The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-08-11
SILVER ADVOCATES.
The Great Silver Convention
Meets at Chicago.
Gen. Warmers Opening Address-Ailen w.
Thurman Presides-He'Is Against
the Unncondition Repeal of
the sherman Law.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2-The national con-
vention of the American Bimetallic
league met yesterday and the attend
ance was larger than that of any
previous assembly of like character in
the history of financial agitation. The
First Methodist church auditorium was
overcrowded an hour before the meet
ing was called to order and it was
early apparent that larger hall
would have to be sought for future ses-
sions.
When Gen. A. J. Warner called the
convention to order, scores of delegates
were obliged to stand in the aisles, but
all took the inconvenience good ma
turedly. In few words Chairman
Warner introduced Mayor Harrison,
who welcomed the delegates to the city.
Chairman A. j. Warner of the Bi.
metallic league then delivered his open
ing address. 1.-The most extraordinary
condition of affairs" said he," meets
the assembling of this convention. AL
most perfect peace prevails over the
world; the earth is yielding her fruits
in unusual abundance, and rich har-
vests are being gathered under
favoring skies. There is enough and
to spare, and. yet never before in
the history of the country has there
been such widespread fear and distress:
never before such a loss of confidence
and destruction of credit. Industries
are everywhere breaking down and Ia
borers by thousands are thrown work,
less on the streets with want staring
them in the face. Scores of banks.
most of them well managed and show.
ing assets which under under ordinary
circumstances would place them
above suspicion, are driven to sus.
pend. There has been a shrinking
of hundreds of millions in the value
of stocks and other property and in
agricultural products. To attribute
all this condition to the present silver
purchasing law of the United States is
absurd. Under this law since 1890,
$3.50, 900, 600 have been added to our cur
rency. Does anybody believe that the
presence of this $3.50, 200, 900 makes
money scarce and dear? Would we be
better off if we were out of it? The
real object lesson of the situation i,
very different from that which the golc
conspirators intended.
at enables us to see the beginning
of the shrinkage in prices that must
take place in order to go to a purely
gold basis. The trouble is in the
change in the money standard. The
value of money may be doubled either
by doubling the weight of standard
coins or by destroying half of the meta.
out of which coins are made. One is a.
effective as the other. The esta ablish'
ment of a single gold standard is
equivalent to putting the value of tive
dollars into one. 1t is doubling the
unit and putting property down one
half. This is what is going on To dc
this and still require the same number
of dollars in payment of debts anc
taxes is to sanction the spoliation
one class by the other and the talk o
such a standard as honest or such q
policy as sound finance is the rankesi
hypocrisy"
Referring to the act of 1873, Gen.
Warner said: THE members of con
gress, the speaker of the house who
signed that bill, the president who ap
proved it, never knew that it demone-
TIED silver. There was but one mar
in the senate who knew that the act
demonetized silver; and yet he has
never been hung or shot for treason.
[Great applause at this allusion to Johr
Sherman.
"That act will be known in history as
the demonetization of 1873. Let the
memories of those who stand connected
with it rot in oblivion" [Great ap
plause.
Gen. Warner said that he was willing
to have the act of 1890 repealed if the
other Sherman law, the act of 1878,
could be repealed by the same bill
Both Sherman laws should go together
and the country be placed back upon
the constitution and the law as ii
stood before 1878.
In his conclusion the speaker de
nounced the metropolitan newspapers
of the country as being controlled by
the money power and characterized
their editorials as being but the in.
spiration and the bidding of the gold.
bugs instead of the conscientious eX.
pressions of the writer's The people
to win. must win against all these ag.
gregations and influences of capitalistic
power.
On reassembling in the afternoon the
committee on permanent organization
. reported, Recommending Allen W. Thur.
man, of Ohio. as permanent chairman
of the convention. The report was rati.
fed by unanimous vote and Mr.. Thur.
man, being introduced by the reading
chairman, was received with great ap.
plause.
He spoke with emphasis against tn,
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
law.
III response to general demands T. v.
Powderly, of the Knights of Labor, ad.
dressed the convention briefly.
Central Music hall was crowded to
the doors last night by friends of silver
assembled to listen to speeches by Sen.
ator Stewart. of Nevada, and Congress
man Bryan, of Nebraska.
AIlotments Nearly Made.
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan, Aug. 2.-J. w.
Duncan, who was appointed to allot
the lands in the Cherokee strip to the
Indians who are entitled to quarter