Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-08-05
ISILTERITES' PLATFOEsN.
Bimetallism Demanded on a Ratio
Of Sixteen to One.
DANGERS OF A SINGLE STANDARD.

.g,e United Bates Must Settle Her Finan-
cial Problems Without Reference to
other acknowledgements Waite's Rad
icaI Views Evoke Thunders of Applause.
CHICAGO. Aug 3.--While waiting for the
report Of tie committee on resolutions at
the silver convention dispatches were read
from several labor unions. urging free sill
yer, and addresses were delivered by ex-
Senator Fill, of Colorado. and Senator
Allen, OF Nebraska. Finally the conven-
ton took c recess, and on reassembling the
resolutions committee presented its report.
The Lengthy preamble, after stating that
bimetallicm is as ancient as human his
tory, speaks of the efforts of the mono
metallists 60 create a single standard as
an attack op the rights of the people which
would have the effect of reducing the
price of oil commodities produced by la
Dor. arrestEng enterprise, iInpoverishing
the toiler and degrading mankind. The
preamble quotes at length from the utter
ances OF James G. Blaine, Daniel Web
ster and Secretary Carlisle in favor of BIZ
!, metallic currency and from Senator Sher-
man against the dangers of monetary con.
traction. xhe platform declares:
There n.ust be no compromise of this
question. I'll legislation dem onetizing sill
yer and restricting the coinage thereof must
be Immediately and completely repealed
by an act restoring the coinage of the coun-
try to tbs conditions established by the
founders CO the nation, and which coz
tinued for over eighty years. without COM
plant frcn, any part of our people.
| We protest against the financial policy
OF the United States being made upon the
opinion CT policies of any foreign govern
,nent, and assert the power of this nation
to stand Gu its own feet and legislate for
Itself on sill subjects.
| We assef. that the only remedy for our
metallic financial troubles is to open the
mnts of TIA nation to gold and silver on
the equal terms, at the old ratio of l6 of
silver to OF gold. Whenever 4l21S grains
of standard silver are worth 100 cents in
the United States they will be worth that
sum everywhere else, and cannot DO
bought for less. While it will be urged
that such q result would enhance the
price of silver bullion. it is sufficient for us
TO know that similar case wonld be i'm
mediate!y e.aade in the price of every kind
of property except gold and credits in the
civilized world The legislation to de.
crease to tho value of gold at the cost of
the prosperity of mankind, wheat and all
other agricultural products that have
ridden side by side with silver
| While the Sherman act of July IA, 1890,
was device of the enemy to prevent the
restoration Of free coinage and is greatly
Objectionable because it continues the
practical exclusion of silver from the
minis, and reduces it from money metal
to commercial commodity; nevertheless
Its repeal, without the restoration of free
coinage, would stop the expansion of our
currency required by our growth in popu
lation and besides still widen the difference
between tao two precious metals, thus
making tbs return to bimetallism moro
difficult: greatly increase the purchasing
power Of gold. still further breaking down
the price 81 the products of the farmer,
! laborers, mechanics and the tradesman,
and plunge still further all commerce,
business and industry into such depths Of
wretchedGeSs as to endanger preservation
of free institutions and the very mainten-
4 hnce of civi.tZ alton, we therefore, in the
name Of blio republic and of humanity
protest against the repeal of the said act
of July II, 1890, except by ap act restoring
| free bimetallic coinage, as it existed prior
to 1873.
We ASSERT that the unparalleled calami-
ties whica aow af,iiet the American people
are not duo TO the SO called Sherman act
Of 1890; and in proof thereof we call atten-
ton to the fact that the same evil cdndi-
| tons ara nov prevailing over all the gold
standard wGrld. We are now convinced
that, bad 65 is the state of affairs in this
country, ii would have been still worse but
for the Sherman act. We insist upon the
execution CO The laws without evasion so
/ long as it is upon the statute books
| We wo2iG call the attention Of tho peo-
pie to the fact that in the midst of all
troubles Of the times the value of rational
bonds Gad the national legal tender
money whether made of gold. silver or
paper, has not fallen a particle The dis
trust is not of the government or its
money, bat of the banks, which have, we
believe. preoipitated the present panic on
the country In an i'll advised effort to con-
troll the action of congress on the silver
question and the issue of bonds. We in
vite the bankers to attend to their legiti-
mate business and permit the rest of the
people 10 haYe their full share in the con-
troll of the government. We denounce the
attempt TO Internationally repeal the
Sherman law as an attempt TO secure gold
lmonometalism. in fragrant violation of the
last national platform Of all the political
parties
The fiIss apeaLer of the afternoon session
was John 3. Lennon, of New York, repre-
renting the executive council Of the Amer
ran Federation of Labor The Federation
people, he said, are silver men because
they are union men.
There was great applause when Cover
nor Waite, Of Colorado, was introduced as
the next speaker \ number of enthu-
iastic delegates had been bowling for two
days for Waite, and when the chief execu-
tive ot the Centennial state mounted the
platform their cup OK joy was overlooking.
Cheer after cheer was given by delegates,
who stood up and waived their hats
wildly, and the ovation terminated with
three cheers for Governor Waite"
Governor Waite spoke at great length.
IN closing 10 said:
who Is Grover Cleveland and who is
benjamin Harrison, and who are their
supporters in Wall street and Chicago
that they dare assume to drive into
poverty and exile half n million of Amer
lean freemenS There is no use crying
peace when there is no peace. Most
dangerous tyranny is that enforced under
the forms Of our law. Our weapons are
arguments and ballots; free ballot and
fair count. II the money power shall at
tempt to Uustain its usurpation of our
rights by strong hands, as in other lands,
we will meet that issue if it is forced upon
us. For = is better infinitely better,
rather thao our liberties should be de-
stroyed By the tyranny that is expressing
mankind al over the world, that we
should wa3e through seas Of hlood-yea,
blood to tbs no rises brdlesn
Ei5ied by an Electric Car.
WILMINGTON, Del, Aug. 3.-Joseph C,
Hewitt, aged Il years, was run over, hor-
ribly mangleG, and instantly killed by an
electric car on East Eighth street.
But Ii Won't