Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-25
HARD FIGHT FOR FREE SILVER
Tom Patterson Recounts the Struggles Of
the Democratic Platform Committee.
WHAT THE BlMETkLLlSTS WANTED
Gold Bugs, However. Wouldn't Give 1t to
Them and Forced n straddle-1hey
Were Afraid of Just One
Little Word.

CHICAGO, H., June 24.-The story from
the inside of the remarkable fight in the
democratic platform committee on silver was
told last night by Thomas NJ. Patterson of
Denver, who was one Of the chief partici-
pants in the struggle. MIR. Patterson said:
THE controversy over the coinage plank
arose almost as soon as that upon the tariff
was disposed of. The silver resolution that
lad been prepared and offered by Mr. Jones
was tho one around which the controversy
for long time centered. That plank de-
clared in favor OF the free coinage OF gold
and silver at an established ratio, the metal
In both dollars to be OF the same intrinsic
value
'Discussion," said MIR. Patterson, 'arose
As to the use OF some words in 1t, and II com
menced to develop that tae one obnoxious
word in the resolution was the WORD Free
For a long time discussion occurred in which
1t was urged on the one side that the word
free should be eliminated ana or the other
that 1t should not. Senators Villas, McPher-
son and ex-senator Bayard claimed that the
word free added nothing to the force of the
resolution, which they maintained did de-
clare for FREQ bimetallic coinage II was
asked If without the word free 1t was free
of the wcrd. Why not say to the people OF
the United States in unmistakable language
precisely what the party meant upon that
subiecti To this it was replied that the word
free was catch word which as applied to
coinage was offensive to thousands in the
eastern ana northwestern states, and that 1t
would lose the party votes which would be
necessary 10 accomplish the end desired
When this point was made II proposed
TO strike out the obnoxious word and use the
words, for the holders in its stead, and that
part of the resolution unier discussion would
read:
1--we hold that the use of both gold and
silver as the standard money of the country
and the coinage OF both gold and silver for
the holders thereof without discrimln alton
against either metal, but the charge Tor
coinage.
at was pointed out that the test OF free
coinage, after all, was the coinage of gold
aud silver for the holders of the bullion. and
not by the government of bullion first pur
chased by II for the purpose. That was the
way IN which gold was coined and in which
silver was coined until its decentralization in
1873. ana that il they would use either the
word free or instead the words for the
holders, 1t would so far as the platform
was concerned, satisfy the free silver men.
The use of Tie words suggested instead Of
free was opposed with equal determination
by the opponents OF what we asked.
''Sennior Mcpherson is frank enough to
admit that the resolution with the word
free contained in II, the words proposed
to be substituted, did not mean the same
thing as without them. l told our opponents
that since il was evident that Mr.. Cleveland
would he nominated and probably elected,
the free coinage men, believing that CIeve-
land viii veto any free coinage measure.
wanted an ancnor cast TO windward,' SO that
ut the expiration Of his term we coulu still
maintain that the democratic party was
pledged TO free bimetallic coinage, and we
could demand that the pledge might be full
filled by his successor We pointed out that
the resolution, as we were willing to accept
IL, conceded the most exacting demands for
the opponents of free coinage as they were
made public. We asked them, If they were
bimetallists, how they could object to the
free coinage OF silver dollars of the same in
trinsic value with gold; and if they did not
object why they should oppose a plain
declaration TO that effect
the controversy made it very clear that
our opponents would concede almost any
Thing but clear declaration Tor free coinage
or tho use of the language that necessarily
meant the same thing. They were told that
ii demonstrated what democratic free coin.
age men feared-that the real fundamental
difference between them and their opponents
so-called Dimetallists, was that the free coin
ago men demanded double, gold aud sill
YER, standard Of value, while their opponents
were at heart single gold standard men, will
ing TO appear under the garb of blnetallsts
until the cloak might be thrown of and the
single standard be adopted. We pointed out
TO them that England had bimetalllsm in
tnal IL Dau Ootn golu ana silver as money
that we have bimetalhsm IN the United
States today because we have gold and silver
dollars coined by the government. both being
held to be the standard dollars, but thai
there was free coinage of gold while there
was no free coinage OF silver.
THAT was where the subcommittee
stalled, we demanding clear recognition and
they denying it. Senators Villas and Nc
Pherson, with ex-senator Bayard, were the
active opponents of the requests OF the free
coinage men. Senator Daniel and were ac
live free coinage men. MIR. Jones, being
chairman of the subcommittee, remained
neutral, while 'dr. Atklns OF Tennessee
former commissioner of Indian affairs unde
Mr. Cleveland. sought to act as peacemakel
in argument siding with us, put casting hi
votes with the Others in behalf, as he ey
pressed IL, OF harmony in the democratic
party. The other members of the subcom
mittee as rule were patient listeners. w
must have devoted about three hours of tint
and long after midnight yer that little limo
cent word free but our opponents deieate(
us and held II in captivity.
The subcommittee was out uLtl a. IN
The only planks that consumed any tim
were tariff aud silver. The subcommitte
reported NJ o'clock of the second day an,
everything went along smoothly before
until the silver plank was reached, when tn
contest was resumed. The merits of tn
question were not gone into then. The con
troversy hero consisted of pathetic AM
earnest appeals Tor harmony In tue party o.
keeping out tho obnoxious words, and equally
earnest appeals on our part for the clear rec
ogniuon OF the principle OF free coinage
But wo were beaten by vote OF IS agains
2S or 20 noes
"a few of u.s." added Mir. PATTERSON Il
conclusion, "athough we knew il was a hone
less Undertaking, felt that we ahould carr
the fight TO its logical conclusion, which wa
on The floor Of the convention. This we die