The San Francisco call., 1896-05-24
A STATE MACHINE, TOO.
The Work Is to Be Done by Sen.
atorial District Mass
Meetings.
BY THE BI-METALLIC LEAGUE.
Chairman Baker Pushes Here the Un.
certain Independent Silver
Movemen

California will hear more about the free
silver men within its borders from now on.
A call was issued yesterday by George
W. Baker, chairman of the executive COM
mittee of the Bimetallic League of Cali
fornia, which will result in the selection of
delegates to the National Silver Conven-
tion to be held in st. Louis on July %, the
same date as the Populist Convention, and
also in q State machine for the silver
party.
There is to be no State convention. The
call provides for the holding of mass
meeting in each Senatorial district of the
State, at which one delegate to the Ma
tional Convention and one alternate shall
be elected. Five delegates at large are to
be named by the executive committee.
The delegates so elected are to constitute
State Central COMMITTEES which will con-
duct the affairs of the silver party in this
State, If such party shall result from the
National Convention and in accordance
with the policy that may prevail at that
gathering.
The silver party is not strong in this
State as yet-that is, as party. 1t is but
All is uncertainty because all depends
on the doings of the various National con-
ventions, the situation as it will develop
in the future and the decisions of the Ma
tlonal Convention based on the situation
as il appears July %. The chief thing OF
practical interest at this moment in con-
nection with the independent silver move
ment is the nursing idea that the Pop
ulists and extreme silver men may effect
a combination of some sort at st. Louis
and that must remain speculative for some
weeks.
However, California viii be represented
in the said National Silver Convention,
and there will be State machine ready to
take UP ana operate any political plans
that may be formulated at st. Louis two
months hence The call issued yesterday
is as follows:
To all Bimetdllists Of the State Of California: A
National convention OF bimetaIlists is called to
meet in st. Louis, Mo-, on the the 22d OF July
next, at IL NJ, to nominate candidate for
President and Yice-President of the United
States California is entitled to forty-five dele
gates in this convention, in accordance with
the call of the National Committee. This num-
bet VIII be one delegate for each Senatorial
district in the State and five at large.
AS we are without party organization, we,
the executive committee OF the Bimetallic
League of the State of California ana also
members of the National Committee, do hereby
call upon the bimetallists throughout the State
| to meet in mass convention in each Senatorial
district on Monday, the 18th day of June, for
the purpose OF nominating one delegate and
one alternate delegate for such Senatorial dis
| trlct TO attend said National Convention.
Such mass-meetings should be organized by
! the election OF a chairman and secretary, and
after the election of the delegate and alternate
| the chairman and secretary of the meeting
! shall make out q certificate showing that the
/ meeting was held and that the persons named
| In the certificate were duly elected a delegate
and alternate to attend said bimetallic con
yention. Care should be taken in all cases TO
| elect only such persons as will promise 10 at
| tend the convention, as it is desirable 10 have
q full delegation from the State.
No person shall be eligible TO be delegate
| to the National Convention of bimetallists who
viii not declare himself to be unaltersbly op-
posed 20 the single gold standard, and demand
the immediate return to the constitutional
standard OF gold and silver by the restoration
| by this Government, independently of any for
! eign power, OF the unrestricted coinage of both
| gold and silver into standard money at the
ratio OF sixteen to one, and upon terms of ex-
| act equality, as they existed prior to 1873 the
silver coin :o,be full legal tender equally with
gold for all debts and dues, public and private.
and that he will supper: the nominees of the
bimetallic convention without reference to
| past party affiliations.
The delegate thus elected shall also by yir-
tue OF such election, become member OF the
State Central Committee of the bimetalli party
in his county during the campaign. This plan
has been adopted as the most feasible TO secure
a thorough representation throughout the
State, and the five delegates large will he
appointed by this executive committee When
the credentials are made out they shall be de-
l1vered to the delegates and alternates and
copies OF the same should be at once returned
to this Office so that we may have due notice of
those composing the delegation for arranging
transportation facilities and other important
preliminaries.
In cases where Senatorial district comprises
more than one county the place of holding
such convention should be a town or CITY
which viii furnish the easiest means of access
from all parts of the district. All newspaners
in the State friendly to the cause of bifnetal-
lism are respectfully solicited to publish this
call in order TO give il general Circulation and
each bimetallist is requested to ioin in the
work OF arranging place of meeting and other
preliminaries, and to see to it that the conven-
tion in his district is held and the delega ties
elected. w. BAKER,
Chairman Executive Committee for Cali
fornia.
CHARLES n. HARRIS Secretary.
The Organization" of the inchoate in
dependent free silver party in this State
consists of Chairman George ". Baker
and Secretary Charles n. Harris. Mr..
Baker is the California representative on
the National Com mittee of the Bimetallic
League. AS such he is chairman" for
California, but there is no further organi-
cation yet. In an autocratic way, he acts
for and in accordance with the National
Committee.
Open headquarters are, however, main
tanned in the Mills building, in charge of
ex-Judge Harris. who has Just taken the
place of G. 2. Keeney, who went East
some time ago and became one of the sec
retaries of the National Committee. The
Free-silver party is thus here skeleton
one. 1t is sort of receptacle which is be-
ing made ready to receive free-siverites if
such show a disposition in the future to
bolt one or both OF the old parties. The
strength" of the party in this State, what
ever that may be, is in the Democratic and
Republican parties and, of course, it may
stay there.
"We constitute a nucleus yet without
developed strength" explained Secretary
Harris yesterday. THE Independent silver
movement has not yet taken on the char
acter of party. The organization that
exists is TO help along the cause and be
ready for an independent movement if one
is called for. We will be inchoate until
the convention meets, and what it will do
must remain a matter of conjecture until
after the conventions of the old parties.
then we will adjust ourselves 10 the condi-
tions as they exist. There may possibly
be combination with the Populists. but
ii would he an alliance and not a fuS;or