Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-02
SECRET HISTORY
OF the Democratic Financial
Plank Of 1892.
AS TOLD BY DELEGATE PATTERSON,


yer Failed. and the Men That Caused the
Failure Because 1t Might Lose Votes in
the East-Eanquet at Chicago in Honor
OF an Argentiferous Theatrical Produc-
tion Suggested by Coin"
DENVER, Sept 2.-The Rocky Mountain
News publishes an editorial in which
Thomas NJ. Patterson gives full account
Of the proceedings over the plank on the
money question in the subcommittee on
resolutions at the last Democratic convcn-
tion. The subcommittee consisted of
Bayard, Mcpherson, Villas and Daniels;
John Atkins, OF Tennessee; l.. F. Garard
of Georgia; Jones, OF Missouri, and Pat
terson, of Colorado. Patterson says:
'Whcn the PLANK was first read and an
,olyzed suggested that it was uncertain
and gave room to cavil about its meaning.
To remove this uncertainty / requested
that the word free bc ins crtcd before the
words coinage Of gold and silver etc. I
distinctly stated that 1 would be content
tn omit the ratio for such coinage, leaving
that to congress; what l did want was the
Democratic party clearly and uncqUiv-
ocally committed to true bimetallism.
Afraid OF q Misunderstanding.
Senators Villas and Mcpherson opposed
this. and so Gid Mr.. Bayard. Each gave
hs reason. 1t was not that they were op-
posed To free coinage; on the contrary they
favored it, but the word free as applied
to coinage was so liable to DC misundcr
stood III tho east and the northeast that it
would through this ignorance lose the
party many votes. Mr.. Bayard was par.
ticu!arly earnest in asserting his fcalty to
silver" Patterson says that after consid-
cradle discussion Atkins offered the fol-
lowing substitute for the money plank !:
I'VE hold to the use of both gold and sill
vcr as the standard money Of the country,
and to the coinage Of both gold and silver
for the owners thereof, without discrimi-
mating against either metal or charge for
lnintagc.' etc.
Patterson Saw the Hidden Point.
81 realized in n moment continues
Patterson, that it was n declaration for
free coinage as clear rs though the word
free was used a dozen times but before
committing nysclf | turned to Senators
Villas and Mcpherson and Mr.. Bayard and
asked: What do you think of il gentle
mcn;' They indicated that they wished to
consider it," He then conferred with
Daniel, who approved of the substitute,
and who said in response to the assertion
that the ether side would not accept:
''Ycs thCy will. They are honorable gen
tlcmcn, and when they say they favor free
coinage and would declare openly for it,
but that the word free is dangerous and
will lose the party many votes in the cast
and northeast, they mean it. This amend
mcnt avoids their only objection and we
should adopt it,"
whitney Calls 1t a "Vote-(;cttcr."
But BGyard. Villas and Mcpherson re-
fused To accept the substitute, and At
kins, it, author, voted against it. Whit
ncy then came o. the committee room and
was told that the question was rs to in
scrting tho word free in the plank. Says
Patterson He studied the proposition a
moment or two, and in u very decided tone
exclaimed: That's Il votc-grttcr. They
did not object 10 that. Let me talk with
them about it He called Senators Villa.
and Mcpherson aside and talked with
them quite earnestly for fully five min
utcs. He returned apparently quite disap
pointed and said: It's no use; they object
to the word because it is n very objection
able word in the northeast in connection
with money and to adopt il would lose tn,
Democracy that section of the country