The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-08-03
THE SILVER CONVENTION
A MERRY WAR WILL BE ON WHEN
TIE FINANDIRRs MEET.
The Populists Will Furnish Plenty Of Wind
and Appeal Will be Made to Unsm-
ployed Laborers-Judge Reagan
Mentioned For Chairman.

declaration of war tomorrow, and the
signal of hostilities will be given by
the combined convention of Populists,
free silver men and Greenbackers.
The foe to be outlawed will be the
"money power" and this generaliza-
tion is so broad, it is designed to in
clude capitalists Of Europe as well as
money barons of Wall street. In the
present depreciation of silver the dele.
gates only see great conspiracy on
the part of gold lenders of England
and Germany, aided and abetted by
lesser capitalists, their vassals of Wall
street, to make gold the only recog-
nized international coin metal of the
world and to subjugate the United
States to the financial control of the
country from whom she wrested her
political autonomy 100 years ago,
Great Britain.
The scenes following the imposition
of tax on tea that was so hotly con-
tested and Indignantly denounced by
the colonial fathers of 1876 would have
been fitting parallel to that furnished
in the hotel lobbies today by the pop.
ular arraignment of the attempt now
being made by Great Britain and mo-
mentalic monarchies of Europe to
coerce the American continent into
financial dependency on the minis Of
the old world. The laws of supply
and demand. results of overproduc
ton; found no place in their argu-
ments, for every suggestion OF this
kind was repulsed by startling array
of statistics and figures tending to
show that the closing of the minis in
India was death blow to free coinage
in Europe, and the demand of Wall
street for the repeal of the Sherman
bill is but a part of the great con
spiracy" against the silver republics of
the Western hemisphere. 1t is the
opinion, too, that this conspiracy
should be firmly met and the enemy
promptly routed, and some grow hot
enough at times to intimate that if
legislation should be inefficient re-
course to arms might prove a salutary
remedy.
Those who expected that the conven-
ton to be assembled tomorrow would
90 to pieces on the shoals of partisan
ship have underestimated the deep
feelings that actuate most of the dele
gates who are to discuss the financial
issue in this assembly. Populists,
greenbackers and free silver men
seem united on one program-that the
repeal of the Sherman purchasing act
must be resisted to the last unless
there be coupled with it an act for the
free coinage of silver or for a greater
volume of currency. 1t is apparent
even now that the work of the conven-
ton will not end with sine die
adjournment Wednesday.
Aggressive committees will be ap-
pointed to carry the fight to Washing
ton and state committees will be
named to work up public sentiment in
the various states. Then a campaign
committee will be named and to this
committee is likely to be entrusted
what is really the most important
work of the free silver crusade.
Its work will be secret and
it is expected it will la
Dor to enlist the assistance
of the unemployed everywhere. Mass
meetings nightly for all the weeks to
come during the financial crisis will be
held by the unemployed and poverty
stricken in every city in the land, and
resolutions will be presented and
adopted calling upon congress to pass
a free coinage bill. This will be fol-
lowed by another important move
the proselyting of labor leaders of or
CARNATIONS and the silver men, who
well know how subsequently the av-
erage political demagogue bends the
knee to the demands of labor organi'
cations, except the same law makers
who passed the alien labor law and
Chinese exclusion bill to hearken to
the voice of labor and increase the
volume of circulating medium until
the wants of the country are relieved.
1t is to be the great moral crusade,
awakening of the masses, until the
popular demand becomes so strong
that the ''voice of the people will be
stronger than the voice of gold" as
Populists put it tonight.
Colorado's big delee ation arrived at
the Palmer House today and goodiy
number from Iowa, Nevada, Montana,
Alabama, Indiana and Idaho are at
the Great Northern. Some Of the
most prominent men now in the city
are ex-senator Thomas NJ. Patterson,
General Warner, Senator Mantell of
Montana, Senator Shoup Of Nevada,
Congressman Sweet of Idaho, Senator
Stewart of Nevada, Congressman Can
non of California, Senator Duboise
of Nevada, Congressman Bowers
of California, Herman b..
Taubeneck of Illinois, Chairman Of
the Peoples party national executive
committee, Geo. F. Washburn of Mas
sachusetts, Congressman Bartine Of
Nevada, Governor Toole of Montana,
and Ex-Governor Routt of Colorado
Hon. A. j. Warner will call the con-
vention to order and Mayor Carter
Harrison of Chicago, will deliver an
address of welcome. 1t is expected
today that ex United States Senator
John H. Reagan of Texas will be
chosen permanent chairman of the
convention.