Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-17
Bimetallic League and the Coming
Political Campaign.
FREE COINAGE CANDIDATES
They Are the Only Ones to Get
the League Votes.
T H Z r E S OIL U T / O n S


League was largely attended and fruitful
In results. Gen. A. ]. Warner. president
of the meeting, presided, and Secretary De-
vine read the minutes of the preceding ses-
sions. strong silver paper was read by
Congressman Bryan and Congressman
Bland discussed the silver question in its
relation to politics. At the session this af-
ternoon Senator Jones made an argument
in favor of the adoption of a bimetallic
standard for the United States alone.
The committee appointed to recommend
plan of action, submitted the following
declaration and plan of action, which, after
considerable discussion, was adopted: .
Declaration-'A year has passed since Con-
gress was called together in extra session
to repeal the silver-purchase law and COM
pete the establishment of the single gold
standard. On the 1st of November last
after a memorable struggle this deed was
accomplished The results of this policy are
before the country. Every prediction and
every promise made by the advocates of
| the gold standard, that prosperity would
Immediately follow the repeal of the
| called Sherman law, have utterly failed.
| Things have gone from bad to worse, with
out cessation, from the DAY the act was
| repealed. On The other hand every pre-
| diction made by those who declared il i'm
possible ,hat times could be made better
by entirely shutting off money supply have
been fully verified.
Gold has steadily increased in value.
| increasing the money standard by not less
than ID per cent in a single year, and prices
have faller in corresponding degree. No
such change in the value of the money
standard ever took place before in so short
q period IN the history of the world.
Stagnation of Trade.
''The necessary consequence of such a
violent change has been unprecedented stag
| of do nd Sfria
paralyzed; the employm ent of labor is made
unsteady and precarious; business enter
prise is imperiled, and debtors are made
| bankrupt. Leading articles of consumption
| are lower than for three hundred years.
Wheat is lower in England than at any
period since Charles the First or the landing
| Of the pilgrims; merchant bar iron is lower
| in price than ever before since its first
by man; cotton was never SO low before.
| The great agricultural classes are brought
to the verge of ruin. This has been brought
| about by the change in the money standard
| and by nothing else. Nor is there any hope
| of relief so long this policy is pursued.
| We must throw of the yoke of the single
| gold standard and restore to the country
| the constitutional standard of gold and sill
| yer. or hopelcssly suffer on. There is no
| other remedy
The money question. therefore, is the su-
preme issue before the country. There is
| no otner, and there can be no other of suffi-
Cient Importance to displace this until this
Is settled and settled rightly. Fortunately
| the field mas been at last cleared for this
| battle The tariff is now out of the way.
| There will be no further contest between
protection and free trade for both alike in
| the end lead to the same goal Protection
| under the gold standard is impossible for a
| debtor nation. To the extent the low ring
of the tariff tends to increase Imports to
| that extent ii no doubt would tend to draw
| away gold. unless offset by increased ex-
ports. But besides offsetting imports with
| exports tribute n pf
countries, mostly to England, from $780,
| OO,WO to $3.50 COCOON per anEum as interest
| on loans and other dues. This must be paid
| in gold or in commodities. 1t cannot be
paid for a single year in gold without over
| throwing the gold standard. On the other
hand, If by protection or otherwise. prices
of commodities in the United States are
| raised above the international level of
prices then creditor nations will cease to
buy of us and demand gold.
The Way Out.
This is indeed a grave situation, but il
| is the condition to which the gold-standard
pilots have conducted us. We must get out
| of it, and we must get out of it ourselves,
| without waiting for other countries to help
| us. To sell more bonds would simply be
giving new notes for interest and piling up
still higher the mountain of debt that al
| ready exists, and make the fall SO much the
worse when 1t comes, as sooner later ii
| must come. The only way out is to restore
| the bimetallic standard of money, and until
| this is done there can be no return of pros
perity to the country. 1t needs therefore
| only statement of the question to show at
once its paramount importance. Hence the
silver question, by virtue of its overshadow-
| ing Importance, is now the supreme issue
before the country. 1t is at the forefront
and will stay there until it is settled AT
| bottom it is a question of ethics. of right
against wrong, of justice against injustice,
and will not down.
Plan of Action.
Therefore, this conference of the BIZ
metallic League. in session at Washington
| this, the 10Th day of August, 1884, believ-
| ing that the time has come for action.
recommends that the silver question in all
congressional elections, and in all state cleo
t,ons where members of state legislatures
are to be elected, who will elect United
States Senators. be made paramount over
everything else, and that all other Ques-
tions be subordinated to this. 1t is success
| for the country-not mere success for any
party-that is now wanted. The first battle
| is for the Fifty-fourth Congress. 1t is i'm
portant that sufficient majority be elected
| TO that Congress to enable 1t to pass free
coinage bill, even over presidential veto, if
necessary.
voters everywhere without regard to party
| affiliations, to vote only for free-coinage
candidates to represent them in Congress:
not half hearted advocates of silver but
| those who will pledge themselves, as here
| tofore recommended by the league to sub
| ordinate everything else in Congress to this
| overshadowing issue. Trust no candidate
| for the Fifty-fourth Congress who has been
| unfaithful in the Fifty-third.
| THE conference further recommends that
| the mining states and the agricultural states
combine to make the silver question the
| supreme issue in all elections, and agree to
| stand together, and to send no representa-
tives to the House or to the Senate who
cannot be relied upon to subordinate every
| pa rty consideration to the cause of b.metal-
| lism, and to send none but free coinage del
| egates to national conventions and to vote
| for no candidate for President who would
| veto free coinage bill To this end the
| &C inference recommends that a convention
be held at some central point in the mining
| states, and at central points in the agricui-
| trral states, with the view of perfecting such
| organization will secure this result and
| prevent the will of the people from being
| thwarted, in 1892 by the manipulation
| Of party machinery.
| Resolved, That a committee of five be
| appointed arrange for the conventions
| herein proposed and to provide ways and
| means to carry out the plan here recon-
| mended."