The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-06-26
VIEW OF ITS WORK BY AN OBJ
SERVANT CORRESPONDENT.
Will Split the Democrats and Help
the Populists-Does Not Go
Far Enough on the
Money Question.
Stops at Free Coinage But Leaves
the Banking System Un-
touched.
THIS DON'T SUIT POPUL1sTs.

SprlnGne.0, ILL.,, June lO.-LaSt WedneS-
day, June 5th, was memorable day in
Illinois. The occasion was the meeting
of the Democratic silver convention un-
der the call of State Chairman w. H. Hin
richsen, of the state central committee
The convention was one of emergency-in
fact there was no other alternative. The
Democratic party in this state is in a
most deplorable and pitiable state of de-
moralization and something had to be
done. The Populists in the last three
years have educated the great common
people Of this country that tariff reform
is humbug, and that If they ever hope
to get relief from oppression that it will
come lonly through sound system of
finance and taxation. The financial ques-
this state by the Populists, and hence
when the Democratic leaders found it
necessary to recoup their shattered forces
it was only natural for them to forsake
their sinking ship and turn to the sound
living issue of the people. w. H. Hinrich-
sen admitted in his opening address on
the day of the convention that last Jan
uary, when the Democratic state COM
mittee was organized, the democratic
party was in a 'deplorable condition"
Mr.. Hinrichsen being an astute politician
and withal pretty clever man of the
people, saw that nothing short of money
reform would satisfy the masses and lost
no time in putting his machinery in shape
for a silver convention to be held in this
city. He has had no difficulty in adjust
ing matters to this end, as the Populists
had made the state ring from end to end
during the last fall campaign with finance
reform. In April Chairman Hinrichsen
called his state committee together in this
city, and call was issued for a delegate
convention to be held in Springfield, June
s. to determine whether the Democratic
party wanted to go into the political
battle of SO with "free coinage Of silver"
as their battle cry. 1t was thought by the
prominent party leaders that inasmuch
as the Populists had adopted free coinage
of gold and silver at a ratio of 16 to l as
one of their leading planks and have edu-
Gated the people on this, the greatest of
economic questions, it would be a popular
issue and through it the broken columns
Of the Democratic party might be brought
together in one solid phalanx, and besides
1t would be strengthened by large fol-
lowing of Popu!ists and Republicans.
|, The convention, as far as numbers and
enthusiasm was concerned, was big sue
cess. There were present several thou
sand people and Representatives Hall
was inadequate to accommodate the dele
i1o1 toly
The galleries were crowded to the utmost,
with spectators. Hinrichsen and his CO.
workers in projecting the convention
were delighted with the success of their
enterprise, and when the committee on
resolutions brought in to the convention
platform of free coinage of silver and
gold at 16 to T. and it was adopted with a
''whoop," they chuckled and said: Nov
we have matters arranged so that Demo-
Gratis, Populists and majority Of the
Republicans can unite their forces with us
under one banner"
The convention did just what 1 pre-
dicted it would do. 1t has been party
of plumbers. and when it found itself
bankrupt and demoralized, sought to re-
coup it's lost fortunes and forces through
the only channel open to it, namely, mo
| notary reform" Had the convention de-
clared for the free coinage of gold and
silver, unrestricted, at the ratio of Is to
L. and the government issue of all paper
money without the intervention of banks,
there would be nothing to keep the Popu-
lists from uniting with them. But they
did not have the patriotism and moral
courage to take a stand in the interest Of
the farmers, merchants and wage-workers
of Illinois, and hence their effort to scare
the Populists falls fiat. The Populists of
this state, as we'll as every other state in
the Union, are twenty years ahead Of the
Democratic and Republican parties on
the money question. and cannot be caught
by free coinage of gold and silver which
is only very little in advance over our
present financial condition. told Chair
man Hinrichsen that his party had the
grandest opportunity of its life. But the
Democratic party leaders thought that if
they should declare against bank issue of
money they would array the money power
against them, and this they could not
afford. Here is where the Democratic
deceit and hypocracy come in. The
banks and money lenders are against free
coinage any way and are fighting it to
the death, and here is where the danger
to the Democrats lies. Every bank, shy
lock and money-lender will fight the DEM
ocratic party. Every gold standard man
will leave the party, and not Populist
will forsake his party to affiliate with
them. The Republicans are standing back
and sneering at them and ridiculing their
attempt at reform The silver convention
was a strong Endorsement by Democrats
Of the financial reform inaugurated by
the Populist party in 1892 in their Omaha
convention, but they had not the moral
courage and backbone to come out for
money reform in it's entirety, and hence
its efforts will only have a tendency to
completely break up the Democratic party
TO the advantage of the Populists and Re-
publicans. The free silver men will come
to the Populists, the only honest money
party, and the gold men will go to the
party to which they belong-the Republi-
cans.
National Chairman H. E. Taubeneck,
Of the Peoples Party. was in attendance
upon the convention as spectator, and in
an interview with the writer said that it
would make no difference what kind of
platform the Democrats adopted, the Pop
ulists Of the South would not go to them
not even if they would adopt the entire
Omaha platform. Mr.. Taubeneck said the
Popu,:sts of the South have no confidence
in the Democratic party, and would in no
sense affiliate with them. He said the
convention with it's free coinage" alone
would not bring to it's ranks any Popu-
lists, but lthe discussion of the money
question would show the people that it is
only through money reform that the
industrial masses can get relief. Mr..
Taubeneck is true and tried reformer
ov,A estc oh fri Of IN