Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-20
Statement by an Illinois Free Coin
age Leader.
CALLING OF fHE COMING CONVENTION
To Prevent Democrats From Leav-
ing the Party.
MIR. HIN RICHSEN TALKS

Special from Staff Correspondent.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, May 20.-Here is the
story of the present silver movement in IL
linois, told by the politician who has en-
gineered it. 1t is a plain tale, delightfully."-
frank, and the audacity of the polit-
ical move is openly avowed. The
purpose which was intended to be accom-
plished is confidently expected to be real
lied, and there is utter Indifference to the
collateral effects. The politicians have con-
jured with mighty fetch, and the power
they invoked is already sweeping beyond
their control.
Here is the story of a handful of men in
control of the democratic machinery of IL
linois, who have .takep advantage of the
existence of a latent sentiment for free
silver to arouse that feeling into activity,
mark it with the tag of democracy and
send it forth to work a political end for
themselves. OF the hosts of Illinois demo-
Gratis, the plain people of the land, who
sincerely believe in silver coinage and
honestly think their present action is a
bona fide effort in behalf of the remoneti-
zation of that metal, no criticism can be
made. Whether these trusting people are
being utilized by skillful politicians for
another purpose than the one they have in
mind remains to be shown by events of
the future
That the arousing of the free silver storm
in Illinois originated in the state house in
Springfield is admitted. But for the action
of the little group of politicians in using
the machinery of the party to open the
question by calling the free silver conven-
ton, the believers in silver coinage would
still be nursing their opinions and waiting
and watching for silver to have it's innings
in the regular course of proceedings.
William H Hinrichsen, secretary of state
chairman of the state central committee
righr-hlnd Altpni1
lieutenant Of the Altgeld democracy of the
state, Is the man who engineered the light
ing of the free silver prairie fire. He had
nothing to do with the prepard ton of the
material for the confagration. That has
been at hand for the last two years; but it
was he who laid the firebrand and worked
the bellows to fan it into flame. Mr. Hin
richsen's opponents concede him to be one
of the sharpest politicians in the state. The
way in which he worked the state central
mittee to his purpose was eloquent demon
stration of the fact.
To Keep Democrats in Line.
''The object in calling the convention and
starting the movement said Mr. Hinrich-
sen to the writer, was three-fold and born
of a political necessity. First to prevent
the democrats of this state from going bod
lily into the new silver party now being
formed in the west; second, to educate the
people upon the silver question before the
elections; third, to put life into the party
and prevent its dissolution before the
charge of national democratic incompe-
tency. 1t was evident that the democracy
of this state would be absolutely paralyzed
unless something were done to arouse them.
Last January 1 wrote to more than 900
active democrats in the state. asking for
their explanation of the apparent demoral-
ization of the democratic party in Illinois.
The men addressed were selected for their
knowledge Of practical politics and actual
40 cL~ n1
trouble to be due to the inability of the
democratic Congress to agree on a financial
policy; to the efforts to inaugurate the Car
Isle currency scheme to head off silver, and
and the leaning of the President toward a
gold standard and away from the principles
of democratic bimetallism.
THE people felt they had been deceived
in their representatives. Illinois democrats
have been for free silver for years. When
the Sherman act was repealed and nothing
was done for silver the democrats saw that
silver's case was hopeless under existing
Cleveland is a monometallist, and that
those politicians who advocate waiting for
an international agreement and bimetal-
lism are merely playing the people.
Calling the Convention.
"After getting the returns from the state
upon the condition of feeling among our
people, it was determined to take action.
The state central committee was called in
session here. The proposition for assem-
bling a free silver convention, in order that
the democracy may go squarely upon
record, was presented. There were twenty
che delegates and proxies present. The
vote upon calling the convention was sew
enteen ayes, three noes and one not voting
The call was then issued, and was received
with delight.
There will be 1916 delegates to the con-
vention. OF this number one-half have al
ready been chosen. OF those chosen 9S per
cent are for free coinage. Three counties
have refused to call primaries, and in each
case the county committee was composed
CT federal ofticeholders, but there will be
mass meetings in those counties and dele
gates sent by popular vote When the con-
Yention assemblies there will not be ) per
cent of anti-silver votes in 1t.
THE convention will adopt resolution
declaring that We demand the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and gold at
ratio of 1G to l, without waiting for per-
mission or action of any foreign govern
ment. An attempt will be made not to
commit the convention to a fixed ratio
but the effort will be voted down over
whelmingly. 1t would be useless to ad-
journ without fixing a ratio and there will
be no equivocadon upon this point.
Rebuilding the Party.
"The action of this convention will be
the virtual reorganization of the demo-
cratic party in Illinois. Following the be-
hests of the convention the party will be
rebuilt from the township organization up,
and after this it will he impossible for the
politicians to deviate from the plain COM
mands of the people. 1t IS possible that
we may lose some democratic votes, but
if so, we will gain more than we lose. The
republicans will straddle the question as
usual. There are free silver republicans
in this state who would not hesitate to
vote a free silver democratic ticket, be-
cause they would think they were voting
for national and personal prosperity, and
under such a condition party would be
forgotten.
1T has been charged that personal am
biton actuates those who are at the head
of this movement; that 1 want to be gov
ernor, and that Mr.. Altgeld wants to be
Senator. 1t is easy enough to make a
charge like that; it is a mere matter of
assertion. This movement is a matter of
principle and the result of an honest and
sincere wish to promote the prosperity Of
the people and the welfare of the demo-
cratic party of Illinois. The democrats of
this state are grounded root and branch
in the belief that prosperity will not come
permanently until the mints OF the coun-
try are open equally to .he coinage of sill