The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-06-04
Short Addresses Made BY Leading
Free-COinage Advocates of Kan
sas and Pennsylvania.
stark of Ohio Read Il Long Paper
Upon the General Subject
of Silver.
Freeman. Il Well-knOWn Free-COinage
Writer. Addresses the
Convention.
The silver Convention.

WAsHINGToN, May 21.-At 1915 this
morning Chairman Warner called the
silver convention to order and short adj
dresses were made by Shinn of Kansas
and X. X. Thomas of Pennsylvania. The
latter said ten years ago his farm was
generally regarded by his neighbors as
worth $4,000, and since that time he
had been even more successful than 9th
ers in his neighborhood and had been
able by close attention to business and
economy to save 500 per year. This
was the result of the labor of every
member OF his family. But while he had
been able to save 500 per year his farm
had. however. deprecated IN value even
more, and the farm that ten years ago
was worth $4,000 in cash could not be
sold today for more than 5000. This
shrinkage he attributed solely to our
pernicious financial system which was
being operated in the interest of money
lenders, corporations. and ~monopolies.
The speaker denounced both the leading
political parties. and said that rather
than vote for Cleveland who seemed to
be the logical candidate of his party.
with his free-trade ideas. he would vote
for Queen Victoria for president of the
United States. and rather than vote for
the hypocritical. weakened republican
party he would vote for Cleveland.
Nerrick. of Colorado. explained to the
convention the constitutional question
involved in the somewhat celebrated sill
YER brick case which was recently de-
cided by the supreme court of the Dis
trict of Columbia against the application
for a mandamus to compel the secretary
of the treasurer to receive and coin the
silver brick which was rendered to him.
At noon the convention took recess un-
til this afternoon.
After recess the convention was briefly
addressed by Capt. Nichols. of Boulder.
Colo. E. D. Stark. Of Ohio. read a long
paper upon the general subject of silver
in whic he expressed himself as having
no confidence in the proposed i%nterna-
tlonal monetary conference. He had
serious doubts whether the Manchester,
England. weavers. or farmer alliance in
America would be represented in this
proposed conference. This remark was
greeted with laughter. No. money
power only would be represented.
Morton Freeman. the well known free
coinage writer Of England, was intro
duced to the convention. Personally he
said he would prefer to see the free coin
age of silver brought about by an inter
national agreement. yet he had no doubt
that America could restore silver to its
old place without the least danger of
sending gold to a premium and in that
event he did not believe any silver of
consequence would come from Europe to
be exchanged for gold. The much heard
of argument against free coinage that
ocean grey hounds would be loaded with
European silver was the merest nonsense.
He did not believe shipments of silver
from the old world would cut the least
figure in our money markets. He be-
lieved it to be perfectly practicable for
this country to go to free coinage tomor-
row if she so desired without the least
danger to any Of her interests. Freeman
spoke of the proposed international con-
ference and hoped this government
would insist upon the conference being
held in London. He thought the Eng
fish language should be the language of
the conference. During the last
twenty years bimetallism had been
gaming trlenuS IN England until
now it is one of the great
est living issues. and has among
its earnest friends at least. 100 members
Of parliament and a very great proper.
ton of the members Of the London en-
change. The silver wave was sweeping
over England and the general cause
would be greatly advanced by holding
IN her capital this international confer
ence.
Brief remarks were made by Newlands
Of Nevada. Senator Teller, and ex-Repre-
sentative Symes of Colorado. The latter
said the act directing the purchase of
100000 ounces of silver per month had
in a measure relieved the straitened
financial needs of the country, and it was,
in his opinion, n step toward ultimate
free coinage.