Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-02
SECRET HISTORY
OF the Democratic Financial
Plank Of 1892.
as TOLD BY DELEGATE PATTERSON,

How the Attempt 70 Declare for Free Sill
ser Failed. and the Men That Caused the
Failure Because 1t Might Lose Votes in
the East-sanquet at Chicago in Honor
Of an Argentiferous Theatrical Produce
ton Suggested by Coin"
DENVER, Sept 2.-Thc Rocky Mountain
News publishes an editorial in which
Thomas NJ. Patterson gives Il full account
OF the proceedings over the plank on the
money question in the subcommittee on
resolutions at the last Democratic conycn-
ton. The subcommittee consisted of
Bayard, Mcpherson, Villas and Daniels;
John Atkins, OF Tennessee; l.. +. Garard,
Of Georgia; Jones, OF Missouri, and Pat
%tarson, of Colorado. Patterson says:
"Whcn the plank was first read and an
,alyzed | suggested that it was uncertain
and gave room to cavil about its meaning.
TO remove this uncertainty l requested
that the word free be inserted before the
words coinage Of gold and silver etc. /
distinctly stated that l 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.
tGtiils tDilliilittfb " 't Dllii'taifiloilis
Afraid OF = Misunderstanding.
Senators Villas and Mcpherson opposed
this. and SO Cid Mr.. Bayard. Each gave
his reason. 1t was not that they Were op-
posed To free coinage; or the contrary they
favored it, but the word free as applied
to coinage was so liable to he misunder
stood III tho east and the northeast that it
would through this ignorance lose the
party many votes. Mr.. Bayard was par.
ticu!arly earnest in asserting his fcalty to
silver" Patterson says that after consid-
cradle discussion Atkins offered the fol-
lowing substitute for the money plank:
1--WE hold TO the use of both gold and sill
yer as the tandard money of the country,
and to the coinage of both gold and silver
for the owners thereof, without discrimi-
mating against either metal or charge for
mintagc,' etc.
Patterson Saw the Hidden Point.
az realized in n moment continues
Patterson. that it was II declaration for
free coinage rs clear rs though the word
free was used "A dozen times, but before
committing Hyself l turned to Senators
Villas and Mcpherson and MIR. Bay.rd and
asked: What do you think of it gentle
mem They indicated that they wished to
consider it." He then conferred with
Daniel, who approved of the substitute,
and who said in response to the assertion
that the ether side would not accept:
"Ycs thoy Will. They are honorable gen
tlcmcn, and when they say they favor free
coinage and would declare openly for it,
but that the word free is dangerous and
will lose the party many votes in the cast
and northeast, they mean it. This amend
ment avoids their only objection, and we
should adopt it,"
Whitney Calls 1t IL "NOte-Gctter."
Blu Bayard, Villas and Mcpherson re-
fused to accept the substitute, and At
kins, its author, voted against it. Whit
ncy then came 60 the committee room and
was told that the question was as to in
sorting tho word free" in the plank. Says
Patterson: He studied the proposition II
moment or two, and i'll u very decided tone
exclaimed: That's Il votc-guttcr. They
did not object to that. Let me talk with
them about it He called Senators Villas
and Mcpherson aside and talked with
them quite earnestly for fully five min
utes. He returned apparently quite disap.
pointed and said: It's no use; they object
to the word because ii is a very objection.
able word in the northeast in connection
with money and to adopt it would lose tbs
Democracy that section of the country