The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-16
BOLTERS IN
THRONCS.
Republicans Take Charge of the
Silver Convention.
Silver Men Formerly Prominent
i'll Party Councils
Gather In Topeka From All
Sections of the State.
ALL MARCH IN LINE
Behind a Brass Band to HamiI-
ton Hall,
Where They Prepare a Declara-
tiOn of Independence.
Behind a Brass Band to HamiI-
ton Hall,
Where They Prepare a Declara-
tiOn of Independence.
A STIRRING SPEECH
Made By Ed Little the Abilene
Leader,
On His Election as Temporary
Chairman.

The free silver convention composed
almost entirely of Republicans from
all parts of Kansas assembled in front
of the National hotel today and headed
by Gormley's band marched to Hamil-
ton hall.
They made an impressive sight, the
delegates being nearly all substantial
business men and farmers. About 200
delegates had arrived in the city by I
o'clock and more We're expected on af-
ternoon trains.
Prominent in the procession to Ham
iltOn hall were: E. c. Little of Abilene;
Col Whitley of Emporia, Col n. 3.
Brown of Concordia. Judge Caldwell of
Leoti, Webb ATcNau of Smith Center,
John r. Foster of Garnett, r. N. Tur-
ner of MankatO. Judge Ray of Yelling
ton Dan Wagstaff and Mayor Hey
wood of Salina Judge Weaver of Sa-
lima George Plumb of EmpOria-all Re
pubIicans
The convention is called to elect sixty
delegates to the St Louis free silver
conference, July p.
On entering the hall the delegates
were seated according to congressional
districts. There were about 300 spec
tators in the hall besides the delegates
when the meeting was called, but peo-
pie kept coming in so rapidly that the
big hall, which seats 2,O0O was soon
filed.
Prayer was offered by Rev. o. B. Ire
Ian of Topeka, who prayed that all that
might be done by the convention should
be done for the honor and glory of
him who died on Calvary
Chairman Shinn then made a short
speech saying that many thought that
the cause of silver had been suffering
from its treatment at the hands of the
two old parties during the past twenty
three years, and that these persons had
called a meeting at Washington last
winter and that a national convention
had been called. to convene at St. Louis
on July %. and that this convention
had assembled to select sixty delegates
to that convention.
In conclusion Chairman Shinn intro
duced E. c. Little of Abilene as tenn
porary chairman of the convention.
When Mr.. Little came forward he
was greeted with hearty and prolonged
applause. Mr.. Little said:
Columbia has reached her majority.
We now propose that she conduct her
own affairs without dictatiOn from for
eign financiers or suggestions from for
eign parliaments We intend to enforce
every word every clause, every SEN
tence of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence which Thomas Jefferson wrote,
There are but two sides to this fight
and we shall be on one side only.
-Four years ago the Republican ma
tional convention said the American
people by interest and tradition favor
bimetallism, and the use of both gold
and silver as standard money.
AT St. Louis they abandoned the
traditions and deserted the interests
of the American people and declared in
favor of maintaining a gold standard.
They put William Mckinley on the
platform but they put Grover CIeve1
land in the platform. The St Louis
convention may have changed its mind
but the a merican people have not al
tered their opinions. They still de-
mand birnetallism. which means the
admission of gold and silver to the
mints on equal terms and use of both
as redemption money. America shall
no longer go, hat in hand begging
for gold to discharge obligations pava-
bic in silver of which she has ample
supply in easy reach. The only honest
dollar is the dollar of the contract.
Kansas Republicans have long ad-
vocated free coinage. They have no
occasion to defer to the arrogant as
sumptiOns of those whose financial pol
icy leaves the treasury unarmed. un-
guarded, unpicketed against the raids
of Wall street highwaymen and brings
the farmer so low that his products
are to be had like salvation. without
money and without price After the
rank kincompetencys shown by our fnan-
ciers in recent years that they should
still presume to instruct anybody is
the very lmpudence of arrogant audac-
ity- God loves a man who does his
own thinking, and the people of Kan
sas will this year make a record to
please him.
The parable of talents teaches that
when the Kansas politician comes to
say: Lord, you gave me such poor
brains that I was afraid to use them
and trusted to John Sherman and Gro