Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-06-27
Vol. XXX.VII.
SILVER CONFERENCE.
Mafitt's Offer Accepted and He VIII
Recall State Committee on De-
mand o. Majority of
Counties.
From the st. Louis Republic.

From the St. Louis Republic.
Twenty Missouri Democrats, each
one of whom wag chairman of a Coun-
ty Central Committee, or represented
this important individual by proxy,
quietly slid into St. Louis yesterday
and took steps tc force a State Con
vention to discuss the financial ques-
ton, if such Il thing is possible.
They even went 10 far rs to name the
| date, which will be, unless their plans
misGarry, August 10. Yesterday Chair
man Farris of the Laclede County
Central Committee, who has devoted
himself for several months past to
stirring up a demand for a State Con
Vention to make 4 new platform on
the silver question:, came to st. Louis
and secured an interview with the
chairman of the State Central Com
mittee. As a result of that interview
Chairman Maffitt stated that he would
reconvene the State Committee upon
two conditions. The first was pro-
vided 4 majority of the committee
would request il, and the second was
that a majority of the chairmen of the
county committees would sign q petit
ton addressed to him.
Some four or five of the county
chairmen arrived III the morning, and
the evening tran brought some 10
more.
Last night these gentlemen, who
had voluntarily stepped forward to
force Il convention, met in the parlors
OF the Planters, and after three hours
discussion, adopted a resolution offer
ed by Chairman Wilson of Lafayette.
1t was an acceptance of Chairman
Mafitt's proposition to call a meeting
of the committee when a majority of
the county chairmen SO requested.
Before this was done, however, two
resolutions offered by Chairman Far
ris of Laclede, had been talked to
death because they smacked of star
chamber organization and gave rise to
Il suspicion that a self-constituted
committee was trying to manipulate
the party.
The resolution, which was finally
adopted by a unanimous vote, follows:
"ResOlred, That it is the sense of
this conference That a State Conven-
ton should be held by the Democracy
of Missouri to clearly define the posi-
ton of the party in this state on the
question of silver coinage. Therefore,
this conference asks the chairmen of
the respective county committees to
sign a request to Hon. G. G. Maflitt,
Chairman of the State Committee, to
reconvene said committee, and that
when SO reconvened, said committee
be urged to issue a call for a State
Convention to be held August Is, 1895.
The secretary of this conference Is
hereby directed 20 send to each chair
man of the county committees, owe
the signatures of the County Commit
teemen here represented, a request to
sign a request to Chairman Maffitt to
convene said State Committee for the
purposes herein stated, and hat when
a majority of the county chairmen
shall have been ~favorably heard from,
the chairmen aad secretary of this
conference shall present the same to
Chairman Maffit..
Previous to a meeting of the twenty
chairmen to confer, Mr.. Farris and
Mr.. Maffitt had a talk about a silver
convention.
Mr.. Mafitt urged upon Mr.. Farris
that the convention be called without
any action by the State Central Com
mittee, arguing that such a plan would
best retain harmony in the party and
that the conventions action would be
of as much force as if the committee
fathered it. Mr.. Farris, however,
said he did not see just how this could
be conveniently done, and finally Mr..
Maffitt said:
"Well, if a majority, say 60, of the
county chairmen will address me, ask
ing me to call a. meeting of the State
Committee for the purpose of again
considering the calling of a conven-
ton, III call the committee, and not
only that, but I'll vote in favor of call
ing the convention myself. And more
than this. If enough of the county
chairmen don't address the committee
through me, and if a majority of the
State Central Committee asks me to
call a meeting for the purpose of con-
sidering a convention, I'll do it. /
won't promise, however, in such an
event, to vote myself for the conven-
ton. cannot that the State
committeeman have changed their
minds since the last meeting, and
therefore cannot call a meeting ex-
cept under these circumstance"
This was perfectly satisfactory to
Nfr. Farris, and he said 50, and the
conference adjourned.