The morning call., 1894-09-07
MR.. Villas CHIRPS.
Defense of CleVeIand's
Administration.
BEST OF A BAD CAUSE.
All Ills Laid to Tom Reeds
Congress.
GROVER STRUCK DOWN SILVER.
Which the Eminent Senator From
Wisconsin Contends Was an Abb
solute Financial Necessity.

-ulLW AOhEb, WIS Ocplt u - ne
State Democratic Convention was called
to order promptly at noon to-day by Chair
man Wall, who announced Senator w. f.
Villas as temporary chairman. Villas de-
livered long address, in which he al
tempted TO show the panic was the result
of Republican misrule.
Villas reviewed the financial history of
the country from The beginning of Presi-
dent Cleveland's first term. He made spe-
cial mention of the efforts during Ar
thurs Presidency to avert disaster to the
treasury, and related that Hugh McCul-
lOch stated that the most be could do
was to postpone disaster until after the
close of the Arthur administration. Then
followed a statement of how Mr.. McCul-
loch's successor. Daniel Manning, had
sacrificed his health 10 a successful effort
to straghten out the finances, and handed
10 the Harrison administration a large
cash balance, and how the ReDub blicans
then returned to power and dissipated the
wealth. The evils that had fallen upon
the country Senator Villas attributed to
three causes, namely: the Fitty-hrst, or 3d.
called "billion dollar" Congress. with all
lis misdeeds, its silver purchasing laws,
its Mckinley protection act and its unex-
ampled extravaganza, not only in direct
appropriations. but tentailing future obliga-
tions yet to be discharged.
The Sherman law was next taken up.
The national Democratic convention of
1892 had accepted the designation given it
by the Democrats OF Wisconsin and de-
rlared it a cowardly makeshift to ward off
the loss OF the electoral votes of the West
ell fafa Tho lot hoA 10
demand for free coinage of silver at the
old ratio of sixteen grains OF silver to
equal one of gold, while excessive produc-
ton and other causes had continually de-
creased the value of he white metal until
in 1889 it required twenty-five grains Of
silver to buy one of gold, with a further
fall in prospect. The proposition that the
Government should coin dollars at 16 to l,
and give them TO the mine-Owner, who
furnished thu bullion. implied that the
value of the dollar should fall to the value
of the silver in it, or il the Governments
credit was TO support i, that the Govern
ment should give the silver producers the
gains of Gaming, some 80 per cent or more.
The Fifty-frst Congress, fearing either to
grant or refuse this demand, devised
compromise, equally pernicious, by
which the Government was compelled
TO purchase fifteen tons of silver bullion
a month which it had no use for, thus
forcing the issue of Federal promissory
notes at the rate of $4,O0O,O00 month. BY
this means the Western Republican silver
States were furnished a customer at the
expense of the people OF the whole couD-
try. The Inevitable consequences fol-
lowed. The Government was set to work
Initiating and impairing the currency of
the country. Distrust crept into the chan
nels Of business. capitalists abroad quietly
pushed their American securities upon
the market and gold began making its way
to foreign lands. Ii was in another form
the triumphs Of greenbscksm. The silver
dollar as made legal tender, yet silver
continued to decline in the market. A
thousand million dollars of silver certifi-
Gates had been issued, which the Govern
ment practically bound itself to redeem in
gold, because if it redeemed them in silver
it dropped the currency at once TO a basis
of silver nIonometalllsm, while their re-
demption in gold would not only impose
ruinous loss, but IL was practically impos-
sibie.
Mr.. Cleveland, on his return to the
Presidency, was confronted with a treas
ury with $50, 900, 600 less money in IL, with
deferred and accumulated demands to be
raid during the ensuing sixteen months
$75, ,OO0. 900 greater in amount than there
was revenue to meet them. 10 place of
the fair prosperity and universal conf
dedce he had left behind him there was a
rising distrust; a disordered currency, with
a law commanding a monthly increase OF
country; fnanciers taking alarm. and the
storm already gathered and ready to
burst. The President and the Democratic
party entering upon their trusts under
such circumstances should have had the
support of all patriotic citizens.
Senator Villas then reyie wed at length
the difficulties that have been placed in
the way of repeating the pernicious causes
of the disasters by the Republican minor
ity in Congress. beginning with The Sher-
man act down to the Mckinley law. The
Wilson bill would have required but mod
crate amendment to have made it an
efficient measure of reform. There was
much in il. however, to give rejoicing that
1t has become a law, notwithstanding the
successful assaults that had been made
upon it by the protectionlsts.
On .the third ballot of the Democratic
State convention and the first of the even
ing session Governor George P. Peck was
renominated, receiving 1S6 votes to 55
for John Hummer and 119 for John Winals.
Treasurer Hummer and Secretary Cum
ningham and Attorney General O'Connor
were also renomnated. II. j. SchmidtZ of
Manitowoc was nominated for Lieutenant
Governor; William ii. Schultz of Baraboo,
State Superintendent of Instruction;
George G. Prescott of North Greenfield,
Railroad Commissioner.
The platform reafirms the principles of
the Democratic national platform of 1892,
attributes the financial distress to Re-
publican class legislation, says the new
tariff law affords substantial relief and Is
broad stride in the direction of accom-
plishing the results that the party has so
long contended for; that by the repeal of
the sherman silver law the money of the
country is restored TO sound basis, and
10 proposed legislation should be enter
tanned that does not provide that every
dollar issued by the Government should
be of equal intrinsic and interchangeable
value; denounces the A. P. A. and kin
dred societies. approves the income tax of
the tariff bill and commends Clsveland's
administration.
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AMBITIOUS HEALY.
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