The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-08-08
THE SILVER CONVENTION.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND is DE.
NOUNCED.

Legislation Against Silver Must BE
StoppedT-The Present Ratio Main
Cleveland Does Not Represent the
Democratic Party.
The convention of bi-metallists in
Chicago last week was o lively affair
and there was large representation
from many of the States. The last
days proceedings furnish the gist oi
what was done. When the convention
met the committee on resolutions was
not ready to report and speeches were
Ex-senator Hill, of Colorado, was the
first speaker, next came Representa-.
tive Francis Newlands, of Nevada,
United States Senator Allen, OF Ne
braska and s. G. Thomas, of Colorado.
After Thomas had concluded the con-
vention took a recess until 2 O'Clock.
AT that hour the committee on resolu-
tions presented long preamble and
resolutions which were adopted with
but slight amendment.
The preamble asserted that the law
of 1873 which demonetized silver was
originated by one Ernest Seyd, Lon
don banker who came to the United
States as the emissary of the money
classes Of Europe for that purpose.
The resolutions declare: First, that
there. must be no compromise of this
question. All legislation demonetizing
silver and restricting the coinage there
of must be Immediately and completely
repealed by an Act restoring the coin
age of the country to the conditions
established by the soundness of the
nation; and which continued for over
eighty years, without complaint from
any part of our people. Every hours
delay in undoing the corrupt work Of
Ernest Seyd and our foreign enemies is
an insult to the dignity of American
people, crushing burden on their
prosperity, and an attempt to place us
again under the yoke from which
George Washington and his compan-
ions rescued us. We protest against
the financial policy Of the United
States being made upon the opinion or
policies of any foreign governments; {;
and assert the power of this nation to
stand on its own feet and legislate for
itself upon all subjects.
Second, we assert that the only rem
edy for the present metallic financial
troubles is to open the mints of the
nation to gold and silver ON. equal
terms, the old ratio of 16 Of silver to l
of gold.
Section three says the Sherman Act
of July ii, 1890, was the advice of the
enemy to prevent the restoration of
peal except by an act restoring free
bi-metallic coinage.
Section four asserts that the calami-
ties which now affiict the American
people are not due to the Sherman Act
of 1890 and that matters would be still
worse but for the Act. It insists upon
the full execution of that law in the
matter of the purchase of silver and
the issue of circulating medium.
The fifth resolution calls attention to
the fact that national bank and legal
tender money of whatever kind has not
fallen in value q particle and suggests
for the consideration Of our follow citi-
Zens that the refusal Of the opponents
OF bi-metallism to propose any substi-
tute for the present law or to elaborate
any plan for the future indicates either
an ignorance Of our financial needs or
an unwillingness to take the public into
their confidence and we denounce the
attempt to Internationally repeal the
Sherman law as an attempt to secure
gold monometalism in fragrant viola
tion of the last national platform of all
of the political parties.
The report was read by Tgnatius
Donelly and explained by ex-senator
Reagan of Texas. A resolution, not
embraced in the platform, was also
adopted providing for the selection of
committee to act in conjunction with
the American National Business Lea
que jointly to devise plan to provide
ways and means for impressing upon
Congress and the people the impend-
ing perils from the final demonetizing
of silver and the adoption of IL single
standard.
Ex-Congressman Rice Pierce of Ten
nessee, the lieutenant of chairman
Bland in the last Congress-, was receiv-
ed with great enthusiasm, and proceed
ed to make speech which was the SEN
sat!on of the day in its arraignment of
President Cleveland.
"1a m here as Democrat" said he.
1.-The Democracy had no part in the
demonetization of silver. The Demo-
cratic party does not believe it." ZAP
plause.1
81 say here without fear of contra
diction, because / speak from the re-
cord, that the Democratic representa-
tives from the South and West, cOnsti-
tuting the overwhelming majority of
the Democrats upon the floor of Con-
gress, have every time that free silver
has been presented cast their votes in
the interest of the people overwhelm-
ingly for the free and unlimited coin
age of silver. [Applause.] It is right
that l should say this which is the
truth. The truth never hurts any
body"
A voice-What will Cleveland do?
[Applausel
Democratic party" quickly retorted
the exoCongressman, snd then the con-
vention broke loose. Men jumped to
their feet, and cheered, while q hun
dred voices yelled, "That's it, he re-
presents Wall Street."
81 say to-day" resumed Mr.. Pierce,
that Grover Cleveland is man who
claims to-day to represent the Demo
cratic party, but he does not represent
it, but misrepresents its position on
this question. [Applause.]
DO you know why Cleveland was
nominated ?"
A voice" Seven hundred thousand
dollars" [Laughter.1
Our people throughout the South
thought Grover Cleveland was the
man to protect them against the force
bill. We also believed that he was
an honest man and would not attempt
to go against the interest of the will o.
his party upon any question. The
leaders were mistaken In Grover
Cleveland's action" [Applause ant
Kisses.
During all this time the Populists
who have never forgiven Mr.. Pierce
for adhering to the Democratic party
last fall, had been restless and inter
ruptions were frequent.