The record-union., 1893-08-02
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oS.


vention Of the American BimetaIlic
League met at 10 o'clock this morning in
the First Methodist Church auditory. 1t
was the largest assemblage of a like char
acter in the history OF financial agitation.
The features of many SCARED veterans of
financial agitation were visible in the
heterogeneous assembly. General A. j.
Warner of Ohio, President Of the BIZ
metallic League; Congressman Bartine of
Nevada, Congressman w. J. Bryan of
Nebraska, Governor Waite of Colorado,
Senator Stewart of Nevada, Senators Man
tel of Montana, Shoup of Idaho and T. NJ.
Patterson of Colorado, Governor Kolb,
Populist leader of Alabama; Editor
Goodwin of Salt Lake; Herman J. Tau
beneck of the Executive Committee of
the Peoples party and Senator Dubois of
Idaho were conspicuous among these.
When Chairman Warner of the Bime-
tallic League called the convention to
order many of the delegates We're obliged
TO stand in the aisle on account of the
smallness OF the hall.
Chairman Warner opened the proceed
ings by introducing Mayor Carter II.
Harrison OF Chicago, who welcomed the
delegates to the city.
Il welcome you warmly" said Mayor
Harrison, because l believe you have
he good of the country at heart. Some
Of you may be rather wild; it is said that
you are silver lunatics. look down upon
you, and am rather glad to welcome such
lunatics. 1t is the crazy men that march
The world forward and make progress a
possibility. They say that though you
believe in bimetallism you are crazy. If
he action Of 1873 should be blotted from
-he annals of American political action, |
believe that silver would be worth I29
cents an ounce. BE wise in your deliber-
atoms, but be fearless. Congress is about
% meet. Give the benefit of your delib-
erations to Congress, and tell Grover
Cleveland what the people of the United
states want"
Hon. Thomas NJ. Patterson, Chairman
Of the Colorado delegation, responded to
ehe Mayor.
Chairman Warner of the Bimetallic
league then delivered his opening ad-
dress.
The most extraordinary condition of
affairs" said he. 'meets the assembling
Of this convention. The earth is yielding
her fruits in unusual abundance, and rich
harvests are being gathered under tavor-
ing skies; yet never before in the history
OF the country has there been such wide
spread fear and distress, never before
such loss OF confidence and destruction TO
credit. The industries are everywhere
breaking down ana laborers by tens OF
thousands are thrown workless on the
streets with want staring them in the
face. Scores Of banks are driven to sus-
pension. There has been a shrinkage of
hundreds of millions in the value of
stocks and other property. 10 attribute
all this condition to the siiver-purchasing
law is absurd. Under this law, since 1890
Sl50,000,0OJ has been added to our cur
rency. Does anybody believe that the
presence of this SljJ, 100000 makes money
scarce and dear?
THE real object lesson of the situation
is very different from that which the gold
conspirators intend. 1t enables us to see
the beginning of the snrinkage in prices
that must take place in order to go to a
purely gold basis. The trouble is in the
change in the money standard. The value
of money may be doubled either by
doubling the weights of standard coins
or by destroying half Of the metal out of
which the coins are made. The estab-
lishment of single gold standard is
equivalent to putting the value of s. into
81. 1t is doubling the unit and putting
property down one-half. This is what is
going on. To do this and still require
.I..1I Al
ment Of debts and taxes is to sanction the
spoliation of one class by the other"
He characterized the Silver Act Of
1873 as a crime, and said he was willing to
have the Acts Of 1890 repealed if the other
Sherman law, the Act Of 1873, can be re-
pealed by the same bill Let both Sner-
man laws 60 together and place the coun-
try back upon the Constitution and the
law as it stood before 1873.
The Committee on Credentials was
then appointed, consisting of one mem
Der from each State; and a committee.
consisting of Lyon of Colorado, Chair
man Reagan OF Texas, stark OF Ohio.
Washburne of Massachusetts and Fullen-
wider Of Illinois. was appointed on per-
manent organization; also a committee
consisting of delegation from each
State represented on the rules of order of
business.
The convention then adjourned till
$50.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session was held in Cen
tral Music Han, the auditorium of which
was capable Of seating over 5000 people
with comfort.
The Committee on Permanent Organ
ization reported: For Permanent Chair
man, Allen W. Thurman OF Ohio: for
Secretary, Joseph Hutchison Of Colorado.
with two assistants; also, that a Vice
President be appointed from each State.
the selection 10 be made by each State
delegation.
When it was suggested that the roll be
called tor the appointment ofa Committee
on Resolutions, {. :. Thomas of Colorado
urged that each State name three mem
bers of the committee, one from each of
the three parties.
Paul Vandervoort of Nebraska OBJ
jected. He hoped. he said, that party
differences would not be recognized in
the convention.
Fletcher of Colorado said when the con-
ventIon adjourned it would be charged
that it was under the domination of one
of the three great parties. 1t was for this
reason that the Colorado delegation
thought wise TO have one committeeman
from each party.
Vaudervoort still objected, and was
sustained by many others. 1--WE are moi
.,ere- y said be. referring TO the Popnlist