Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-05
DEVOTED TO SILVER
Action Taken by Virginia and Ken
lucky Democrats. -.
EXCITING SCENES At STAUNTON
Tributes Paid to the President and
Secretary Carlisle.
ANGER OFOPPOSING FACTIONS

Immediately upon the reassembling Of
the Virginia democratic convention yester-
day afternoon at Staurton, the committee
on permanent organization made lis report,
recommending Macajah Woods of Abe
marie for chairman, ]. Bell Bigger Of
Richmond and Joseph Button of Appoma.-
tox for secretaries and George Hutchinson
of Augusta for sergeant-at-arms. Major
Woods addressed the convention briefly.
There was no objection to the report of
the committee CREDENTIALS
While waiting for the committee on reso-
lutons to report, ex-Congressman James
WNMarshall addressed the body. and was
followed by Senator Thomas S. Martin.
The Senator said the democratic prospects
were growing brighter He believed they
would carry the country, and he hoped to
get President more satisfactory than the
one they now have. He called President
Cleveland a wi ecker of lis party"
The silver men chcered and the gold men
Kissed at this.
Congressman Tucker followed. He said
he had no apologies to make for his course
on the cUrrency question. He had come by
his views honestly ana was not ashamed of
them. There IS in tie White House." said
Mr.. Tucker, "a big man Cheers and hisses)
a great. big man tmore cheers and hiss
esq While l do not agree with all Mr.
Cleveland has dc ne. | tell you he is an hon
est man and u patriot"
Camm Patterson spoke for free silver
and ex-senator Hunton also advocated the
free and Unlimited coinage of silver
The Platform.
Senator Daniel read the majority report
of the committee on resolutions as fol-
lows:
The democratic party of Virginia, in
~ We adhere to the principles of de-
mocracy as announced by jefferson, Madi-
son, Monroe and Mason and the patriots Of
their day, that this is a government of and
for the people. and we deprecate the grow
ing influence of trusts and great combina-
lions of capital as dangerous to the wei
fare of our people and fraught with dis
aster to our institutions.
- We are opposed to MckinleySm
which proposes to tax the poor man for
the benefit of trusts and capitalists. and
We favor tariff for revenue limited to
the necessities of economically admin
istered government and adjusted to
throw its burden most lightly upon the
great producing Classes of our country.
50 We oppose the republican party. be-
cause while processing to protect our labor
ing men and mechanics they are in prac-
tlCe filling their mines and factories with
pauper Dor from Europe, foreign to our
laws and language and to our Institutions.
w = point 10 tHe TACT tndt tilat was
the author of all the acts of finance legis-
lation which stimulated the panic and
brought on hard times to the country. and
that it has utterly failed to suggest any
scheme of relief.
- 1t is the unwritten law OF this repub-
lie, established by the custom and usage
of hundred years and sanctioned by the
example of the greatest and wisest of those
who have founded and maintained our gov
eminent that no man should be eligible
for a third term of the presidential office.
.. We denounce as false and Slanderous
the charges made by the republicans
against the democrats of Virginia as TO the
reasons which actuated the general assem-
bly, of the state in submitting to the peo-
pie the question of holding a constitutional
convention. We point to the public school
system; to the settlement of the public
debt and to the good will that exists
amongst all the different races and Sec
tons of the commonwealth as evidence of
the wisdom of democratic rule.
&c. We are for sound money-the sound
est that the world has ever had or can
have; the money of our Constitution; the
money of the people: the money of CiviliZa-
ton through the ages past and destined
to be such, as we believe, for ages to come.
This sound money should consist of silver
and aid, and of paper redeemable in sill
yer or <old, at the option of the payer, the
units OF the whole mass to be kept at
parity by coinage rights and equal legal
tender functions. the only method by which
the parity of the two metals has been con-
tinuCusly and successfully maintained.
-. We hold to the of both gold and
silver the standard money of the coun-
try, and to the coinage of both gold and
silver without discriminating either metal
or charge or for mintage. The immediate
and complete restoration of the bimetallic
system of money which existed in the
United States from 1893 to 1873 is, in our
opinion, demanded by the interests of COM
which alike suffering from the continu-
GUS fall of prices. and the consequent EN-
barassment or bankruptcy of those en-
gagged therein. And in order to so restore
1t We demand the free and unlimited coin
age of both silver and gold at the ratio of
III to l, without waiting for the assent or
concurrence of any other nation.
1T cannot be that this great nation, the
foremost Of earth in riches and power, is
unable to form a financial system of Its
cwn; and while we would welcome all i'll
ternational agreement that would settle the
VeXed question, We are unwilling to defer
action or make the interest of our own
people dependent upon the course OF others.
We warn our countrymen that unless silver
is upheld as money Of redemption and sus-
ed at parity with gold by equal priv
ileges at the mint and by equal legal ten
der functions, a further contraction of the
currency and further accumulation of pub
lie Indebtedness will be inevitable We
have four dollars less per capita in circula-
ton now than we had in November, 1893,
when the Sherman law was repealed, and
in the present strained condition of our
resources. the deficits Of revenue and the
fall of prices and each further contraction
of money and accumulation of debt would
paralyzs business, lower wages and bring
upon the country widespread panic and
ruin.
1--WE hereby Instruct all of the delegates
from Virginia to the national democra tic
convention ct Chicago to vote for a plat
form declaring for the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver and gold at the ratio of
16 to l and for candidates for President
and Vice President who openly advocate
that principle" 49,
Mr.. Munford of Richmond presented a
minority report. signed by himself, James
E. Heath. jr.. Leigh Watts, r. C. Kent,
Thomas H. Barnes and Edward Echols, op-
posed to free silver. 49,.
Majority Report Adopted.
Judge Leigh R. Watts of Portsmouth ap-
realed to the convention not to adopt that
part Of the majority report which instructs
all the delegates to vote for the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver.
He was replied to by Senator Daniel, who
spoke about half an hour in advocacy of
the unit rule and In presenting free silver
arguments. He was given a most respect
full hearing and was often loudly applaud
ed. n
Mr.. Munford closed the debate for the
minority report. The minority report was
rejected by a vote of 1276 to ST.
Mr.. j. c. Parker moved to strike ont of