Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-02-23
FRIENDS OF SILVER
Bi-MetaIlic League Gathers at
the National Hub.
MRS. EASE SPEAKS FOR THE WEST,

And Tells What Is Demanded Out This
Way from a Populist Point of View-Sep-
ator Stewart, Chairman Warner and
Others Express Their Views-John w.
Foster Resigns State Department Busi-
ness and starts for Paris-Senator Nor
gan on, Too-Springer Asks for Some
Hawaii figures.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The Bimetallic
League convention met here yesterday
with good attendance of silver men and
some women, including the famous Kan
sasser Mrs. Lease. General Weaver was
also present while General \. ]. Warner
presided. Weaver was one of the first
speakers. He referred to Chairman War
ner and said that twelve years had elapsed
since they had joined in making the best
fight possible in the house of representa-
tives for the free coinage of silver and he
called upon his friends TO bear witness that
the cause had made considerable progress.
The West Wants Every thing Good.
Mrs. Lease, of Kansas. then addressed
the convention, and was frequently ap-
plauded. She said that the people OF the
west had felt the crushing effects of legisla-
tion enacted by the two great political par
ties for the past thirty years. This lcGis-
latiOn she compared with the conspicuous
patriotism of jefferson Davis" legislation
that gave TO the state of Massachusetts
many millions of dollars and deprived tie
western farmers Of the slightest recogni-
ton. The people of the west, she said. de
manded free trade, free silver, and free cit
izens; and II there is anything else good in
sight they are in favor of that also. They
realized that God was the first TO bestow
free trade, and they held that congress had
no right TO restrict il. They demanded
competition in the open markets of the
world, the expense of the government to be
maintained by an income tax.
Two Very Obnoxious Johnnies.
She attributed the present financial
condition of the country to the "ioint Ell
forts of ohm Bull and John Sherman, who
fastened the existing statutes upon US"
Speaking of the tariff Mrs. Lease said that
| the duty placed on tin was one of the
many reasons that brought the Repu bli-
can party to its present condition. And
! she added, "the jinSling of that tin was
the melody of the dead march of the late
Republican party"
Bad People, England and Wall Street.
In his address Senator Stewart said that
| the secretary of the treasury, when he
| wanted to learn the wishes of the people
usually visited New York bankers. Not
| only does he do this, but he uses his infiu-
ence to send commissioners TO Europe to
beg Of foreign governments the permission
10 exercise our right OF legislation Eng
! land Is the greatest robber in the world
She makes no treaty OF annexation.
When she wants a country annexed she
| sends her ships and takes it by force and
does not ask the permission of the United
States or any other country. Wall street.
the senator said, nominated both candi-
| dates Of tie political parties for president
! and from neither man need the friends Of
| silver expect anything. The people, he
| said. saw that the last campaign was a
! fraud and would right it four years hence
Silver at the Bottom of Everything.
General Warner said that free and un-
| limited coinage of silver, was the most i'm
| portant question now before the American
| people or before the civilized world 1t
overshadowed the tariff question which. in
| his opinion, was but result OF the restrict
| ed coinage OF silver, and it was really at
| the bottom OF the Irish question 1t was
also at the bottom OF the labor question
and was responsible for the condition OF
! the laborlng men. Ihree-fourths OF the
value of gold came from its monetary use
| He urged the league to fight not only
| against the repeal Of the Sherman act, but
to labor until silver was put on parity
with gold
Addresses by Other Speakers.
Other addresses in favor Of free coinage
were made by Colonel \. {. Shinn, of Kan
! sas: Marion Butler, of South Carolina:
| Representatives Bland and Hatch. of Mis-
| souri,; Representative Sibley. of Pennsyl-
vania, and Judge J. W. Huston, chief jus
! tice OF Idaho.