The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-20

How the Democratic Convention Came
to Declare for Free Trade.


to Declare for Free Trade.
The Chicago Tr:oxzs gives 81 interesting in
side history OF COW the tree trade plank ii the
Democratic platform wss add ed on The Caicayo
convention with the aid OF Tgnnsay, which
gladly awaited Itself Of the opportunity TO make
Cleyslsnd's load as heavy IS possible
According 20 the I<sSxa< several drafts OF
platforms were presented. The Cleveisni men,
VINO were IN the majority, had ysrv little 70 say.
Taey managed 20 shiis the tariff question tenn
posar1ly and 60. the members tied up in
wrsngle on the silver question. The outcome OF
this w2s that Il wss saaosliy decided 20 refer
the whole Platform 20 s subcommittee OF
eleven Tbs subcommittee tired Itself oct
over free coinage. so that when TIE
members were willing % eo1ceds almost
anything in order 20 get through snd
report. Then the hand Of ex-sec-et.ry Whitney
and the other Cleveland lesie-s was plsvet.
They we're al for radical "tariE reform" b1s
they did not want TO drive away supporters from
the party. This was the way they argued
Villas and Mcpherson were specially urgent,
while Bsyard aequiesced in what t5ey said.
While the subcommittee was il session Francis
Lynde Ssetson. ClsvslsId's Law partner. wss The
message bearer between il snd e1-Seeretary
ai5ney. He called out Ar. R1sseL several
times, sud Ehe-s was 81 intimstion thai the
tariff plank. well the silver plank, was
Villas &ad Mcpherson Played on the vanity
Of weak Editor Jones and gradually
they worked changes n the plank as he hsj
submitted it. making him beliere taaE be was
going 70 get ;he glory OF its authorship, and
eoCId afford to otfe, some ssradtliny tariff con-
cess.oas. Jones grGnelei 9 Estle, bat IN the
end he ls; the original , ank go. sid accepted
the tsrif strsd4ls, waieh CIevsisad's ex-
secretary, Villas, hsi 81 a.oag ke?: IN his
pocket
Members Of the subcommittee were not en-
trely satisfied with their woGk, yes finally &C.
copied the strSddle plank IS il hsi oesn pre-
pared ~ Clsveianj's ex-czbiaes "a representatives
Villas, Baya-d. Dickinson and Wastney. Waea
they reported 70 the full committee the co1vea-
ZION was slready n session AMI waiting 20 hes-
Whist kind OF platform il uss going 20 have.
NJ. Patterson. from the Subcommittee, gave
notice thst the silver plank wss unsatisfactory
and he woGId ask his associates 10 join
him N minority report. seven o:
them did this, e. bu: one being from
SILVER states The exception vas re South
Caro.tna n&a- Tbs SILVER" talk sgal1 helped
u cut short the tariff discussion. but NJ. Neal.
OF Ohio, promptly servsi notice .As; he would
not sceep. the tariff straijle- He denounced =
as c cowa-tly surrender OF vital Democratic
principle, and said 20 The committee much .as.
be Sad 20 he convention Jim Mckenzie. OF
Kentucky, also declared that he would he
tee mem os-s took tae same position. The wso-
bling chairman. Jones. as ii duty boand. de-
Tended the report "a vel as he could. 81 did sx-
Secretary VilSs and TIE other personal repre-
ssntatiyeS Of Mr. CleTelsnd- They were all
fox harmony" HE convention Vas getting
inpatient. waiting for !as platform. sad $
majority OF tie committee approved the report.
authorizing tie wesziug Jones 70 present il
and move the previous question Before this
was done, NJ. Neal. 81 Ohio outlined plank
which he announced thxt be would ODER So
substitute in tie convention. He iii not. how
ever, draw up any formal minority report 20 Dc
signed By those VINO sgVeed with him There
was apparently not more shan hall dozen OF
them. aud they Simply left the matter in lis
hands promising 20 back him; SO the plank, IS
he presented x. was something OF q surprise 10
the trImrne-s, dodgers and iniis-ruoosr men.
The hope OF MesSrs. Was. NePhsrso-, Bsyz-d
and other mem esrs of the committee had h.aea
tha. sooner than get into fEbs tie convention
would approve the str-ddle. and that Nezl
would simply have tie satisfaction OF " skiing
his speech; but II was free trste convention,
and il responded heartily 70 Meals free trade
plank. Editor Jones own state delegation went
hsek on him and voted in fsvo- OF tia, subs.5-
tu.e. Don Dickinson, catching the drift, sud
knowing that BIS Michigan Democrats were
reslly free traders, did nor ~ 20
hold them back Mr. RlsselPs tel-
-eN -S-SsS-Ss ~@%-A CHARACTERISTICS were
dissatisfied with hjs trimming on ths
committee and rep1dJased the stradd.e. n the
committee o. resolutions Governor Flower who
wss tAe New YORK nenbs-, had sail little
which could Indicate hls position; but his Tan
many state delegation. when they heard frog,
him the particulars o. whas had taken pisea.
decided ,AaE as Cleveland was 20 be the cauai-
cate, ~ should run o. straight free trade Mat
form, and 80 voted Sold with the free traders
The wairiwi11 which swept through .ha ea,.
vsnt:oo. Knocking he Cleveland stra1tis end
w sa and causing % - adopted The Neal t-ss
trade substitute, was ta.ly dese-i bed II The pro