The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-06-19
The Silver Convention.
A GREAT GATHERING IN
MEMPHIS.
Senators Harrison and Tur-
pie and Congressman
Sibley Prominent
Figures.

MEMPHIS. Tenn. June 12--When
the eommi.tee, on resolutions appointed
a, to-day's session Of the Southern and
Wes,e,n States silver convention
makes its report there may De lively
time The committee went out at Eve
. o'clock and it Is. thought will be ready
to read the platform at an early hour
to-morrow. The plank which may
make all the trouble is one which en-
dorsss Joseph c. Sibley, Of 9enosyl-
vania. for president. Mr. Sibiey is
man of brilliant attainments, fervid
friend Of the free silver idea, and cor
dia: hater Of the administration policy.
In his speech tonight at the Audiso-
rium be did not spare either Cleveland
or Carlisle. 1t is somewhat doubtfai
at present whether the plank will ever
get through the COMMITTEES. # i; does
). is almost certain it will never get
through the convention. The more
conservative, of the delegations do not
believe it would be good policy to in-
.roduce presidential boom for even 50
popular friend Of the free silver move
meos as Mr.. Sibley into a platform
which was originally intended to show
nothing bat tie feeling of the coaven-
ZION on the money question.
From the standpoint of white money
enthusiasts nothing was left to be de-
sired by so-day's cosvention. Two
thousand delegates braved the torr'd
skies to be present and every State,
with few exceptions. sent its most repre-
sentative rsen with instructions to
shout for silver. vote for silver. tolerate
nothing else but silver. The Ge!ega-
sions varied 10 size, the largest coming
from Mississippi aud Tennessee and the
smallest from the far western or social
ed silver States. The small represen-
tat;on from western silver States wss
explained to the convention by Gov. l..
Bradford Prince. Of New Mexico. 90
the ground that representatives from
all these States had recently attended
the convention at Salt Lake City.
Nevertheless, said Governor Prince,
not one of these States will bs unrepre.
sented. A committee had been ep-
pointed at the Salt Lake City conven-
ton to represent ali these States aud
the committee would arrive Tomorrow.
The convention vas called to order
at 2 o'clock by W. N. Brown. of Mem
phis, as chairman of the central bimet-
allie league, of Shelby county. Ten
nessee. which sent out the call for the
convention. raped the assemblage to
srder. On the platform we're the fol-
lowing: Thomas Scott, Secretary of
State Of Louisiana; NJ j Cunningham.
Attorney General Of Louisiana; John
Fitzpatrick. mayor of New Orleans; A
J Warner. president of the American
bimesallic league; Gov. j P Clarke,
Arkansas; W } Bryan, editor of the
Omaha World-He.ald Z: Senator James
Berry, Arkansas: Senator Stewart,
Nevada: Arson Wolcott. Indiana Sen
asor G Harris. Tennessee Alex Del
mar, California Representative H d
Money. Mississippi; Senator J K Jones,
Arkansas; Senator Marion Butler.
North Carolina Senator Z George.
Mississippi; Senator David Turpie, In
diana; Ex-Governor Eagle, Arkansas;
Gov. L Bradford Prince. New Mexico,
Ex-Gov. Benjamin R Tillman. South
Carolina; Gov. John Gary Evans,
South Carolina
From start to finish the convention
was Que of great enthusiasm. Every
pronounced free silver ut,eraDce vac the
signal for prolonged applause and when
the various persons we'll known in pub
lie life. appeared on the ros'rum each
received an ovation When Chairman
Brown had called the convention to
order, L. D. Bates offered prayer. He
implored Divine guidance for the dele
gates and hoped they might be led into
adopting ''honest money" as their plat
form. This created bit Of sensation
until it was learned that he meant free
silver.
Col. Casey Yong. of Memphis made
the welcome address. and in the
course of bis remarks he spoke strong
~ 10 favor of the silver standard.
Senator Harris nominated aud intro
dnced the permanent chairman, Sena.