The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-10
IMPORTANT MOVE BY ILLINOIS DEM
OCRATS.

OCRATS.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, April 4-The Dem
ocratic state central committee of Illinois
at a special meeting today issued a call
for a state convention to meet at Spring.
Held June next, to consider the currency
question. which it is proposed to make
the issue for the next campaign. The call
issued to the Democracy of the state says
in part
The only national question now before
the American people is that of the cur
rency. The war is over. The force bill
Is repealed never to be re-enacted Tariff
ieslsiation Of a general character will not
De attempted for several years. The next
national campaign must be fought out
with the currency as the issue between the
parties and it behooves the Democratic
party as a party to assume a decided posi-
tlon on this question and to draw it's party
Hnes according to the wishes of a majority
of its members. The basis principles of
Democracy forbid the decision of import
ant questions by the party leaders without
INSTRUCT nS from the people and it is
therefore proper for this committee to call
on the Democrats of the precincts town
shlps and counties of this state to meet
IN convention in their respective localities
TO discuss, freely, the great question before
the people, to give expression to their
views in appropriate resolutions and to
select delegates to a convention to be held
at the State Capitol.
The call then sets forth the basis of
representation. ETC., and urges the Demo-
Gratis to turn out freely to the meetings in
@helr various localities and give free ex-
preston to their views, in order that there
may be no doubt as to the position of the
party on this great and important cues
ton.
AT the conclusion of the meeting Chair
man Hinrichsen gave out an interview of
some length in regard to the action of the
committee and it's effect He said he is in
receipt of information from every county in
the state, outside of Cook, which convinces
him that 80 per cent of the Democracy
favors tho free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, without wait
ing for the action of any foreign govern
ment. The committee expects that the reso-
buttons adopted by the county conventions
Will be in line with this feeling. Mr. Hin
richsen says he does not think The plan
will commit the party to a fiat currency
or cause the disappearance of all gold from
circulation and thus cause it to go to pre-
MUM. on the contrary. he states that the
object OF this movement is to prevent that
very thing. Regarding this, he says:
THIS MOVEMENT WILL SPREAD
from Illinois to every state in the Union
and long before the election comes around
IT will be evident that the congress to be
chosen in 1898 will pass a is to free coin
they will begin to purchase silver bullion
which can now be bought for say So cents
for !12la grains. The sure profit of 45 cents
Oh each 41212 grains will bring out all the
gold from hiding places. The result will
be that the price of silver will rise steadily
and when the law goes into effect the
question of the parity will be settled
AS to the bankers, he says: The bankers
cannot combine and refuse to buy silver
bullion. The profits on silver speculation
will 1,f <Lo%
each other in order to buy Gold will roll
IN from Europe to purchase silver bullion
Certificates will be in demand and trade
stimulated by the letting loose of boarded
millions and the certainty of a finel<set-
tlement OF the currency question will bring
on am ore prosperous period without dan
ger of following panics. A few leading
Democrats may be driven from the party
by this movement. perhaps, but most of
them will be swept along in the tide espe-
cially as the character of the movement
and it's certain results will remove the only
serious objections to the free coinage of
silver.
AS to the effect upon the Republican
party, Mr.. Hinrichsen said: GAS a party
they are pledged to recommendation and can
take no other ground, unless they straddle
the question. Thousands of them will join
the Democrats, for they believe in free sill
yer. l certainly expect the Democrats to
carry the state and country in 1896. This
movement will be in effect a reorganiza ton
of the Democratic party. 1t will be built
from the township up
Regarding the prospects of an independ-
ent silver party, he says: THE attempt
begins at the wrong end. A few men at
Washington cannot control II 900, 900 voters
The county movement grated into strong
party organization is the only way in
which such political results can be pro-
duced. The extreme gold men in our party
will go over to the Republicans. The free
silver men Of all parties must come to the
Democracy and, with Objectionable
statesmen eliminated, the confidence of the
people in the Democratic party will be
strengthened and confirmed"