The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-28
B|METALL|STS At WORK,
headquarters Are Opened by
Them in the Mills
Building.
BOOMING A STATE CONVENTION.
Some Reasons Why Bimetallio
Party Has Not Been Organized
In California.

Headquarters in California of the Ameri-
can Bimetallic League were established
yesterday in the Mills building, and in the
same offices George keeney. secretary
of the organization, will do business for
the recently organized branch of the Ma
tional league, which few days ago issued
a call for State convention, and appointed
an executive and finance committee to
make arrangements therefor. The mem
bers of the committee are now actively en-
gagged in collecting funds and dissemina-
ting information relative to the proposed
meeting of bimetallists which will be held
in this City in August. A good many PEG
pie are wondering why 1t is that the local
leaders of bimetallism did not declare al
once for party organization in California
thus giving the move that dignity and
standing usually recognized as necessary
attributes OF political warfare.
On every side one hears the question
asked, Is the convention called by any
party or organization, or the call simply
the personal appeal OF few men for a con-
vention? Why did they not effect at least
permanent organization, if not party,
that the proposed meeting might have at
least the backing of some concerted action
These questions were put to Secretary
Keeney yesterday, whereupon he said:
1--WE have not attempted to organize a
bimetallic party in California, for the
simple reason that the people have not
yet disclosed themselves in favor of such
an organization.
This movement is not a political trick,
nor diu it come to life in star-chamber ses-
sion at the behest of a few men having
personal interests to serve. Parties have
been organized after this method before,
and probably will be again, but we have
adopted a different course. First OF all, we
want an expression of the people. If this
move eventually develops into party or
ganization, well and good. All this de-
ponds upon the people-the bimetallists OF
California
I'VE have no authority to organize party
and call it the Bimetallic party of Califor-
MIA, or anything else. We know that there
are many bimetallists in California and be-
lieve that they should get together in con-
vention. AS officers of the National BIZ
metallic organization we held a conference
with local bmetallists and decided to call
the Palace Hotel meeting, which in turn
resulted in the convention call"
George W. Boxer, leading bimetal-
list and chairman of the meeting that
issued the State convention call, when
uShCu III LIS flSNo lSidIiNO " Pelty VI
ganiZation, said:
"There may be no necessity for the Or
ganizaticn of a bimetalic party in Cali
fornia. If such necessity arises we will
SO declare. This is the reason of calling
a State convention-to get full and free
expression of opinion from every county
in California. l am Republican and sat
isfed with my party, so long as | am
allowed to stand on free silver plank.
When they knock this plank from under
me l am with the American Bimetallic
party.
1--WE land when say we, mean the men
who issued the call for the convention to
convene here in August occupy the
position held by the minutemen of the
Revolution. Should the National Repub-
lican Convention adopt a gold standard.
the silver men of the party will be found
elsewhere, otherwise they will probably
stand with their respective parties-Re-
publicans or Democrats, as the case may
be. Our object now is to get ready foI
party organization, should the necessity
arise, and TO stand ready for National
convention call. The widespread enthus-
asm on the subject of bimetallism will be
easily merged into party organization,
and formulated in party platform, should
the gold fends get in their deadly work in
the Republican convention"