The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-14
THE OLD GREENBAck PARTY.
Brief sketch of the Organization.
Like the Free silver Movement.
From the Washington Star.


strikingly analogous to the greenback
movement" said an old politician 10
Star reporter to-day. The greenback
craze had its origin and got its growth
out Of almost exactly similar conditions
with the boom for free silver. II was
just about twenty-one years ago that the
discomfort with the financial condition ex-
listing at that time brought about the
greenback craze.
At Indianapolis, Nov. 25. 1874 there was
meeting OF some disconnected spirits
who wanted 10 revise the financial policy
OF the government. Those who attended
the meetings were largely Indiana poll
ticians, and not leaders in politics, at thai.
but there were some outsiders, notable
among them being Scion Chase OF Maine.
Not over forty men assembled in responCe
TO the call which had been issued by e
A Pileman and James Buchanan of Indi-
ana. They remained in session for two
days, formulated platform. appointed an
executive committee TO organize a national
party, and recommended the calling or a
general convention at Cleveland the fol-
lowing year.
AT the outset the new party was rather
vague in its principles. They had a gem
eral idea that they wanted an unlimited
issue of paper money based upon the credit
of the nation. They demanded that the
gold in the treasury should be used for the
retirement of all the gold bearing bonds
1t was their idea that the legal tender
notes should be taken up Immediately,
and in their place there should be an Is
sue Of 1865 interest bearing bonds. They
proposed to make these bonds convertible
into greenbacks. This was to be done by
giving the holder authority to present
the bonds at the treasury. get the money
for them, and then. after while, if he got
flush again, he could turn his money it,
to the treasury and get interest bearing
bonds again.
The next move of the new party was
to throw out sop to the labor classes.
They proposed to undertake vast national
Improvements. ship canals, water ways,
and among other things a railway from
San Diego, California, to a port in Geor-
gia. This railroad was to be operated by
the government and would be a check
upon the monopoly of existing overland
lines. All these improvements were to be
paid for by another issue of 1865 bonds
and in the meantime the national banks
and gold bearing securities would be ex-
tinguished.
"A combination was finally made be-
tween the greenbacks and some Of the la
Dor classes attracted by the scheme of ma
tional improvements and other discon-
tented elements, and a national conven-
tion was held in Indianapolis in the middle
of May. 1876. About one hundred and thir-
ty-five delegates were present, coming from
sixteen or eighteen states. But they claim
ed to represent large following at home
and like the silver leaders of to-day, spoke
in the name and behalf of millions of OPP
pressed voters. 1t was al this convention
that Gen. Weaver first came to the front
lgnacious Donnelly Of Minnesota was
made temporary chairman, and James Du-
rant, an ex-judge and subsequently promo
Of Taf4 Ia ~.
convention. The convention was very much
encouraged to receive letters from Ben
Butler of Massachusetts. w. d. Kelly of
Pennsylvania, and Gov. Booth of Californ-
la, which they construed into expressions
of sympathy. There were communications
also from some republicans of prominence
who were wavering a little from their al
legiance. The convention tried to ring in
Wash Mclean of Cincinnati and Gov AL
len of Ohio on the movement, but they
were too wary and the greenbaclxers had
to be content to accept Peter Cooper as
their candidate for the presidency. Samuel
Carey Of Ohio, man of some prominence
at that time. took the second place on the
ticket
The campaign came off at the time of
the T1lden-Hayes contest, and when the
votes were counted a the election it was
found that the greenbackers had only poll
ed a little over $1,000 votes, contributed by
linois and Indiana. After this the green
hackers gave up active efforts for year or
two. Their quiescent state was of short
duration, however. Events soon brought
about an opportunity for revival of their
cause.
The labor troubles of 1877, the great
railway strikes and the general discon-
tent existing among the laboring men
enabled the greenbackers to make
combination with the National Labor
Union, and they went into the campaign
with renewed hope. The result was the
election of fourteen congressman on the
greenback-labor ticket. 1t was this wave
that brought Gen. Weaver to congress,
and he Immediately assumed the leader
ship of the party. His agitation of the
principles of greenbackis led to his nom
ination for the presidency in 1880, and the
inauguration of another campaign.
"The election showed that the labor
people had parted company with the
greenbackers in the meantime Weavers
vote showed a falling off from !, 900, 600
votes in 1878 to less than 300 coo in 1880
and the congressional representation was
reduced to eight members. From that
time on the party steadily declined. The
men who were prominent in it passed out
of politics, and, with the sole exception
of Weaver none of the names would prob
ably be recognized by the politicians of
to-day.
1T will be the same way with the lead
ers of this silver movement, 1 prophecy
High water mark has already been
reached and the wave is now subsiding.
The men who were most active and most
prominent in 1t will be forgotten in a few
years or sunk into the Oblivion of a move
ment which could not stand the test of
public opinion. Some sincere men there
were, of course, in 1t, and long after the
tidal wave has disappeared they will
stand as gauges to mark the hight which
the flood once reached and which, upon
subsiding, left them hlgn and dry
There will always be a Disconnected
element in this country, advocates of fiat
money and nucleus of the old greenback
movement will always be here, either in
its greenback form or in its free silver
shape. At times of great public depress-
ion you may look for periodical revivals
of the craze. But 1 do not believe that
1t will ever again assume such serious
and threatening aspects as were present
ed by the late silver moVement-I think
we can safely use the word late as desig-
mating the silver craze now"
HARRISON A FOE TO VVHEELWOMEN
The ex-PreEidenf Objects to Femf-