The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-03
Thu SILVER CONVENTION.
A Strong and Ringing Platform
Is Adopted.
GREAT FIGHT FOR SILVER.
Brilliant and Convincing Addresses
Made by Delegates.
Their Work Concluded the Convention
Adiourns Sine Die-Their Action Al
ready Bearing Frnit in Talk OF
Compromise by Congress.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-The silver conven-
ton resumed its session this morning.
Owing to the inadequate rooms used yes
terday it was decided to meet in Central
trail haIl, out the agent stood at tie door
this morning and refused to open it until
ex-senator Hill, ex-Congressman Synes
and c. S. Thomas of Colorado guaranteed
S2GO per day rental. This done, the dele
gates fiocked in and President Thurman
called the convention to order.
A resolution by j. S. Dougherty of
Texas, for the appointment OF COM
mittee of one from each state to devise a
plan for impressing upon Congress and
the people of the United States the i'm
pending peril threatening to ruin the
material interests, of which we have only
had a forecast, was referred to the COM
mittee on resolutions after discussion.
Then ex-senator Hill OF Colorado adj
dressed the convention on the silver
question. His arguments were chiefly
based on statistics, tending to show that
the adoption of gold standard in any
country was invariably followed by de-
cades of poverty and depression. He said
the divergence between the value of gold
and silver was now greater than when
the United States commission made its
famous report, and no boundary can be
set to the divergence that may be reached
hereafter. especially if the foremost silver
producing country in the world shall lend
itself to the attempt being made to estab-
lish universal gold standard.
The scarcity OF gold had nothing to do
with the present depression. The amount
of money now locked up and hidden away
was more than double the amount of gold
now in the country, and the supposition
that by repeating the Sherman act
and thus bringing on great fall in the
price of the metal. we could change
Europe into a bi-metallic treaty, was a
delusion. If we are driven by a con-
spiracy to revert to the single standard,
we should by all means use silver. II we
restore silver to its old place as money
metal by unlimited coinage, and ii un-
der force of circumstances over which we
have no control, our gold should be
drained away, we will still maintain a
first position among nations OF the world
and compel England, Germany and
France to at once adopt bi-metallism.
In concluding he declared that il
western Europe perseveres in measures
which will raise the value of gold, sc IL
shall flow from us and we become silver
country. we would be carried to the pitch
of prosperity, transcendirg all the past,
and western Europe would be plunged
into an abyss of ruin.
At the conclusion of HIPS address,
Hon. J. r. Doolittle of Wisconsin, pre-
scented resolution declaring it the duty
OF Congress to coin both gold and silver
in such ratio of weight that the bullion in
the silver dollar shall equal IN value the
bullion in the gold dollar. Referred to
the committee on resolutions.
Congressman F. G.. Newlands oil
Nevada, followed in an address review
ing congressional legislation on the silver
question. ''England, - he SAID, sswas
the greatest gold owning power In the
world. We owe her $500, 000, 900 in gold,
which she can call for any day. If the
draft Of 500, 600, 600, recently made.
worked such disaster in this country,
what would it do if she called for the
whole lot? England had the gold of the
world and knew how to legisiate for hel
interests. We have the silver of the
world and do not know our own interests
As the tax on tea led to political indie.
pendence, the present blow at silver
might lead to financial independence. -
United States Senator Allen of Nebras.
ka. produced much enthusiasm by
brief but stirring speech in which ht
pledged the Peoples party to the caus,
of silver, saying the Populists in the Sen
ate would not be found wanting in sup
port of free coinage at ratio OF to 16.
He was followed by Hon. G. S. Thoma
OF Colorado in brief speech. He de
clared that gold and silver was the none,
OF history and civilization. The avaric
of man had declared it artificial in thu
famous divorce between the metals. TIL,
silver men were called lunatics ant
cranks, but they were proposing merel,
a return to the system hallowed by tn
L. 80 L. A
cess was then taken until D. m.
The first speaker of the afternoon ses
sion was John B. Lemon, of New York
representing the executive council OF tn
American Federation of Labor. eth
Federation peoples he said, 'sare silve
men because they are union men. A hal
million of them are advocates of free ant
unlimited coinage of silyer.''
There was tremendous applause wher
Governor Waite of Colorado was intro
duced. A number of enthusiastic dele
gates had been bowling for him for tw,
days, aud he was unable to begin hi
speech for some minutes.
Governor Waite spoke at great length
He asserted that ''since 1873 no congress
has convened, but that majority in boil
houses were in favor of restoring the fret
been able to enact such laws because thu
president, whether Republican or Demo.
crat, mas always been nominatee by Wal
street and stood ready to interpose hi.
veto equal to a two-thirds vote in bott
houses OF congress. The effect OF th,
gold bug conspiracy which has denied FREE
coinage to silver since 1873, has been t,
increase the purchasing power of money
or to put the statement in another form
to decrease the value of all commodities
Abraham Lincoln said: xii a debt j
created with a certain amount of money
n circulation and then the government
contracts the money volume before tn
debt is paid, il is a most henious Grim
which the government can commi
against the people, F" and that, said Gov
ernor Waite, is in exactly what this gov
eminent has been doing since 1873.
Congressional legislation and nothin,
else has reduced the price of silver bullion
from 8. 80 per ounce in 1873 to 20 cents il
1893, aud the legislation for which tn
TWO old parties are equally responsible
same time from S1.41 per bushel to 5
ecents- The same legislation has reduce,
the price of cotton from 10 $40 cents to
S. 10 cents in the same time. The ratio O
the value of silver as bullion compares
with the gold dollar has been increases
from l6 to to 221s or "A to 1. 1t has no
only diminished the value OF silver bull
lion but also diminished almost in tn
same proportion the value of wheat
corn, PORK, beef, cotton and wages G
labor. We hear much about over produc
ton, OF the law OF supply and demand
ETC., but with the single standard of tn
gold men of Europe who have the rein
in their own hands there is not the sam
necessity TO lie about it and no such dis
honest attempt to dodge the ISSUE
Governor Waite then quoted from