The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-27
TWO TO ONE FOR SILVER.
BY a Very Large Majority the Trans
Mississippi Congress Favors
Free Coinage.
Other Measures for the Advan.
tage OF the Great West
Are Endorsed.
Import of the Resolutions Add optcd-Ne ok
Meeting to gse Held at Ogden,
May, 1893.

NEW OHIFASS feb. W.-~IHe tFAng-Mla
sissippi commercial congress adopted reso-
lutions as follows: Requesting congress- to
refer the question Of improving the south
west pass of the Mississippi river to the
river commission; favoring the construction
OF the Nicaraguan canal As distinctly
American work and requesting capitalists
TO AID In Its construction; approving and
lndors'nR the acts of congress giving a
bounty ON sugar and admitting machinery
for the manufacture OF sugar free, and re-
questing congress to make liberal appro-
prlaton for teaching beet sugar chemistry;
that all uncarned railroad lands be restored
TO the public domain; that Arizona and
New Mexico be admitted as states.
The silver question, ns the special order
of the day, came up and free bi-metaliic
coinage resolution was read by the secre-
tary. Patterson, of Colorado, then spoke
on the subject. He said that UP to 1878 all
were bi-metallists; gold and silver
had always been legal tender, and until
1873 silver was on a par with
gold, but after that it was almost clagsea
as one of the baser metals. In 1878. when
ne was in congress, silver bill was under
discussion. Some of the most intelligent
members who voted against the bill did not
know that they voted to demonetze silver
and to class it among the baser metals.
When this government demonetized silver.
Germany did likewise, and one-half of the
business of the world was injured. He
attributed the financial disasters of year
and q half ago to the anti-silver bill, and
said it caused England to call in gold from
fry T. Il -.
200 of the 330 members of congress were
pledged to vote for the bill when it shall
come up. It was not only the members
from silver states who advocated the
measure.
Ee alluded to the bounty on sugar, and
said he did not begrudge two cents pound,
as every industry should be encouraged.
"Of all the industries of the country, silver
miners and producers are the only laborers
who do not ask the government for q
hounty. They only ask for the free
coinage of American silver; they want no
bounty, and free silver could not be con
strued as a bounty. If silver is made a
legal tender it will increase the demand for
it and eventually place it on par with
gold.'
Harry, of Utaha. spoke for the remone--
tization of silver and Ex-Governor Martin,
Of Nebraska, against it. Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, New
Mexico and Utah voted for the resolution
to urge the passage Of the free silver bill,
and Missouri and Texas cost majority of
their votes the same way. Arkansas and
Iowa voted soidly against, and Kansas,
Louisiana and Nebraska cast majority in !
opposition. The vote stood 142 for and
eighty-nine against.
Resolutions were adopted that the ir1mi-
grafton law be amended so that only emi-
grants who both desire citizenship and are
fit for it be permitted to land that only
United States courts should exercise the
power of naturalization; that the general
government should speedily extinguish the
Indian agency system.
The next convention will be held at
Ogden. Utah. the first Tuesday in May,
1888 Mm MM