The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-10
FRIENDS on WHITE METAL
Advocates of Free Coinage Hold
a Caucus.
PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT,
Resolutions Adopted Regarding a Con-
ditionaI Repeal Of the Law.
The Bill FavoripE Such Repeal Must Pro
vide for the Free and Untrammeled
Coinage of Silver. with Full Lee
gal Tender Quality.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-The hall of the
House was closed shortly before u and
friends of free silver began a caucus.
The attendance was small up TO 1890,
when not more than fifty members had
made their appearance. The door keep
ers were instructed to notify each VINO
applied for admission that the meeting
was confined to stfree coinage members.
Before the caucus met MIR. Bland said the
the purpose for which it had been called
was to organize the silver forces, appoint
2. committee to prepare generally for the
struggle before them. To the suggestion
that some silver men would not attend
She caucus for the reason that they did
not want thereby to seem to separate
themselves from their respective parties,
Mr.. Bland responded that it was not ex-
pected that much aid or comfort was to
be derived from those who had not the
courage of their convictions.
s'There viii be many a scalp taken by
the people before this fight is over, - con-
tlnued the apostle of silver. ssThere are
men here representing free silver con-
stltuencies who are panic stricken. anC
ready TO yield to the clamor against silver.
The people are not so affected. They viii
look upon the matter dispassionately
when it is ended, and ask their represen-
tatives what allied them. The people dc
not consider the attack upon the Sherman
bill as sincere, for it is to them question
OF first Importance. They look upon i
as fight between the gold men and bi.
metallists, and while they would not bs
willing to see the present laws relating tC
coinage Internationally repealed, what
they want first of all is the free coinage O.
silver. That is the main question"
Discussion developed the fact that a.
present some were not tied to the 16 to
ratio. motion was made looking tt
the preparation of a bill by which the
Sherman law should be repealed and fret
coinage of silver at a ratio with gold to bs
agreed upon provided for. The discus
sion developed that ratio of 20 to 1 would
be acceptable to those who felt that the
old ratio should be changed.
At 1:30 no conclusion was reached. L
was noticeable that the attempt to draw
to caucus, members of both parties, was
failure, for but only one Republican
member, Bowers of California, Joined il
the deliberations of the silver men. Gull
berson Of Texas, acted as chairman of the
caucus, which is the first Of its kind helc
in the House for several years. The can.
Gus adjourned at 2:45, after having
adopted the following resolution:
Resolved, That we Will support a bill
repeating the purchasing clause of the
Sherman act and concurrently providing
for the free and untramelled coinage OF
silver with full legal tender equality on
such ratio as viii provide ana maintain a
parity between gold and silver. Be il
further
Resolved, That committee OF seven be
appointed by the chairman of this confer.
ence to draft and introduce such a bill
and take proper steps to secure full anc
free discussion and consideration thereoi
and vote of the House upon such bill anC
all proper amendments.
The committee as provided for in the
resolution was named as follows: Messrs
Bland, Sibley, Boatner, Lane, Bank.
head, Bryan and Bailey, with CulbersoI
chairman of the committee afterwar(
added.
The only Republican present was
Representative bowers of California
The Populists were represented by Jerr,
Simpson and KEN of Nebraska. Speeches
were made by Messrs. Culberson O
Texas, Bland, Hatch and Heard of Mis-
souri,. Grain and Bailey of Texas, Simp-
son of Kansas, Oates and Bankhead o,
Alabama. Bryan of Nebraska, Sibley O
Pennsylvania, Boatner and Blanchard Of
Louisiana and others, all in support o
the object for which the caucus had been
called.
Besides the action reported motion by
Mr. Bland was adopted authorizing tn,
appointment of committee of whips, ,
one from each state, whose duty it shall
be to canvass the House, discover eacl
members standing upon the proposed
bill and see that every friend of TIL
measure is in his seat and ready to yot,
when the time comes.
Mr.. Bland stated after the caucus tina
it had been in every respect satisfactor,
10 the friends of free silver coinage.