Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-01
It is Analogous to the Old Green
back Movement.
BRIEF SKETCH OF THAT PARTY
An Old Politicians Prophecy as to
SiIver's Fate.
THE AVE SUB SIDIN G


sweeping some parts of the country Is
strikingly analogous to the greenback
movement" said an old politician to Star
reporter today. 1.-The greenback craze had
its origin and got its growth out Of almost
exactly similar conditions with the re-
cent boom for free silver. 1t was just
about twenty-one years ago that the dis
content with the financial condition exist
ing at that time brought about the green
back craze.
"At Indianapolis, November %. 1874, there
was a meeting of some discontented spirits
who wanted to revise the financial policy
Of the government. Those who attended
the meetings were largely Indiana poll
ticians, and not leaders in politics, at that
but there were some outsiders, notable
among them being Solon Chase of Maine
Not over forty men assembled in response
to the call which had been issued by E. A.
Pileman aid James Buchanan of Indiana.
They remained in session for two days.
formulated platform, appointed an ex-
ecutive committee to organize a national
party, and recommended the calling of
general convention at Cleveland the fol-
lowing year.
Rather Vague Principles.
"At the outset the new party was rather
vague in it's principles. They had a gen.
eral idea that they wanted an unlimited
issue of paper money based upon the credit
OF the nation. They demanded that the
gold In the treasury should be used for the
retirement Of all the gold bearing bonds
1t was their idea that the legal tender
notes should be taken up immediately and
IN their place there should be an issue of
SO interest bearing bonds. They proposed
to make these bonds convertible into green
backs, This was to be done by giving the
holder authority to present the bonds at
tne treasury. get money for them, and then
after While, If ne got flush again. he
could turn his money into the treasury and
get interest bearing bonds again.
Inc next move of the new party was
70 10 throw out sop to the labor classes.
Ihey proposed to undertake vast national
improvements, ship canals water ways
and among other things railway from
San Diego, California, to port in Georgia
Ihls' railroad was to be operated by the
government and would De a check upon
the monopoly of existing overland lines.
All these improvements We're to be paid for
by another issue of 365 bonds and in the
meantime the national banks and gold
bearing securities would be eXtinguished.
A National Convention.
"A combination was finally made between
the greenbaclIers and some Of the labor
classes attracted by the scheme Of national
improvements and other discontented ele-
ments. and nstional convention was held
u.
About one hundred and thtrty-fiye dele
gates were present, coming from sixteen or
eighteen states. But they claimed to repre-
sent q large following at home and like
the silver leaders of today, spoke in the
name and behalf of millions of oppressed
voters 1t was at this convention that
Gen. Weaver first came to the front. Ig-
nacius Donnelly of Minnesota was made
temporary chairman, and James Durant,
an ex-judge and subsequently promoter of
legislation became president Of the con-
vention. The convention was very much
encouraged to receive letters from Ben
Butler Of Massachusetts. w. d. Kelly of
Pennsylvania, and Gov. Booth of Califor-
mia. which they construed into expressions
of sympathy. There We're communications
also from some republicans Of prominence
who were wavering little from their al
legance. The convention tried to ring in
Wash Mclean of Cincinnati and Gov. AL
len of Ohio on the movement, but they were
too wary and the greenbackers had to
be content to accept Peter Cooper as their
candidate for the presidency. Samuel Carey
of Ohio, man of some prominence at that
time, took the second place on the ticket.
THE campaign came off at The time of
the Tilden-Hayes contest, and when the
votes were counted at the election 1t was
found that the greenbackers had only poll
ed a little over eighty thousand votes. con-
trbuted by the states of Michigan, Kan
sas, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. After this
the greenbackers gave up active efforts
for a year or two. Their ouiescent state
was OF snort QuTauOH, however. Events
soon brought about an opportunity for a
revival of their cause.
The 1877 Combinations.
"The labor troubles of 1877, the great
railway strikes and the general discomfort
existing among the laboring men enabled
the greenbackers to make a combination
with the National Labor Union and they
went into the campaign with renewed hope.
The result was the election of fourteen Con-
gressmen on the greenback-labor ticket.
1t was this wave that brought Gen. Weaver
to Congress, and he Immediately assumed
the leadership Of the party. His agitation
of the principles of greenbackism led to
his nomination for the presidency in 1850.
and the Inauguration of another campaign.
THE election showed that the labor peo
pie had parted company with the green
hackers In the meantime. Weaver's vote
showed a falling off from million votes
in 1878 to less than three hundred thous-
and in 1880 and the congressional repre-
sentation was reduced to eight members.
From that time on the party steadily de-
clined. The men who were prominent in it
passed out of politics. and. with the sole
exception Of Weaver, none Of the names
would probably be recognized by the poll
tcans of today.
TT will be the same way with the leaders
of this silver movement. 1 prophesy. High
water mark has already been reached and
the wave is now subsding. The men who
We're most active and most prominent N it
will be forgotten in a few years or sunk
into the oblivion of a movement which
could not stand the test of public opinion.
Some sincere men there We're, of course, in
it, and long after the tidal wave has dis
appeared they will stand as gauges to
mark the height which the food once
reached and which, upon subsid,ng, left
them high and dry.
Always Disconnected Element.
There will always be a disconnected ele-
ment in this country, advocates of fiat
money and a nucleus of the old greenback
movement will always be here either in its
greenback form or in its free silver shape
At times of great public depression you
may look for periodical revivals of the
craze But l do not believe that it will
ever again assume such serious and threat
ening aspects as We're presented by the late
silver movementI think We can 81 fely
use the word late as designating the s.l-
yer craze nCw."
Entered Upon His Duties.