The Lamar register., 1892-04-02
SILVER VS.. PARTY.
The Officers of the Colorado State Silver
League Issue an Address.

The executive committee of the newly or
ganized Colorado State Silver League have
issued address to the voters of Colorado
which Is Interesting reading. They take strong
ground in favor of supporting the silver cause
regardless of party affiliations We quote
below the most important parts of the adj
dress, which is signed by NJ. H. Slater, chair
man, Denver; Archie c. Fisk, Denver; W. c.
Wynkoop, Denver; Henry Paul, Aspen, j.
II. Ernest Waters, Telluride.
Year after year we have gone regularly to
the polls and persistently fought each other,
while working for the supremacy of one or
the other of two great political parties instead
of standing shoulder to shoulder 10 meet and
resist the attacks of one common enemy.
Those parties, as they exist at present, deem
the spoils Of Office of paramount Importance
to the welfare of the people They are main
tanned chiefly for the benefit of the self-seek-
ing politicians, whose most lofty ambition IS
paltry office.
II a traveller WAS ever robbed on the high
way then the silver miners Of our country
loyal, patriotic citiZens--are now being robbed
by the general government at the rate of 500
100000 year. IT, then, the silver miners
have Just cause for complaint what shall we
say Of the cotton growers of the South, who
lose more than four times that amount
nuallyi or of the wheat growers of the North
and West, who year after year have fllched
from their earnings more than five times the
annual loss of the silver minersl Figures
grow bewildering. But If the miners planters
and farmers have suffered loss that the hu-
man mind cannot comprehend, what shall we
say of the ZOO 600 of idle laborersl Not less
than Ss24 0o9Oo0 a week Is the loss of the
wage~earners: the producers of wealth.
We are now firmly convinced that further
submission to these grievances Is simply to
TO bare our backs to the lash Of insatiate
greed Yes, it would be TO pursue course
i'm rb,rg, md fhy of ba
manhood which we boast
There are at this time, in the state of Colo
rado upwards of forty non-parti-an silver
clubs, and the number is daily increasing
They have an aggregate membership Of over
10000 voters. Each member upon joining
pledges himself In writing that until this ques-
ton shall be settled and silver restored TO its
rightful position in the money of the nation,
he Will vote for no candidate for any tmpor-
tant position who Is not fully committed to
the reconciliation of silver. In addition to
this. representatives of the various clubs
sembled in the city of Denver on the 26th in
stant and perfected the organization of
State Silver League. They also issued call
for a state silver convention, to assemble in
this city on the 25th of April proximo. upon
a basis of representation from the various
county and local organizations.
This organization, however, asks no mem
ber 10 forsake his party affiliations until the
forthcoming national convention of his party
shall have neglected or refused to comply
with our request for the nomination of a free
coinage candidate for the presidency. on a
free-coinage platform With that end in
view, we urge the most perfect county and
precinct organization. We urge the most
faithful and diligcnt attention to the primar-
les TO the end that the county and state con-
ventions may not be controlled by professional
politicians. We urge that the delegations to
the national conventions shall be composed of
the very best men that the respective parties
in our state can produce-always giving due
hfaxHa laf M data -l.,ps
national convention shall nominate shall re-
ceive our support at the polls unless he shall
unqualifedly favor the full remonetization of
silver, and shall stand squarely free
coinage platform.
We further urge that Colorado delegations
to the national conventions shall make it a
point to confer with the delegates from all
the other Western and Southern states-who
should represent the producers, instead of the
money power-to join them in caucus. to the
end that they may act as i unit in making
their demands and representing the senti-
ments of the voters Of their respective states
and territories.
And finally we urge upon each individual
member of our organization to regard his |
written pledge absolutely sacred, and to be |
faithfully redeemed at the polls in November
next, even to the support Of q third party |
candidate for the presidency, should such a |
course be necessary. |
Now, we come to you and respectfully. but |
earnestly, urge your hearty and prompt co |
operation In this great work We ask you to |
organize at once Organize silver clubs in L
every city, town. village or mining camp
yes, in every neighborhood. Let county and |
state organizations follow Immediately after |
Organize at once, in order 10 do effective |
work at the primaries-both Republican and |
Dcmocratic-to the end that your voices NAV
unite with ours and that our combined fn1u-
ence may be felt at both Minneapolis and |
Chicago. II the hitherto Republican states
west of the Missouri river will but enter into
VVf viii
the voters of Colorado. we will present force
at Minneapolis that will at least command re-
spect Remember that the vote of these
states Is absolutely necessary to the life of the
party. Then, if the voters Of the new south
will, on their part. enter as heartily into the |
work, they can accomplish quite as much. If
not mOrc- at Chicago.
Only few days since the commercial price |
of silver fell below 80 cents an ounce-the |
lowest price reached in the history of the
xorlf From that point it has constantly and
rapidly fallen until. at this writing, it Is
worth but % cents an ounce, and the finger |
Of the oppressor still points downward For
hat reason mines are being closed miners
wages being reduced, and in many in |
tanees they are being discharged
Within the ranks OF this class, then, the
orce of this appeal Will be felt But the bus
ness man viii be brought 10 realizing sense
If the situation in very short order Business
tagnation is Inevitable The farmer will |
,iapt and reap. but his crops will rot on his
lands or be sold at price far below the cost |
Il production. More laborers will be out of
Employment.
Now look around you and Judge for yo1r
elves whether or not this appeal Is timely
Politicians tell you that the tariff i the
cading issiic- y The tariH--like the poor--is |
lways With us. We assert that silver Is the
sue. Fully forty millions Of the American | ,
shall VT continue TO act at cross purposes. | .
+ shall we Join hands FOR the common ooo,ds