Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-03

declaration OF war tomorrow and the
signal of hostilities will be given bS
the combined convention of popuIists,
free silver men and greenbackers. The
foe to be OutlaWed will be the money
power and this generalization is so
broad that it is designed to include the
capitalists of Europe as we'll as the
money baronS Of Wall street.
The scenes following the imposition
stamp and other taxes so hotly contested
and Indignantly denounced by the CO
lOnial fathers Of 1176, would have been
fitting parallel to that furnished in
the hotel lobbieS today, by popular
arraignment of the attempt, which it
Is asserted is now being made by Great
Britain and the monO-metallic mon
arches OF Europe, to cOerce the Amer
lean continent into financial dependency
upon the flats of the mints of the old
world
Laws of supply and demand, results
of over production, found no place in
their arguments, for every suggestion
of this kind was repulSed by startling
array of statistics and figures tending
to show that the closing of the mintS
of India, the death blow to freedom
age in Europe and the demand in Wall
street for the repeal of the Sherman
bill were but parts of Il great cOnspir-
ack against the silver republicans Of
the western hemisphere.
1t is the opinion, too, of the dele
gates now assembling, that the con-
spiracy should be firmly met and the
OF
them have grown hot enough at times
to intimate that if legislation is in
efficient recourse to arms might pre-
sent Il remedy.
POpulists greenbachers and free sill
yer men seem to have united on one
program: That the repeal of the Sher-
man purchasing act must be resisted to
the last unless there be coupled with
it an act for the free coinage of silver
or a greater volume of currency.
The greenbaclIcrs and populists, who
believed the fiat of the government is
so potent as to make Il dollar out of a
strip of green paper, or to make dol
lar out of seventy cents worth of sill
yer, are, of course, not particular wheth-
er the legislation submitted for the
Sherman act shall be free coinage or
governmentbacks, but for the sake of
showing Il solid frort against the com
mon enemy, the mOlO-metallists, they
will unite with the free coinage men
in concerted resistance to Cleveland's
policy, unless a greater volume of
currency is insured to meet the strin-
gency of the financial situation.
+o1
congressman Bartine, republican,, OF
Nevada Silver Dollar Warner, demo
craft, of Ohio, Kolb, populisD, of AL
ALBANIA, and til their respective follow
erS and their name is legion.
1t is apparent even now that the
work OF the convention is not to end
with a sine die adjournment Wednes
day. Aggressive committees are to be
appointed to carry the fight to Wash
ington and to WORK up public sentiment
in various states. Then Il campaign
committee is to be named, and to this
committee is likely to be entrusted
what is ,really the most important
work of the free coinage silver crusade.
Mass meetings nightly for all weeks
to come during the financial crisis are
to be held by the unemployed and pow
ery-Stricken in every town and city
and resolution presented and adopt
ed by each calling calling upon con-
greSs to pass Il flee coinage bill. Pros.
elyting of labor leaders, of labor organ
izations, is to follow next and silver
men who we'll know how SubServient-
ly the average political demagogue
bends his knee to the demands of
labor organizations, except the same
law makers who passed the alien la
Dor law and the Chinese exclusion
bill to hC arken to the voice of labor
and increase the volume of the circu-
lating medium until the wants of the
country are relieved. 1t is to be great
moral crusade, awakening the masses
until the popular demand becomes sc
strong that the voice of the people will
be stronger than the voice of gold
The men who are assembled here are
terribly III earnest and the membership
and marked personality and the intel
Ugence of most of their leaders give
great significance to the gathering. II
is thought that ex-senator Reagan, OF
Texas, will be permanent chairman OF
the convention.
The great silver convention is to meet
at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. The
meetings will be held at the Methodist
church, Clark and Washington streets
with a supplemental session at central
music hall Friday evening and one or
the lake front Wednesday evening.
The participants are arriving and
number nearly five hundred. The con
vention will be conglomerate affair
and most likely noisy one, for al
the best known leatherlunged silver
shouters will be present.
No credentials are necessary to Sc
cure recognition as a delegate. An!
man who believes that 81 cents wortl
of silver should be made to pass cur
rent for a dollar will be entitled to
seat
The objects of the convention so IA
as can be learned, are to arrange
program of action at the Forthcoming
special session Of congress and to or
ganize a silver party. Upon this Latter
is expected to come a tug of war, a:
some of the delegates will insist upo1
remaining with the old parties, claim
ing that silver is not a political cues
ton in the full sense but rather a sec
tional question.
Tho hona Of onntaption in fha coDvor