St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-24
No SPURIOUS RING
TO THE DELIBERATIONS OF
SOUTHERN BUSINESS MEN
AT MEMPHIS.
SOUND MONEY PLATFORM.
SECRETARY CARLISLE AD-
DRESSES THE CONVENTION
ON THE GREAT QUESTION.
EXPOSE OF FREE SILVER FOLLY.
Sixteen-tO-One Would Destroy Our
Credit, Unset1e Values and
Reduce Wages.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, May 23.-The
sound money convention which met at
the auditorium today adjourned sine
die after two sessions, and was mag
niflcant demonstrations support of the :
financial policy of the administration.
Six hundred delegates, representing
nearly every Southern state, made
up the gathering which today listened
to an able argument by Secretary of
the Treasury John G. Carlisle against
the free coinage Of silver at a ratio
Of Is to 1; heard speeches by Con-
gressmen Patterson, Of Tennessee,
and Catchings, of Mississippi,
and other sound money leaders of the
South, and adopted a platform set
ting forth their views upon the quas-
tion now uppermost in the public
mind. The absence of political refer
ence in the addresses of the speakers
was noticeable. The audiences were
made up largely of business men who
literally applauded the calm, business
like arguments of the secretary of the
treasury and the utterances of the
other speakers. But once or twice
during the afternoon or evening was
the name of President Cleveland
mentioned, but on these occasions the
crowd went wild with enthusiasm.
Upwards Of 5000 people were present
at the auditorium at 2:15 o'clock when
Cro
convention to order. While the gath
ering was effecting an organization and
getting down to business the crowd
gradually filled up the vacant seats,
and by the time Secretary Carlisle be-
gan his address the large hall was
comfortably filled. Mr.. Crawford, in
his capacity of chairman of the COM
mittee of fifteen appointed by the as
Sociated mercantile bodies of Mem
phis, under whose auspices the con-
vention is held, called the meeting to
order. In IA few appropriate words
the delegates and visitors were well
coined to Memphis, the purposes of
the convention were stated and the
work of organization begun. Richard
III. Clarke, of Alabama, presented the
name of Congressman Catchings for
permanent chairman in a neat and
highly complimentary speech. This
convention, said Mr.. Clarke, was an
evidence that the people do not believe
in debased money, and do not want to
be dragged down to the level of Mexico
and China. The people represented
In this convention believed in the
just and equitable use of silver as a
money metal, but they would not de-
liver the country to a syndicate of
mine owners or place in jeopardy the
business interests of the country be-
cause of a craze, a condition of public
sentiment which he likened to a prairie
fire, which would feed upon chaff and
soon burn out. The leaders in the sill
yer movement were the men who had
taken up in succession all the political
and economic heresies that had been
before the people in the past decade.
The present outcry he likened to the
extreme doctrines advocated by the
Popul1StS in recent years, and their
fallac1es, he declared, would soon be
buried in the Ocala warehouses. He
mad great confidence in the Judgment
and good sense of the Southern peo-
pie. TWo-thirdS of the product of
that section must be sold in foreign
countries and paid for in money of the
world. The prices of their products
were fixed in the markets of the
world, where no American legislation
can put a fictitious value on silver
Mr.. Clarke eulogiZed Presid ent CIeye-
land and Secretary Carlisle. his re-
marks arousing the first outburst of
enthusiasm seen in the convention. |
The cheering at the mention of the
presidents name was particularly
hearty. In conclusion he presented
the name of Congressman Catchings
for permanent chairman of the conven-
tion, lauding that gentleman's record
on the money question, and assuring
the convention of his eminent fitness
Tor the position of the presiding office.
The selection of Mr.. Catchings was
made by an unanimous viva voce
vote, and the congressman accepted
the honor in graceful speech. He
said:
CHAIRMAN CATCHINGS' RE-
MARKS.
Gentlemen of the Convention: There
come in the life OF, man times when
words fail him, when he wishes to
express the emotions by which he
is moved. Such az time has now crossed
my path. Could l live forever, l could
not sufficiently express to my friend
from Alabama the impression which
his warm words have left within me.
In my Judgment, no convention that
ever assembled met for a nobler, higher
purpose than this. Brought together
from almost every Southern state,
coming from every walk in life, rep
reSenting, as you do, all voca tionS, in
dustries and conditions in life. I speak
the truth in saying not man has come
here to advance q personal end or a
selfish purpose. Believing that the free
and unrestricted coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to l would be disastrous to
all private and public interests, we
have laid aside our private affairs for
the time to counsel together now how
best to prevent it. The ehara cter of the
delegates to this convention is beyond
the reach of captious criticism and
adverse comment. This body is COM
posed of a great mass of honest, in
telligent patriotic citizens. If we are
right, we are not only right now, but
we are eternally right. We have as
sembled to- give expression to the faith
that is in US. We have been misrepre-
sented from one end of the land to the
other; epithets have. been hurled
against us. We have been charged with
entertaining views which we scorn
and disdain. 1t is said. for instance,
that we are monometallists. Let us
here and now place the lie upon that
charge. (Applause) 1t has. been said
again that we seek to so contract the !
currency that prices will fall. Let us
stamp that also as lie. let us pass
Il series Of resolutions that will be our
declaration of faith. and then ehal-
lenge any man to put other words. on
our lips. Let us. when this convention
shall have adoEted these rssclutions