Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-19
THE GATHERING AT GRIFFIN Free Silver Democrats and Popu-
 lists Flock Together. THE APPLE OF DISCoRD Was Rolled Into the Meetin' by hr Gardner
 of Pike. THE POPS WERE IN THE REAR SEATS Had No Representation on the Committee and Voted obedient1y Senator Nor
 ran Makes Spe. oh Text of
 Resolutions Adopted.
THE APPLE OF DlSCORD
THE POPS WERE IN THE REAR SEATS

Griffin, Ga, July 1S.-One of the most
 remarka ble conventions that ever met in
 Georgia assembled at Griffin today.
 With but few exceptions every county
 in Georgia was represented, and with
 out a single exception delegates were
 present from every senatorial district in
 the state. One hundred and four coun-
 ties were represented by delegations. When the convention was called to or
 der at the Griffin opera house at 10 o'clock the full capacity of the house,
 more than 1000, was strained in the effort to seat those who gathered there, and
 great crowds unable to gain admission struggled in the starways and side walks for entrance.
 While the meeting was composed over l whelmingly of democratic representa- tives, including many of the most promi-
 nent democratic leaders of the state, mo- tably Chairman A. s. Clay chairman of the executive committee. There were
 srea, many populsts on hand, who l showed by their demean0r that they were l willing to join in the effort for the resto- 1 ration of silver to it's full function as a l standard money metal. They were per l fectly quiet and deeply interested. They
 
 1 views and Were satisfied that the commit
 tee of twelve should be composed en- l tirely of the bed rock free silver demo- l crats. They made no speeches in the con 1 vention. but unanimously voted for the l resolutions reported. It was unanimously l accepted as a fact that if todays action resulted in bringing the democracy Of 1 the state to a full and enthusiastic de- 1 fense of the principles for which it is
 contended the party has struggled -so
 many years, that many of the recalci- l trants who left the party would be ready 1 to return and join in the defense of it's I principles.
 l But one apple of discord was thrown l into the convention and that developed l suddenly at the morning session just as l the convention was about to take re- l cess to hear Senator Morgan.
 l MT. Gardner of Pike,aaa former repre- l sentative in the legislature, who had I been elected as an independent, intro duced a resolution intending to have the l effect of debarring populists from rar- 1 ticipating and confining the work of the. | day exclusively to democrats, notwth l standing the meeting had assembled at 1 the invitation of the Spalding County 1 Bimetallic league, requesting all who i were in favor of free coinage to send del- l egateS from the several counties, without l regard to party affiliations.
 | Previous to this resolution had been l introduced and adopted requiring all res l olutions to be referred to the committee 1 on resolutions without debate, but MT. l Gardner manifested remarkable persist 1 ency in forcing his resolution to vote 1 over the protest of the chairman and the l members that it must go to the commit | tee on resolutions. After endeaVorinS in
 vain to secure hearing and protesting 1 against populist affiliations he was com pelled to yield to the demands of the l chairman. Senator Patrick Walsh, that | the resolution be referred to the commit l tee on resolutions
 | In his speech Mr Gardner said he spoke | for the delegation from Pike, the chair 1 man of which, Captain Bedding, of the l legislature, rock-ribbed democrat, Was l not present.
 | The convention was adjourned to hear | Senator Morgan and in the meantime | Captain Bedding, who is the father of the I election reform law passed by the last | leaislature, arrived in Griffin. He was | informed of the claims of Mir. Gardner l and openly announced that MT. Gardner 1 held position of prominence in his coun- | ty and that he had taken advantage of l his absence to throw an apple of discord | in the convention.
 "Gardner will not" said he, "dare to l misrepresent our delegation when l am | present this evening; and II he does l will tell the reason why and show the tie | that binds him to the financial policy of the administrations.
 Sure enough when the convention met Mir Gardner did not open his mouth Captain Redding was there awaiting an opportunity to reply, but was not heard from, raising even no objection to the unanimous report of the committee on resolutions.
 And so ended the only incident of the day" and when it was found that MT. Gardner was postmaster the conven- tion resolved itself into general laugh ter When the committee organized it chose Hon. J. J. Hunt, president of the Spaulding County Bimetallic league, as temporary chairman.
 Permanent organization was effected by the election of Hon. Patrick Walsh as permanent chairman and MT Doug las GlesSner as secretary. At II o'clock the convention took recess to hear Sen
 ator John T. Morgan of Alabama, who
 spoke in a grove near by, no house in
 the city being large enough to hold the
 crowd of nearly 5000. He spoke three
 hours Senator Morgan, in his address,
 attacked the administrations. He stated
 that the silver sentiment is steadily grow
 ing all over the country, but the admin
 istratien was using the full power of it's
 patronage to counteract the bimetallic
 sentiment.
 lutions, composed of twelve democrats,
 Capt. Evan P. Howell chairman sub
 mitted it's report. The resolutions were
 unanimously adopted. They ratify the
 platform adopted at the Memphis bi- metallic convention, and declare:
 That we favor the immediate restora- tion of silver to it's former place as a furj legal tender standard money, equal with
 gold and the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the ratio of 16 to ]. and upon terms of exact equality.
 That while we should welcome the CO., operation of other nations, we believe that the United States should not walt upon the pleasure of foreign govern ments or the consent of foreign credi- l tors, but should themselves proceed to reverse the grinding process that is de- stroying the prosperity of the people and should lead by their example the nations of the earth. T
 That the rights of the American peo-