Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-10-15
Evidence of a Conspiracy Lead
ing Up to the Election.
MINE OWNERS ARE IN IT.
Called on for an Assessment to
Elect the Ticket.
A VERY REMARKABLE STORY.

Thomas s. Merrill, Secretary of the b.
metallic League of the Silver States,
Has Let the Cat Out of the Bag as to
the Conspiracy of the Silver Mine
Owners to Unload Their Bullion on the
United States Government.
Thomas 5. Merrill, secretary of the Bi-
metallic League of the silver states, has let
the cat out of the bag as to the conspiracy
of the silver mine owners to unload their
bullion on she United States government
In u letter he sent to the Salt Lake Herald.
Mr.. Merrill says in his letter
'If Bryan is defeated we must expect to
see silver sold at price that will be given
1t simply by its demand for use in the arts,
which will certainly be not moro than
forty cents an ounce In view Of these
facts, the owners Of silver producing prop
critics can afford to contribute at least the
additional profits they receive from their
own silver product for one month to tho
Bryanite campaign" He closes with u
direct appeal to we'll known silver mine
owners, as follows:
II appeal to Messrs Mcintyre and Cum
ningham, of the Mammoth; Keith and
Kearns, Of the Silver King; Chisholm
and others, of the Centennial and Eureka; !;
Ryan and Knox, of the Ajax; Packard,
of the Eureka Hill; DAILY, of the DAILY;
West, Beck and associates, of the Bullion
Beck; Farnsworth & Sharp of the Horn
Silver, and the owners of the Sioux, On
tario CIV. Il. Hearst, vice-presidsnt) and
other silver mines of this state, who can
we'll afford to assist in this cause, to figure
up the average monthly silver product
from their mines and multiply the pro-
duct Of one month in ounces by sixty-four
cents, which Is the additional price they
will receive for their produet-all Of which
will be proflt-and at once have that
amount contributed and placed In the
hands of the treasurer of the bimcJallio
parties to assist Mr. Bryan IN the wonder
full campaign hois making almost unaided.
II we can secure the additional profits Of
one months product of the western silver
producing mines 1t will insure success at
the election on Nov. g..
This circular OF tho secretary OF tho Bl-
metallic League Of the silver states de-
clares officially, and with the utmost sim
plicity, tho objects Of the silver trust. Sec
retary Merrill declares that free coinage
OF silver means an addition Of sixty-fotr
cents an ounce-"all Of which will be clear
profit" to the silver trust-on every ounce
of silver mined
The production of silver last year In the
United States was IS, 727, 900 flno ounces.
Under free coinage the additional profit
to the mine owners would have been $685.
755, ,e60. Tho government OF tho United
States, the people, not even the miners
who dug the silver out OF the mines would
have received ono penny Of this additional
profit. 1t would have been pure velvet to
the minc ownersl
Tho Utah mine owners organized 1Est
Friday night and formed thefnselves INTO
II strong alliance for mutual profit. A calf
had boon issued Sept. 2s, and last Tuesday
night liberal representation OF tho lead
ing business men Of Salt Lake City re-
sponded, and several Of the silver mipe
owners to whom Mr.. Merrill had appealed
were present.
The meeting created what will be known
rs the Bryan campaign financial commit
too, which will be u general committee to
have charge Of collecting funds in Utah
to assist tho silver campaign. Tho COM
mittee Is composed of thirty-three mem
bers, including those mine owners whom
Mr.. Merrill directly addresscd-Mossrs
DAILY, Packard, Beck, Knox, Mcintyre,
Kearns, Farnsworth, Cunningham, CHS
holm and Merrill himself This commit
too organized ut once, with r. c. Cham
bers, president Of the Salt Lake Herald
company, prominent free silver organ,
as chairman. Mr.. Chambers, Mr.. Hearst
and Mr.. Tcvis ars the principal owners Of
the Ontario and the Daily silver mines,
which together have already paid over
slo,ooo'ooo in diyidsags " recfat ysarE