Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-28
THE DENVER CONGRESS.

THE DENVER CONGRESS.
Ex-Gov. Anthony, of Kansas, Defeated For
Chairman-Free Silver the Leading Cues
tion-Omaha Chosen For the Next meet
ing.
DENVER, Col, May 22.-In the Trans
mississippi congress Senator Tabor of
fered resolutions demanding lower
rate Of transportation for freight and
passengers between the Missouri river
and the east.
Then came the report of the commit
tee on permanent organization. Mr..
Patton, of Texas, spoke for the major
ity, recommending for presiding officer
Gov. Anthony, of Kansas. His name
was received with cheers. The minor
ity stated that the choice of the COM
mittee for presiding officer was the
point on which they could not agree.
The hitch was silver. They must have
free coinage man. Gov. Anthony was
declared, by his own confession, to be
opposed to free coinage The report
recommended A. P. Ferry, of Utah, for
presiding officer. His name was
cheered. This was by Idaho. New
Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and
Nevada, six of the fourteen states on
the committee.
Texas moved to accept the majority
report, but New Mexico wanted to act
on the minority report and moved its
adoption, while Nebraska wanted to
hear some of the majority report read
again, in that part wherein each state
should be allowed thirty votes in choos-
ing president It was granted.
The Texas motion to adopt the ma
jority report was then taken up and
carried by a viva voce vote.
A reconsideration was demanded by
Colorado and Judge Kerr got the floor
and made plea for silver. He did not
believe, apparently, in much of any
thing the majority report recon-
mended
After more heated debate the motion
to reconsider was carried and Judge
Ferry elected chairman.
DENVER, Col, May 22.-At yesterday
mornings session of the Transmissis-
sippi congress resolutions were offered
indorsing the Nicaragua and Hennepin
canals and the Torrey bankruptcy bill;
favoring the free coinage of silver, and
favoring the defense for the deep water
harbors and navigable rivers.
After an address advocating free sill
yer as the money of the people. and
river and harbor improvements by ex-
Congressman Belford, Of Colorado, the
congress took a recess.
After recess the question of place
for the next meeting was again taken
up. On the first ballot the vote stood:
Omaha IA, New Orleans 1O5, and
Omaha was declared the choice of the
congress.
The silver question was then dis
cussed at great length by Judge
Symmes, of Denver, and Chairman
Ferry, of Utah, for, and ex-Gov. An
thony, of Kansas, against free and I'M
limited coinage of silver.
Mr.. Symmes spoke upon silver coin
age. The east, he said, was misled by
pamphlets circulated by eastern bank
ers. He asserted that there could be
no menace in the adoption of free coin
age as japan, Spain. Austria and Great
Britain had been running to their full
apacity to meet the demand of the
world. If these monometalists were
earnest in their arguments why did
they not export their silver to India,
where it could be coined at per cent.
advance on America. Free coinage,
the speaker declared, would break up
three-fourths of the English commerce
"
1utions in favor of free coinage.
Ex-Gov. George T.. Anthony, Of
Kansas, said that gold and silver had
value, and, as congress was empowered
to establish uniform system of
weights and measures, it had the right
| to declare the value of silver. The sill
yer industry, he said. had been prose
cuted by men who built up palaces,
which could be seen on every side in
| Denver, and allowed their profits
| to overflow and De invested in
magnificent busi@ess blocks and
colossal hotels Yet they pleaded
poverty and upbraided the east
or unjust legislation. The speaker
referred to the development of Chicago
and its marvellous growth, which could
not be equaled by any city in the east.
| Where was the discrimination. he
asked, in face of such unparalleled i'm.
provements. His principal point was
that the value of silver and gold was
regulated by the law of supply and de-
mand the same as that of the comm Onel
metals; that the cry that silver was de-
preciated by limited coinage was a de-
fusion.
E. P. Ferry, of Utah, relinquishe6
the chair in favor of Gov. Prince, o:
New Mexico, in order to reply to Mr.
Anthony. He declared himself mar
of 1iveliness who came not bringing tt
the rostrum the eloquence and wit o.
his predecessor. He said that figures
did not lie, but men who falsely ap
piled them were frequently convicted
of untruthfulness. The law esta blisheG
by Hamilton in 1902 and approved by
George Washington, provided for the
free coinage of silver in which it wa!
expressly stipulated that holders of gole
and silver had the right to come for
ward with their bullion and demand it
coinage. The law had never been re
pealed. They did not ask for friendly
legislation, but the unfriendly legisla
ton should cease.
At the evening session the committee
on resolutions made two reports on tn,
silver resolution.
The majority report favors the FREE
coinage of silver, but limits it to tn
American production. while the minor
ity report favors free and unlimite'
coinage. The report went over.
| A Soft Snan.