Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-08-08
RESOLUTlOYs OF THE ssLvER
CONVENTION.

resolutions of the silver convention
held in Chicago, were read and adopt
ed.
The preamble recites bimetallisn
is as ancient as human history. Fo
more than 300 years gold and silvel
have come down through the agel
hand in hand, their relations having
varied but few points in all tha,
time, then almost invariably through
Legislation; that both metals were
named together and indissolubly mi.
ted in the constitution of the United
States as the money basis in this
country; that in 1878, without pre-.
vious demand by any political party
or any part of the people, without
public discussion, silver was stricken
from the place it had occupied since
the days OF Adam and Pharaoh, un-
der circumstances of much secrecy.
The preamble then quotes at length
from utterances of James G. Blaine,
Daniel Webster and Secretary Car
Isle in favor of bimetallic currency,
and John Sherman on the dangers OF
monetary contraction.
The resolutions then say:
"There must be no compromise OF
this question. All legislstioE demon
etizing silver and restricting the coin
age thereof must be Immediately and
completely repealed by an act restor-
ing the coinage Of the country to the
conditions established by the foun-
ders of the nation, which continued
over eighty years without complaint
OF any part of our people.
ave protest against the financial
policy of the United States being
made dependent upon the oK,nion or
policy of any foreign government.
We assert the only remedy for pure.
ly metallic financial troubles is to
open the mints of the nation to gold
and silver on equal terms at the old
ratio-16 of silver to l of gold.
"Whenever silver bullion can be
changed at the mints for legal tender
silver dollars worth 100 cents at that
moment, 4121 grains of standard sill
yer will be worth that everywhere
else; and, as commerce equalizes the
prices of all commodities throughout
the world, whenever 4l2t grains OF
standard silver is worth 100 cents in
the United States, then it will be
worth that everywhere else and can
not be bought for any less.
"While the Sherman act was a de-
vice of the enemy to prevent the res
toration of free coinage and is great
ly Objectionable because it continues
the practical exclusion of silver from
the mints and reduces it from a mon
ey metal to a commercial commodity,
nevertheless its repeal without resto-
ration of free coinage would stop the
expansion of our currency required
by our growth in population and bus
mess and widen still further the dis
tance between the two precious met
ais, thus making the return to bimet-
alism more difficult. 1t would great
ly increase the purchasing power of
gold, still further break. down the
price of the products of the farmer,
aborer, mechanic and tradesman, and
plunge still further all commerce, bus.
mess and industry into such depths
of wretchedness as to endanger the
peace and preservation of free insti-
tutions and the very maintenance of
civilization.
"W e, therefore, in the name of the
republic and of humanity, protest
against repeal of said act of July IA,
1890, except by an act restoring free
bimetallic coinage as il existed prior
to 1878. We assert the unparalleled d
calamities which now afflict the Amer
ican people are not due to the So
called Sherman act of 1890, and, in
proof thereof, call attention to the
fact that the same evil conditions now
prevail over all the gold standard
world"
The committee also recommended
that the convention Immediately ap-
point committee composed of a
member from each State and Terrific
rv to act in conjunction with the
American National Bimetallic league
jointly to devise plan and provide
ways and means for impressing upon
Congress and the people the irnpend-
ing peril from final demonetization of
silver.
Lists of financial failures continue
70 annaar Ja;lx, - H.