The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-28

OMAHA, Nov. 27-The Commercial
congress is consuming a part of today's
session in the discussion of the free
silver resolution. Some hesitancy was
exhibited about provoking a discussion
on this topic, but since the ice has been
broken the delegates are becoming
quite enthusiastic.
The following telegram from Cover
nor W. J. Mcconnell, of Idaho, has
created considerable commotion among
the delegates:
TO president and members of the
Trans Mississippi congress: 1 notice by
press dispatches that Mr.. Whitmore,
In his remarks yesterday, said the sill
yer question had recently lost ground
and that it is no longer a subject of
first interest with the convention. I beg
leave to record a difference of opinion
ON that subject. The delegates who
constitute your congress are sent there
not by the votes of the people but by
appointment and I suggest to you,
gentlemen, that you make q mistake if
You indOrse amy resolutions arnounc-
! ing to the civilized world that the
opinions of the thoughtful men in the
west have changed ON the question.
Great reforms have mot been rapid
ly accomplished; civilization itself was
of slow growth Although the people
of the west have been informed from
day to day that the times are improv-
ing and that the country is becoming
more prosperous. the shipments of gold
to foreign and the returns from COM
mission houses to which consignments
Of the products of the farm and range
have been made admcnish US that the
crisis has been reached
20, IL
over the United States that the peace
full opening of the Nez Perces reserva-
ton in this state had been accom-
| plished. Today government buildings
are being erected thereon and the la
! borers employed are paid the munif-
| cent sum of 81 per day, out of which
they pay So a, week for board.
L implore you, gentlemen of the
convention, not to be deceived. Some
thing is wrong If those who favor
gold standard will make it clear to US
that we have been benefited by THE de-
monetiZation of silver; if it cam be
shown to us that 81 a. day for labolrine,
men on public works is better than So
and that cents for wool is better than
10 cents, the people of the state of
Idaho will quietly submit; but so long
as the present conditions confront us,
we will not allow such assertions as
those credited to my very good friend
to pass unchallenged"
Mr. Whitlnore said that he had not
intended to say much during the pres
emit session of the congress, but being
chairman of the executive COMMITTEES
he felt called upon to reply to the teIe-
gram. He said:
Il appeal to every man in this con-
gress no prove that I never made such
remarks about the silver platform.
either here in congress, or anywhere
else. [ make these remarks because
consider it my duty to do so as am Off
cal OF tffs body. AS a member am
entitled to whatever individual opin-
ions [ may have. but as an official T
must be unpreiudiced in what I saw"
adopted:
Resolved. That we urge the speedy
construction of the proposed railroad
from Butte. Mont. via Boise City. Ida
to the Pacific coast"
Declared For Free Silver.
After fve-hours' discussion of
financial issues, the MississinHi
! commercial congress declared for the
Tree and unlimited coinage of silver. 16
to l basis, and adjourned at O'Clock
The vote was fifty for gold and 127
for silver Hon. W. j. Bryan led the
friends of the white metal and Hon.
j: L. webster of Omaha the opposi-
ton. The debate was spirited and par
ticipated in by most of the delega res
This resolution was finally adopted:
w hereas, An approaching money
standard impairS all contracts bank
rupts enterprises, makes idle money
profitable by increasing it's purchasing
power and suspends productive forces
of our people; and,
Whereas, The spoliation consequent
the OIIf Ia Of ci11 -,
terest OF the creditor class by constant
Iy increasing the value of gold is I'M
dermining all Industrial society: there
fore,
Resolved, That we demand the i'm
mediate restoration of the free and
unlimited coinage of gold and silver at
the present ratio of Is to /, without
waiting for the aid or consent of any
other nation, such gold and silver coin
to be alike a full legal tender of all
debts, public and private
The Minority
Mr. Webster in behalf of the minor
ity of the committee, presented the
following:
Resolved, That we are in favor of
true bimetallism, which consists in the
largest possible use of both gold and
silver as the standard money of the
country compatible with the power of
the nation to maintain the equal pur-
chasing and debt paying power of the
two metals.
Resolved, That we are emphatically
opposed to the free and unlimited COIN
age of silver at the ratio of Is to / un-
der the present existing conditions;
that such coinage would destroy the
parity between the two metals; that
the silver would drive the gold out of
circulation and thus destroy bimetal-
lism and produce silver monometalQism;
therefore, be it further
Resolved, That we believe this long
continued agitation of the silver ques-
ton has had much to do with the
present financial depression, producing
want of confidence threatening the