Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-07
SILVER PEOPLE CONFER.
Tillman and Altgeld Urge the Necessity OF
Solid Front.

Chicago, July GA conference of the
accredited representatives Of the free sill
yer delegations assembled at the Sher-
man house at o'clock this afternoon.
They represented 400 votes. Senator Har-
ris of Tennessee presided, with It. o.
Towles as secretary.
After much discussion Senator Tillman
asked that the roll be called by states to
decide whether the silver men should
name slate for officers of the conven-
ton and president and vice president OF
the United States to be supported In open
convention by all silver men. The vote
| on the proposition stood as follows::
Yeas 11S, nays 80, undecided 220 as fol-
lows: Alabama, undecided %; Arkan-
| sas, yea 16; California, nay IS; Colorado,
| yea g.; Florida, undecided g. Georgia, un-
decided rs; Idaho, nay 6; Illinois, unde-
cided 46; Indiana, nay 80; Iowa, undecid-
ed 26; Kansas, nay 20; Mississippi, yea IS;
Missouri, yea "a; Montana, undecided g.;
South Carolina, yea Is; Tennessee, unde-
cided, "a; Texas, undecided 30; Utah, nay
6; Wyoming, yea 6; Arizona, yea 8; Dis
trict of Columbia, undecided g. Indian
territory, undecided 6; New Mexico, yea
9; Oklahoma, yea g..
All other states not mentioned were un-
represented. Previous to the vote and
leading UP to 1t was a long and earnest
lima said it was to his mind essential to
present firm front, and to accomplish
this organization must be had. The gold
bugs were here now trying to SOW the
seeds of disruption and disorganization,
and were sparing no means in their pow
er to do 1t. They were playing on the
vanity of mon by putting the bee a-buz-
zing where, - the bee were livel., 1t
would be the last place it would seek
honey. Yet its effect was even now felt
in the fact that silver men hesitated to
take the lead and keep 1t.
Governor Altgeld of Illinois stated that
from what he understood yesterday no
silver conference could be held which
would include all the 600 and odd silver
delegates in the convention. Neverthe-
less, If such conference seemed to those
present wise and prudent, Illinois would
be found acting in concert to promote
the silver cause. Illinois had no candi-
date to present and was hampered in no
way which could interfere with her CIV
ing her best efforts to nominate a candi-
date upon platform that would COM
mand the majority of the votes of the
people in November. Still he thought
there might be some danger in a confer
ence of so many as 600 men with no rules
to guide them, and unless all speeches
were eliminated and they simply came
down to voting on propositions and men
the conference might find at it's close
that 1t left them less united than at the
beginning.
Mr.. O'Donnell of Colorado reiterated
his remarks Of last Friday night, that 1t
was necessary for the silver men to get
together so that the goldbugs of the east
could not throw their 800 votes In a body
to some silver man least Objectionable to
the goldbugs and thus nominate him.
Such man, nominated in such a way,
he declared, could not carry Colorado.
Without taking any action, but with the
understanding that each of the delegates
present would endeavor to get in with
this delegation and ascertain IL any
change had taken place, the conference
adjourned to meet again later on in the
evening.