The Indianapolis journal., 1895-09-02
PATTERSON EXPLAINS
HE TELLS WHO STRUCK HIM AT THE
LAST DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
His Fruitless Efforts to Have the
Word "Free' Inserted in the Money
Plank of the National Platform.

-
/ DENVER, Col, Aug. 81. - The Rocky
| Mountain News to-day published an edi-
torial in which Mr.. Thomas VI. Patterson
| gives full account of the action of the
subcommittee on resolutions at the last
| Democratic national convention. The sub
/ committee consisted of Mr. Bayard, Sem
| ators Mcpherson, Villas and Daniel; John
| Atkins, OF Tennessee; /. +. Gereard, of
| Georgia; Mr.. Jones. of Missouri. and Mr..
Patterson, of Colorado. Mr.. Patterson
says:
when the plank was first read and ana
| lyzed l suggested that IL was uncertain
| and gave room to cavil about it's meaning
To remove this uncertainty / requested
| that the word free be inserted before the
| words coinage of gold and silver etc.
! distinctly stated that would be content
)! to omit the ratio for such coinage, leaving
| that to Congress. What l did want was
| the Democratic party clearly and unequiv-
ocally committed to true bimetallism. Sem
ators Villas and Mcpherson opposed this.
| and so did Mr.. Bayard. Each gave his
reason. 1t was not that they were opposed
| to free coinage; on the contrary, they IA
vored it. but the word Free as applied to
coinage was so liable to be misunderstood
| in the East and Northeast that it would.
through this ignorance, lose the party
| many votes, which should not be allowed.
Mr.. Bayard was particularly earnest in
asserting his feaity to silver and told in
| graphic and pathetic language the services
| he had performed for the white metal"
| Mr.. Patterson says that after consider
able discussion Mr.. Atkins. professed BIZ
metallist offered the following substitute
| for the money plank:
1--WE hold to the use of both gold and sill
yer as the standard money OF the country
] and 10 the coinage of both gold and silver
| for the owners thereof without discriminat-
ing against either metal or charge for
| II realized in moment" continued Mr..
Patterson, that it was a declaration for
| free coinage as clear as though the word
committing myself | turned to Senator'S
| Villas and Mcpherson and Mr. Bayard and
asked: What do you think of it,. gentle
| men,? They indicated that they wished to
consider it, Mr.. Patterson then conferred
with Mr.. Daniel, who approved Of the sub
stitute and who said in response TO the as
| sertion that the other side would not ac-
cept ''Yes, they Will. They are honorable
| gentlemen, and when they say they favor
| it, but the word free is dangerous and
| will lose the party many votes in the East
| and Northeast they mean it. This amend
s should adopt M N.Y. Dsnei then urged
| the acceptance of the substitute, and was
thew ad asanst
cepting 1t, claiming that the original plank
was a declaration for free silver. Mr.. At
kins also voted against the substitute.
Mr.. Patterson states that Mr.. Whitney
| came to the committee room, and In an
swer to question. was. told to nave the
| word free inserted in the monetary
| plank Mr. Patterson continues "He stud
| led the proposition a moment or two and
! in very decided tone exclaimed. That's a
<.t,fa fa,f hot
| Let me talk with them about it, He called
| Senators Villas and Mcpherson aside and
| talked with them quite earnestly for fully
| FIVE minutes. He returned apparently quite
| disappointed, and said, its no use, they
| object to the word free because 1t is
very objeetionabtle word IN the NoTrnsast drs e
| would be to lose the Democracy in that
section Of the country l then explained
said: They will certainly consent to that.
| / think they will. That's vote-getter. I
| will talk to them about it, Again he held
| an earnest conversation with the Senator's.
| On returning, he looked more crestfallen
than at first, and remarked It's no use.
they will consent to no change.
1.-The fight before the full committee was.
reported in the press at the time. / advo-
Gated the amendment inserting the word
free in the plank. Mr.. Bayard and Sen
ator Villas made several earnest speeches
against it. The amendment WAS lost. 1
carried the amendment into the convention.
1t was again defeated. | became convinced
ex-Secretary of State Bayard, represented
Mr.. Clevelands views and that they fully
understood each other. The money plank
votes for Mr.. Cleveland. l made up my
mind 1 would not walk into the trap with
repndiated Mr. Cleveland and did what
could for General Weaver"
Bnlfour's Blow to Free Silver.
LONDON, Sept. 2-An editorial in the
yT>x~ x1,~
blow which Mr.. A. j. Balfour's statement
is to the hopes Of German and American BIZ
metallists. Mr. Balfour. 1t will be remem-
bered. stated in the House of Commons that
he did not believe that an international BIZ
metallic conference would result In an
agreement on a ratio The Times says:
"The American bimetallists are made of
sterner stuff than the German. and Will.
therefore. continue to agitate: but it Is less
likely than ever that they will carry the
country with them. There seems no chance
that either political party will allow itself
to fall under the sway of the silver men.
The recent publicity of the aims of the BIZ
metallic party here has been a revelation
and warning. We trust that the trade
revival now in progress will complete the
cure, and that we shall hear less and less
about bimetallism from any quarter"
"Coin" Not Boycotted by Depew.
HOMBURG, Sept LIN interview
President Chauncey NJ. Depew. of the New
York Central railway, denied that he had
prohibited the sale of Coins Financial
School, on the New York Central and
branches of the Vanderbilt lines generally.
His positive orders he says. are to permit
the sale of all political and economical
books. regardless of party. THE reason
that Coins book is not sold on the New
York Central lines" Mr.. Depew continued,
lis due to the rival news companies. The
American News Company has a contract
with the book stalls the Vanderbilt
lines, and they cannot get terms as profit
able for this book as lne other agencies"
Rcpudiated Their PlatfOrm.
KENTON, O., Sept. 1.-The Democrats of
Hardin county, at their convention yester-
day, by two-thirds vote declared for the
free coinage of silver and repudiated the
State platform adopted at Springfield
THE BUFFALO FIRE.