Evening star., 1895-06-05
FREE COINAGE MEN
Continued from First Page.)


through the long winter nights. To them
this Is a solemn occasion.
PopuIists Keep OFF.
Chairman Laubeneck of the populist ma
tional committee said today that when this
convention puts the democrats of the state
upon record and adjourns, he proposes to
issue a manifesto to the populists of Illi-
nois warning them against democratic
w.les, and eXhortirg them to stand firm to
their own organization. He says his peo-
pie want not only silver, but paper money,
and that all money should be issued by the
government without the Intervention of
banks.
Gov. Altgeld has decided not to address
the convention nor to appear before 1t. He
is the handspring of the machine, how
ever, and if the country delegates permit,
will order its movements.
Many Familiar Faces Absent.
The full membership of the state con-
Sentioa is 1.076, but the attendance today
will probably fall short of that by more
than 100. Veteran politicians are comment
ing upon the fact that but few of the
wheel horses of democratic state politics
ere present.
Il have attended every democratic con-
vention since 1865" remarked a delegate
today, ''and l miss great many familiar
faces"
This fact is only characteristic, of course,
younger element in the democracy that is
doing this
In this connection u significant incident
occurred last night. Senator John NJ.
Palmer entered the hotel and was drawn
into an argument with ex-Congressman
Lane. The controversy grew rather warm,
and the crowd became boisterous, cheering G
Lane and inclined to soof at the Senator.
The situation became so embarrassing that
the white-haired old Senator. ex-governor
and honored leader of the democracy of
Illinois for the past thirty years, felt con-
strained to withdraw from the scene. leav-
Ing the younger element in possession of
the field. This is cited to show the ten
Gency of the delegations to repudiate old
ties and affiliations.
Washington Hesing and the sound money
delegates held meeting in Senator Palm
ers office today to map out a program. 1t
was decided to avoid far possible act
i've participation in the proceedings of the
convention, as no good could be accom-
pliShed and would only subject themselves
to being ridden down.
1t is probable that a majority Of them
Will not so in.o the convention at all. 1t
was at first proposed to keep away by con-
certei action. but this was abandoned, and
delegates will use their individual judg-
ment
Inquiries having been made of the con-
vention managers as to the course to be
pursued toward the President m the con-
vention, the administration friends have
received assurance that if the federal office
holders will keep still no attack will be
made on the President by resolution. but
that If the office holders break in all re-
strictions will be removed and free rein
given to criticism.
At 1o O'Clock this morning the delega-
ticns from the several congressional dis
tricts met in caucus to select their chair
man, members of the committee reSo-
lutions and other officers.
Remarks of Editor MiehneIis.
;or,. .alis iv,o 4x,f ha
vention said:
II have consented to become for the first
time in my life delegate to democratic
because l consider it a high
duty as well as great honor to follow the
call Of your glorious leaders. The demo-
cratic national platform of 1892 demands
bimetallism in unequivocal terms. but
President Cleveland, Senator Palmer and
other prominent democrats have repudiated
the platform on which they were elected
and have used their influence to restrict
the coinage OF silver.
Their efforts had the purpose as well as
the effect to enhance the value of gold, to
make the primary money scarcer and
dearer, and We have, therefore. the right
to call the organization. advocating such 4
financial policy, the dishonest money'Iea ague
because the partially successful attempt to
demonetiZe silver and thus to decrease the
amount of standard money appears as q,
dishonest effort to force debtors to repay
loans in an artifc!ally enhanced money and
to coerce the producing classes to pay to
money lenders higher rate of interest
The disastrous consequences of this policy,
carried on by financial powers since 1873
are perceptble in the shrinking of values
In nearly all commodities and in the stag
nation of business.
Il am an old bimetallist. I consider the
restitution of silver t. its old rights as the
most important task. | believe that the
n n 1f.Y.n nd will
monetize silver. and therefore I am mem-
BEL Of this coIlTeI tioC.
This splendid gathering is a proof that
the voters of Illinois and the people at
large cannot he deceived by the false ar
guments of the dishonest money league
We all know that gold and silver have been
standard money as long as humanity has a
history, until IN and since 1878, the free
coinage of silver has been prohibited in
about dozen of the nations. We all know
that only two so-called arguments have
been offered III defense of the demonetiza-
tior of silver, viz:
II. That an over production had caused
q silver flood, and
''2. That 1t became impossible to maintain
a ratio between gold and silver.
Production of Gold md Silver.
"But the report of the director of the
mint of the United States, of April 20, 1895,
shows that during the last 100 years the
production of gold on earth exceeded the
production of silver about S500, 900, 900. We
had therefore not an over production of
silver, but rather an over production Of
gold And other official documents of the
United States destroyed the other false
argument of the dishonest money league.
Page 80 of the United States statistical
abstract of 1892 shows that from 1857 until
1879 the ratio of valUe of unlimited gold
to unlimited silver differed never more than
Il per cent-a fuctuation that cannot Sc
riously influence the value of the money
pieces coined in both metals at the rate of
1 to 1G.
Bimetallism In Germany.
Now, LET me tell you my experience with
among the Germans. Some
years ago I visited Germany. Every news
paper that came into my hands advocated
the gold standard. When I searched for
1 found a small band of men
on campaign of education with
and with weekly paper.
The campaign was successful. Some
weeks ago the rechstag passed resolution
ha al IoyerrY1apt to "a