Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-07-07
ee and took a lively interest in its pro-

tee and took lively interest in it's pro-
ceedings.
The Committee on Resolutions was
out 2i hours, and finally made majority
and minority reports on the Currency
and Tariff questions. The planks
submitted by the majority on these
important subjects were as follows: e
3. The money of the country should
be gold, silver, and paper, and be is
sued by the General Government only,
and i'm sufficient quantities to meet the
the demands of business and give full
opportunity for the employment OF Ia
Dor. To this end an increase in the
volume of money is demanded, and no
individual or corporation should be
allowed to make any profit through its
issue 1t should be made legal tender
for the payment of all debts, public
and private. Its volume should be
fixed at definite sum per capita, and
made to increase with our increase in
population.
4. We favor the free and unlimited
coinage of silver and gold.
) Tariffs should be levied only as a
defense against foreign Governments
which put tariff upon or bar our pro-
ducts from their markets, revenue be-
ing incidental. The residue of means
necessary to an economical administra-
ton of the government should be rails
ed by levying a burden on what the
people possess instead of upon what
they consume.
The free coinage plank was offered
in committee by ExGov. st. John and
adopted by a vote of "a to Is.
The minority report, signed by IL
members of the committee, contained
the following on the currency and tariff
questions:
The issuing of National currency
belongs to Congress alone, as the rep
resentative of the sovereign power of
the Nation, and should not be delegat-
ed to private individuals or corpora
tions. The insufficient production of
gold and the variance in the relative
value of gold and silver render it i'm
practicable to rely upon either gold or
silver for safe, sound and sufficient
currency We favor, therefore, the is
sue of legal tender Treasury notes, ex-
changeable in gold and silver bullion,
on plan similar to that which now
floats S340,O0O,OOO of greenbacks on
S10O,0O0,000 of gold reserve, and makes
them more acceptable and convenient
than either gold or silver coin. In the
extension of this plan, rather than in
the coinage of gold and silver, lies the
solution of the monetary problems
that are disturbing all nations.
Our tariff should be so levied as to
furnish revenue for the needs of the
Government economically administer
ed. relieving necessities used by the
mass of the people for the benefit of
labor, protecting American productions
and manufacturers against the compe-
tition of foreign nations. The details
of our tariff laws having become the
football of party politics to the great
disturbance and damage of our protec-
tive industries and commerce, we be-
lieve that such details could be better
adjusted by tariff commission to re-
commend to Congress duties to meet
the wants of the government, so grad
uated as to protect American labor
against the competition of the world.
The following was offered by the
minority as an additional plank to the
platform:
Recognizing and declaring that Pro
hibition of the liquor traffic has be-
come the dominant issue in National
politics, we invite to full party fellow
ship all those who on this one domi-
nant issue are with us agreed, in the
full belief that this party can and will
remove sectional differences, promote
national unity and insure the best vel
fare of our entire land.
The whole of Thursday afternoon
was spent in the discussion of the ma
jority and minority reports, which was
the warmest of the entire session. AT
times as many as a dozen delegates
were clamoring for the floor at once.
Delegate Hartz, of Illinois, offered
the following as substitute for both
reports on the currency:
1--WE declare that all money should
be issued by the Government directly
to the people without the Intervention
of banks, and to be full legal tender
for all debts both public and private
To this end we favor an open mint for
the unlimited coinage of gold and sill
yer, the product of the mines of the
United States, on like terms; and, if
the difference between the value of
gold and silver bullion and gold and
silver coin, at the rate of one to six
teen, is SO large as to endanger the cir
culation of either coin, we then favor
an equitable adjustment of the ratio
between the coin values of gold and
| silver, to the end that both coins may
pass current at par.
The substitute was was defeated by a
decided vote, and after great deal of
confusion, the majority's plank third
was adopted
The question then turned ON the
adoption of the free coinage plank,
and it was lost on a call of the roll of
the States by vote of 500 to 1886.
Many delegates who voted against
the free coinage plank did so because
they objected to the word "uplimited,"
and others because they thought the
3rd plank of the platform sufficiently
clear and comprehensive on the cur.
rency question.
The majority's tariff plank easily
prevailed.
The bittepest fight of all took nlace