Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-07-01
ARE FOR SOUND MONEY.
Wisconsin Democrats in Con-
vention.
Bragg, Villas, Flanders and Hogan the
Delegates to Chicago.


and placed themselves on record as or
posing the free and unlimited coinage OF
silver. They instructed their twenty
four delegates to Chicago TO vote as 9
unit upon all subjects and candidates
and reattirmed the Democratic doctrine
of tariff for revenue.
Interesting Convention.
It was the most interesting Demo-
cratic state convention held in Wiscon
sin since 1890, when there was a scram-
bic for every place on the ticket. The
silver men made hot fight, demonstrate
ing more strength than they had been
credited with. The sound money men
had the organization, and this was a
great point in their favor. If it had
not been for this fact they would have
been unable to have secured a majority
report in the committee on resolutions.
Of the eleven members of the commit
tee six were for sound money and five
for silver.
Majority and minority reports were
made, and this brought the battle of
the standards to the floor of the conven-
ton. The debate was spirited. Silver
was championed by w. G. Silverthorn
of Wausau, E. J. Dochery Of Ashland
and Judge Louis Bohmrich of Kenosha.
Senator William T. Villas and Gen.
Bragg made the arguments for sound
money. The first speech was made by
Mr.. Silvertborn, who presented the mi
report was signed by Mr.. Silverthorn,
q. e: Armin Of Waukesha. r. G. Falcon
er of Portage and Thomas T. Hayden
of Milwaukee. Judge Bohmrich was op-
posed to gold, but did not sign the re-
port, saying it was too radical. The
majority report, declaring for sound
money, was presented by Ellis B. Usher
OF La Crosse. It was signed by Mr.
Usher, George Crawford of Iowa coun-
", John Nagle OF Manitowoc, Byron
Is. Park of Stevens Point, David Doble
of Superior and J. NJ. Morrow of Mon
roe.
Mr.. Si1verthorn Speaks.
The silver men cheered loudly when
Mr. Silyerthorn took the platform. He
said he believed the minority report ex-
pressed the opinion of the majority of
the Democrats of the country. They
did not believe conditions had so changed
Is to require new platform; the plat
forms Of the past were good enough.
The leaders of both the Democratic and
the Republican parties had misinter-
preted the platforms of 1892. Mr.. Silver
thorn said common sense demanded that
the coinage question should have been
settled long before this. 1t was Il Ques-
ton that any board of supervisors in
Wisconsin could settle fairly.
Mr.. SilverthOrn caused a sensation
when he declared that the leaders Of the
party, not the party itself, had gone
wrong on the money question. The adj
herents of Senator Villas took this as a
fling at Wisconsin's senior senator and
Kisses and cries Of mo, no." followed
the statement, while the silverites
cheered again and again.
Continuing. Mr.. Silverthorn said that
when the leaders went wrong the parties
sk rafI1 70 IN
clusion, he said he could answer the
question Of what should be done with the
eX-presidents. Let US put Them" he
said, "at work st some private Occupa-
ton, like raising cranberries in New Jer-
sey."
This evident thrust at President Cleve-
land brought laughter AMI applause from
Silgerthorn's followers, while the sound
money men restrained themselves, but
looked very angry. Before Mr.. Silver
thorn returned to his seat there were
loud calls from all parts of the House
for Senator Villas.
Senator Villas Makes Reply:
With flashing eyes the senator mount
ed the PLATFORM and his manner showed
that he intended to resent the filings of
the silver leader. This was confremd by
Senator Villas first words, for he said:
The time has not yet come when |
fear to stand before the Democrats of
their faces. 1t is a pleasure to me to
stand before party such as the Demo-
cratic party of Wisconsin has been, is
now, and, if it pleases God, ever shall
be, a party which knows its opinions,
and party which is never afraid to ex-
press them openly"
Continuing. Senator Villas said he stood
before the Democrats of Wisconsin to
ask them if he had misrepresented them.
Said he:
IF there is anything upon which the
Democratic party of Wisconsin has been
more plain, more faithful, more unmis-
taxable and more democratic, 1t IS IN
the doctrine that we should be open
and fair with the people of this country,
and never under any circumstances has
the Wisconsin Democracy misinterpreted
or misconstrued the principles which it
has enunciated."
Senator Villas charged the present agi-
tatiOn for cheap money to the protective
demands of the silver mining states
They, he said. wanted to change to a
silver dollar, which was only worth half
as much as the standard dollar of the
United States.
When he asserted that the price of
human labor had materially advanced
since the time a gold basis was estab
lished there was loud applause. In clos
ing Senator Villas appealed to the con-
vention 70 stand by the time-honored
principles of Wisconsin Democracy by
adopting the majority report.
e J. Dockery of Ashland then spoke
for the minority report. Mr.. Dockery
reviewed the legislation which resulted
in The demonstration of silver in 1873,
and read extracts from speeches made
by the late Allen G. Thurman and Sen
ator Allison in support of his assertion
that silver was stricken down secretly.
Mr. Dockery's remarks brought forth a
demonstration from the silver men, who,
while in the minority, succeeded in max
ing much more noise than the honest
money men.
Judge Louis G. Bohmrich of Kenosha
spoke kindly of Senator Villas and his
services for the party, but said he could
not subscribe to the single gold standard
doctrine. 1t was not Democratic, but,
he contended, the common people de-
mand the rernonetiza ton of silver. Judge
Bohmrich said he was not in favor Of
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
at the ratio of 16 to 1. The ratio should
be decided upon later.
Ovation for Bragg.
The greatest ovation of the convention
was accorded to Gen. Bragg of Fond du
Lac The delegates rose in their seats
and shouted and waved hats and hand