn
tied agreement be sought with the nations
of the Latin union whereby the minis of
those nations may again be opened for the
coinage of silver.
Resolved, That we petition the president
and congress to continue and, if possible,
complete negotiations with the Spanish
American nations for common currency
for this continent south of the dominion.
The minority report on the silver
clause simply demanded the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver"
The forenoon session was entirely
taken up in the discussion of the major
ity report, and at noon the congress
took a recess without having taken
final action.
The hand of the Louisiana lottery
mbination was manifested in the
defeat OF the resolutions calling for
a constitutional amendment by which
lotteries could not be legalized in
any state. The vote stood 95 to so. The
remainder of the day was spent IN con-
sidering the resolutions. All were
passed as reported by the committee,
but warm debate was provoked by
the question of the government ceding
arid lands to the states and territories.
A resolution deploring the enacting
of law by the Forty ninth congress
prohibiting foreign capital from invest
ing in real estate and mines was &C.
copied.
It was agreed that the basis of repre-
sentation to all future congresses should
be as follows: Each state AMI territory
five delegates at large and one for every
100, 900 and major fraction thereof; each
board of trade in cities of 5000 popula-
ton, one; for every water line operat-
ing on and west of the Mississippi river,
one; for each county agricultural so
ciety, one; that two conventions year,
in the spring and in the fall, be held
and that the next convention after the
session in Omaha be held in New Or
leans.
Majority and minority reports on arid
| lands were made. The former urged
| the cession of arid lands to the states
! in which they were situated, limited in
dividual purchases to $40 acres at not
| less than S1.25 per acre and declared
! that only citizens of the United States
should be eligible as purchasers, the
! fund derived from such sale to be de-
voted to the development of irrigation
and the reclamation Of arid lands. The
minority report was devoted to a strong
argument for a system of government
irrigation that would bring these lands
under cultivation.
The majority report was adopted.
Silver occupied the evening session.
The majority and minority reports
were read and the debate opened with
c. D. Clark, of Wyoming, in the chair.
The majority report favored the free
and unlimited coinage of silver. Toex.
pedite business, the minority report
was withdrawn.
An objectie. being raised, the mi
nority report was submitted and sub
stituted as the second clause of the ma
| jority report. The change commits the
convention to free and unlimited coin
age instead of restricting the minting
| of American silver
The majority report was adopted
with only one dissenting voice.
The convention adjourned at mid
night to meet in Omaha in October
| EVEN MEN KUIEe