Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-16
SILVER MEMS ADDRESS
To Organize and Make a Syste.
 matic White Metal Fight.
MET AS INDIVIDUAL DEMOCRATS
An Executive Committee Appointed, With Full Authority to Perfect the Organiza. tion by the Selection of the National Com. mittee From the Various States.


 Full Authority to Perfect the Organiza. tion by the Selection of the National Com. mittee From the Various States.
 WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-The Democrat ic silver conference has adjourned to meet at the call of its chairman, Senator Harris The important work of the conference is the appointment of the executive con- mittee, with full authority to perfect the organization by the selection of members of the national committee representing the several states.
 This executive committee consists of sSenators Jones of Arkansas, Harris of Tennessee and Turpie of Indiana, Govern or Stone of Missouri, Colonel Casey Young of Tennessee and w. H. Hinrichsen of Hi nois. Before adjournment the following ad- dress was issued:
 At a conference between a number of Democrats from different states who at tended the nonpartisan convention recent ly assembled at Memphis for the purpose of promoting the cause of free silver coin- age, which conference was held after the adjournment of the convention com mittee consisting of Senators Jones of Arkansas, Turpie of Indiana and Harris of Tennessee was appointed and author
 
 from the several states to meet them at Washington for consultation, with the view of securing cooperation and concert of action among those Democrats through out the Union who believe in adhering to the cardinal Democratic policy of actual bimetallism and who are opposed to com mitting the party to the plutocratic doc Urine of gold monometallism. This is purely voluntary assemblage, and there fore does not assume to speak with party authority.
 Assembled as Individual Democrats. "Disclaiming all right to bind any per son by our utterances, but profoundly con- scious that the Democratic party today confronts crisis the most momentous in its history and fraught with farreaching perils to the people and the country, we are~Hssembled as individual Democrats to take counsel together and for the undis- guiscd purpose of inaugurating and pro- noting thorough and systematic organi- zation of tho Democratic masses, so that they may go forward as one man with a resolute purpose to rescue the old party founded by Thomas Jefferson from pluto cratic domination. Therefore, with this object in view, this convention of American Democrats, composed of representatives from 24 of
 
 the following declaration on the monetary question:
 "The federal constitution names silver and gold together as the money metal of tho United States. The first coinage law passed by congress under the constitution made the silver dollar the unit of value and admitted gold to free coinage at ra- tio measured by the silver dollar unit.
 'From the beginning of the govern ment, following a policy formulated by Thomas Jefferson and firmly established by Jackson, the Democratic party has been the party of bimetallism, favoring the free coinage of both silver and gold at the national hints and opposed to farm ing out to banking corporations the gov ernment s sovereign power of issuing and controlling the money of the people.
 Act of 1873 SurreptitiOusly Passed. "The act of 1873 demonctizing silver was surreptitiOusly passed without the ap- approval or knowledge of the American people, and from the time when the effect of this act in fastening upon this country the single gold standard was understood the Democratic party has consistently and consistently urged that the greivous wrong be righted.
 Failure to accomplish this object has resulted in the steady appreciation of gold
 
 commodities produced by the people, a heavy increase in the burden of all debts public and private, the enrichment of the money lending class paralysis of industry and tho impoverishm ent of the people and unexampled distress in all gold standard countries. Experience has shown that while under the single gold standard there may be an occasional revival of business activity, accompanied by enhanced prices f revival is duo to artificial and temporary causes and cannot permanently alleviate the sufferings duo to the falling of prices brought aobut by the appreciation of gold and the inadequate supply of primary or redemption money.
 "The rights of the American people, the interests of American labor and the prosperity of American industry have a higher claim to tho consideration of the peoples lawmakers than the greed of for eign creditors or the avariciouS demands made by idle holders of idle capital. The right to regulate its own monetary system ill tho interests of its own people is right which no free government can barter, sell or surrender. This reserved right iA a part Of every bond and every contract
 The Basis of Prosperity.
 "The land and it's products are the basis
 
 productive capacity of a country must be the basis of its credit. In opposing the policy of contraction, which must inevita- ply further depreciate the value of land and its products, we are the supporters of property rights and sound credit and stand between the homes and estates of the peo- pie and the red flag of the auctioneer. The policy of gold monometallism has been characterized by repeated and disastrous financial panics. The farmers have found their prosperity and independence con- stantly waning under its blighting influ- ence. Manufacturers are interested to op- pose it, for they find the prices of sale falling below the cost of production. Mer- chants should oppose it, for, with falling prices they are often compelled to sell for less than they paid for manufactured goods.
 "The Democratic party is the tradition al friend and champion of bimetallism. Its strength and power and popularity have been largely built upon its steadfast opposition to the demonetization of silver and it's record of unwearied effort to re- store it to its historic place as a full money metal equal with gold. The effort at this late day to make it par excellence tho champion of gold monometallism, the ene- my of the policy it has upheld and the de- fender of the crime it has denounced is an effort to dishonor it's record, it's promises and its principles. The moment the Dem- ocratic party is forced into this position it heaps Obloquy on it's own past and crowns