New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-25


| TRIED TO BAMBOOzLE TIE SILVER MEN.
MR.. pATrEReoS's ACCOUNT OF THE STRUGGLE
OVER THE COINAGE PLANK IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Chicago. jane o4.-Thc story from the in'ide OIL
the remarkable fight in the Platform Committee oii
o,,ror was told last night by Thomas NJ. Patterson
OF Denver, who was one OF the chiei Pa' p " wv
struggle Mr.. Patterson said:
"The controversy over the coinage plank arose
almost MS soon as that upon arin was dISp"'eu VI,
The silver resolution that had been Irel"teu a'
offered by Mr. Jones was the one aFoulu ""'','
the controversy for q long time centred I'at pl""N
declared in favor Of free coinage Of gold ana sD'ei
nj an established ratio, the metal III 'o''' ~
10 be OF the same intrinsic vaiuc.
aDiscusslonu said Mr.. Patterson "arose n 10 l"c
s. ~ some Of the words In il. and II developer ua
the one obnoxious word In the resolution was IT,
ror a long time talk occurred In which IL was Wso'
,non the one side that free shonld De ein'a'"'
and on the other that II should not 'o"''''
Mcpherson and Villas and ex-senator Bayard cialhicu
,ha, the word free added nothing to the ioce VI
,ho resolution which, they maintained. dd ucoihr'
Gov ,ree timetable coinage. II was aked II "i'hou'
tho ,ro,d free It Is ireccoinagc plank why vi"
,hov object TO the OF the wordf why ho' say ~
m. n.ople OF the United States IN uhn's'"N'o''
language precisely what the party meant upon 'a SUI
fac. this u was IcplINh ''N 49,
was q catch word, witch as applied to coinage WIS
slve 10 thousands in the Eastern and Northwestern
c,,o. and that II would lose the party votes "l'h"u'
benr necessary o accomplish the end dcorou' "''"
this point was made II was proposed 10 sulAc guy W
ohno1tors word and tie words Tor the ho'uc'S "
its stead 50 that the part of the resolution under us
cussion would read follows: We non 10 the use %
10Th gold and silver rs the standard money OF inc
country and the coinage Of both gold ana silver ~.
en-. ladders thereof without Discrimination esHi''
either metal but the charge for coinage
at was pointed out NJ Patti said "thht t.e
test of free Coinage after all. vas 'he oo''"se VI 80
and silver for the holders VI the bullion ana not bS inc
Government of bullion nrst purchacd Nv u ior ''"
nurnose that that was the In which gold is oo'eu
~. In which silver was coined until Its dcmonetha'
ron IN la73 and that II they woud use either the
word free OF instead OF 1t the words 'or INC
ladders, IL would, so far as the platform ""' e''
cerned satisfy the free silver men Oh INC 'O""'
The use Of the words suggested instead OF fee WI
opposed with equal determination by the oplo"e"''
| Of which we asked .,,
a. senator Mcpherson wns frank enough 10 admit TINT
N. resolution with the word fIce' contahol
| IN IT, or the words proposed 10 uc SUI
s,itutrd did not mean the same u''"s u
u1thclt them told our opponents thht shcc
| :, uos evident that Mr.. Cleveland wouu DC hD"'''''
| and probably elected the free coinage men, D'H''"s
ro, Mr. Cleveland would veto any iree-coinase me'S
,Ye
the expiration Of his term we c'dd sun
| that the Democratic party was pledged TO iieo u
| n.,.utc coinage and could demand thdt "'
| ncce might be fulfilled by his successor We
ro,nt.d ont that Tn, resolution as we we're WILING ~
| .nt a. conceded the most exacing demands Of The
| opponents Of frce-coinage as they were NM
| pub.ic We asked them, II they were o'
metats how they could object to the free coinage o
| silver dollars of the intrinsic value WITH god
dollars and II they did not object why they s"on'
| oppose a plain declaration TO that erect Inc con
troversy made it very clear that our opponents would
| conccde almost anything but clear decafauoA io'
free coinage or the of language that necessarily
| r,aon, tho emma thing They were told that II
| Q n,ea,t sat.d what Democratic greoconago men
icaredthat the real fundamental difference between
| them and their opponents so called bmctilst> WIS
| that the freeeoiDage men demanded double OF
cold and standard OF value, While their opponents
| were at heart single goldstandard men, willing TO
sppear under the garb OF meiallists uni the cloak
might be safely thrown of and the single standard
| Insisted upon We pointed out to them that England
| had bmeallism, In that It had bo'h
| gold and silver money; that We
have bmeallism IN the United States today because
| we have gold and silver dollars coined BY the Gov
eminent, both being held to be standard dollars; but
that there was free coinage OF gold while there
| free coinage Of silver.
THAT was where the subcommittee stalled" Mr.
Patterson explained 1--WE demanding clear recognition
of the principle and they denying It, Senators Villas
| and Mcrhcrson, with ex-senator Bayard, were the
active opponents Of the requests Of the frcc-cOlnage
| men. Senator Daniel and / were The active free
| coinage men, Mr. Jones, being chairman Of the sub
committee, remained neutral Iii tho controversy, willie
Mr.. Atkins, OF Tennessee, former Commissioner OF
| Indian Affairs under Mr.. Cleveland. sought 10 act
~ a peaccmakcr, in argument siding with US bu,
| casting his votes with the others In behalf. he
expressed 1t, Of harmony In the Democratic party.
The other members Of the subcommittee q rule
were patient listeners. We must have devoted about
three hours Of time and until long after midnight
the fight that little innocent word free, but
opponents defeated and held In captivity. The
ubcOmmttoe out until half past IN the morn
| Ing. The only panls that occupied any time were
those 4 tariff and silver"
| "Tie subcommittee reported 10 the full committee
| al ahout O'Clock tac second day OF the con
It until the silver plank reached, when the con
ttst resumed. III" nr'ris al the question were
not gone into then. The controversy here consisted
Of earnest appeals by the senators for harmony In
the party by keeping out the obnoxious words, and
| equally earnest appeals on part for the clear
recognition OF the principle OF free coinage but We
wore heated by vote OF IL yeas 10 - 30 nav ;.
"A few OF us" added Mr.. Patterson, In cDnclusi0n
| although we knew 1t was II hoptcs, undertaking,
felt that should carry the fight 10 It's logical CON
| cusOn, which was on the moor OF the convention.
This did, with the result known TO the public"
| WILL NOT SIPPLANT TAMMANY
Chicago. June 2l.-E. Elery Anderson Indicated 10.
day that tie organization perfected By the syracuse
Convention wOuld, instead Of attempting 10 sllpplant
tho regular Democratic machinery. act as an auxiliary