St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-27
ACTIVE FOR FREE COINAGE.
AS the Financial Policy Of the
Party in the Next Cam
paign.
A MANIFESTO THE RESULT
Voters Will Be Called Upon to
Oppose the Gold Barons
Of the Country.

w AOI1I1N1l O4N5 L GU. ~. |lNOuSiiio
matters on the floor of the house
were overshadowed in interest today
by the initiation of brisk move
ment to secure a majority OF the
Democratic membership in favor OF
a financial policy having the free
coinage of silver for it's keynote.
For some time there has been a
discussion carried on by the free
silver leaders of the party over the
practicability of a plan to unite
their forces and to crystalline their
ideas into some sort of a platform
or declaration. The net result has
been the draft of a declaration ad-
dressed 'to the Democrats of tho
United States," and outlining
financial policy for the Democratic
party. This paper has been circu-
lated on the Democratic side of the
house, and is being vigorously dis
cussed with the object of obtaining
the consensus of opinion of silver
Democrats upon it's expressions. The
chief instigators Of the movement
are Messrs. Bland (Mo.), Bryan
Neb.), Sibley Pa), and Cofreen
(Wyo). Their paper is at present
but a tentative expression, they say,
and not yet in form for publication,
since none of it's details has been
definitely agreed upon In substance
it states the
FINANCIAL POLICY
Of the party to be for the free coin
age of gold and silver on terms of
equity at the ratio of 16 to 1, for
the issue of all paper money by the
government without the interven-
ton of banks, and opposition to any
issue of interest-bearing bonds with
out the authority Of special act
of congress. Attention is called to
a movement, said to be under way
through the efforts Of the opponents
of free silver in the party, to secure
the election Of gold men as dele
gates to party conventions, and par
ticularly to the next national con-
Vention for the nomination of sim
gle gold standard man for the pres
idency. Democrats are urged to op-
it that none but free silver men are
elected to positions of influence in
the party, and to represent them in
all conventions.
If the support of majority
Of the party in congress can
be pledged to a financial platform,
it is intended to issue the manifesto to
the Democrats of the United States
within few days. At present the
declaration is in but formative stage,
Mr.. Bryan says, and it is intended to
secure the views of members and make
such changes in it as the majority
of them may dictate. There is a
possibility that they may not be able
to agree upon any form of address
because considerable diversity of opin-
ion has developed today upon the de-
tails of the statement.
POPS IGNORED.
But few Eastern members have been
approached, and the Populists are en-
tirely ignored, with the expectation
that they will come into the Demo-
cratic party if it declares for free
silver. How far this can have been
inspired by the meeting of the exec
utive committee Of the bimetallic
league, it is impossible to say, for while
the prime movers say that their plan
is entirely independent of the league,
it is noted that they are men who have
been admitted to the councils of that
body during it's session.
Representative Davis, of Kansas,
who is a prominent Populist, says
that the more conservative third
party men could adopt a platform for
a national currency of gold, silver
and greenbacks with the single addi-
tional plank of government control Of
public works.
Most of the Democrats who have
been presented with the first draft
of the manifesto are more or less r.
luctant to discuss the movement, be-
cause secrecy has been enjoined upon
them until a definite agreement shall
have been cemnted.
Mr.. Bryan also made an incomplete
canvass of the silver Democrats in
the senate. He did not present any
prepared declaration, such as he
thought would be wise to make, but
merely submitted to them the question
of the advisability that a joint meeting
of the silver Democrats in the two
houses be held before adjournment for
the consideration of the matter. It is
understood that while many of the
Democratic senators expressed inter-
est in the question, and stated that 1t
struck them favorably upon first
thought, they should prefer to have
time to think it over in all it's bearings
before finally committing themselves
| to the project.
THEY'RE NOSLNG AROUND.