Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-08-05
SILVER ADVOCATES.
The Great Silver Convention
Meets at Chicago.
Hen. Warmers Opening Address-Aiien W.
Thurman PresIdes-He'Is Against
the Unncondition Repeal of
the sherman Law.

league met yesterday and the attend
ance was larger than that of any
previous assembly of like character in
the history of financial agitation. The
First Methodist church auditorium was
overcrowded an hour before the meet.
ing was called to order and it was
early apparent that n larger hall
would have to be sought for future ses'
sions
When Gen. A. J. Warner called the
convention to order, scores of delegates
were obliged to stand in the aisles, but
all took the inconvenience good ma
turedly. In few words Chairman
Warner introduced Mayor Harrison,
who welcomed the delegates to the city.
Chairman A. j. Warner of the hi.
metallic league then delivered his open
ing address. 1.-The most extraordinary
condition of affairs" said he" meets
tho assembling of this convention. Al
most perfect peace prevails over the
world; the earth is yielding her fruits
in unusual abundance, and rich har-
vests are being gathered under
favoring skies. There is enough and
to spare. and yet never before in
the history Of the country has there
been such widespread fear and distress;
never before such loss of condolences
and destruction of credit. Industries
are everywhere breaking down and In.
borers by thousands are thrown work.
less on the streets with want staring
them in the face. Scores of banks,
most of them well managed and show
ing assets which under under ordinary
circumstances would place them
above suspicion, are driven to sus-
pend. There has been n shrinking
of hundreds of millions in the value
of stocks and other property and in
agricultural products. To attribute
all this condition to the present silver
purchasing law of the United States is
absurd. Under this law since 1890,
$3.50, 600, 900 have been added to our cur
rency. Does anybody believe that the
presence of this si5D, 900, 900, makes
money scarce and dear? Would we be
better off il we were out of it? The
real object lesson of the situation is
very different from that which the gold
conspirators intended.
at enables us to see the beginning
of the shrinllage in prices that must
take place in order to go to purely
gold basis The trouble is in the
change in the money standard. The
value of money may be doubled either
by doubling the weight of standard
coins or by destroying half of the metal
out of which coins are made. One is as
effective as the other. The establish
ment of single gold standard is
equivalent to putting the value of two
dollars into one. 1t is doubling the
unit and putting property down one
half. This is what is going on. To do
this and still require the same number
of dollars in payment of debts and
taxes is to sanction the spoliation OF
one class by the other and the talk of
such a standard as honest or such a
policy as sound finance is the rankest
hypocrisy"
Referring to the act of 1878, Gen.
Warner said: 1.-The members of con-
signed that bill, the president who APP
proved it, never knew that it demone-
tized silver. There was but one man
in the senate who knew that the act
demonetized silver; and yet he has
never been hung or shot for treason.
[Great applause ut this allusion to John
Sherman.
"That act will be known in history as
the decentralization of 1873. Let the
memories of those who stand connected
with it rot in oblivion" Great APP
plause.
Gen. Warner said that he was willing
to have the act of 1890 repealed If the
other Sherman law, the act of 1878,
could be repealed by the same bill.
Both Sherman laws should go together
and the country be placed back upon
the constitution and the law as it
stood before 1878.
In his conclusion the speaker de-
nounced the metropolitan newspapers
of'the country as being controlled by
the money power and characterized
their editorials as being but the in
SEPARATION and the bidding Of the gold
bugs instead of the conscientious ex-
pressions of the writers. The people
to win. must win against all these ag-
gregations and influences Of capitalistio
power.
On reassembling in the afternoon the
committee on permanent organization
,-enorted. recommending Allen w. Thur
man, Of Ohio as permanent chairman
Of the convention. The report was rati-
fed by unanimous vote and Mr.. Thur.
man, being introduced by the reading
chairman, was received with great APP
plause.
He spoke with emphasis against the
unconditional repeal Of the Sherman
law.
In response TO general demands 7. v.
- n = - 81