The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-06-24
A FREE silver. PLANK is VOTED
DOWN BY THE BADGER STATE
CONVENTION.
Mr.. Villas. HEADS THE LIST.
HE rs CHIEF OF THE DELEGATION
NAMED TO GO TO CHI
u CAGO.
RINGING SPEECH AGAINST SILVER.
Plea of the Wisconsin, Senator for
Hard Money a Feature of the
Gathering

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, June 23-Free
silver developed unexpected strength
in the Democratic state convention to-
day. Until within three weeks the gold
standard adherents were supposed to
be overwhelmingly in the majority in
the Wisconsin Democracy, but when the
test vote came this afternoon on the
adoption Of the minority reports from
the committee on resolutions, the silver
men were found to number 128 of the
345 delegates in the convention. The
delegates-at-large to the national con-
vention are all gold standard advo-
Gates and are headed by Senator Will
lam e. Villas and Gen. Edward S.
Bragg. The delegates chosen today by
the district caucuses include several
silver men but they will be governed
by the unit rule. They have no pref
erence for a presidential nominee
The caucuses of district delegations
delayed the opening of the convention,
and it was 1870 o'clock when ex-Gov.
George w. Peck, chairman of the state
central committee called the assembl-
age to order. Louis A. Lang, of Fond
du Lac, and J. M. Clancy, of Madison,
were made secretaries. Thomas Fraw-
ley. of Eau Claire, was selected as
temporary chairman. After a brief
burst Of applause had subsided, Mr..
Frawley proceeded to deliver a speech
on the issues of the day.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Frawley's
speech, committees; on permanent
organization and. resolutions were ap-
pointed. A fight between the gold and
silver factions ensued over a motion
that all resolutions be referred to the
committee without reading. The silver
men opposed the motion, but they were
outvoted. The convention then took
a recess until $780,
AT the afternoon session of the con-
vention, the temporary organization was
made permanent, and the convention
took up the platform.
The majority platform was as fol-
lows:
We the Democrats of Wisconsin, in state
convention assembled, indorse the wise and
patriotic administration of President Cleve
land.
able senators, William r. Villas and John L.
Mitchell in their faithful adherence to the
principles of the Democrats OF Wisconsin.
We believe that tariff for revenue only
termost parts of the earth, and that untra1n-
melled industry would advance cur country
to the foremost place among nations. We
are, therefore, firm In our adherence to the
doctrine enunciated by the last national
Democratic convention that this government
should impose no tariff taxes. except for rev.
enue.
We believe that the demands of a commerce
built upon the broad and enlightened doc
trine of free trade, requires currency that
cannot be discredted in any civilized coun-
try.
Realizing this logical demand for the best
money for international trade; realizing also
the dangers OF a fat currency in domestic
use; and aware that the present conditions
of commercial distress calls for the patriotic
and sturdy maintenance of national honor
and financial integrity, we declare ourselves
opposed to the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, and in favor of gold the highest mon
etary standard of the world.
We hereby direct the delegates from Wis
consin to the national Democratic convention,
to be held in Chicago, July 7, to vote as
unit on all subjects and candidates. when
and as majority Of the delegation may di-
rect.
SILVER VOTED DOWN.
A minority report from the silver
men on the committee on resolutions
was as follows:
We reaff1rm the platform of the last
national convention and particularly
upon the subject of coinage. believing
that fair representation of the same
favors free and unlimited coinage of
both gold and silver as legal tender
money of this country. And we move
that this report be adopted in place of
the report Of the majority of the COM
mite.
The motion was ruled out cf order
but Mr.. Silverthorn proceeded to make
a short speech in which he said that
the Democratic party had not gone
wrong. It was only the leaders who
had gone wrong. When he shouted,
"Shall we follow them longer?" There
were repeated cries of mol No! No!o
There were cries of ''Vilasw and
mol" intermingled. Mr.. Villas had
taken seat among the delegates and
the gold crowd shouted for him to take
the platform.
He came forward in the midst of
the widest confusion. He was very
much excited and made an impas-
stoned speech calling upon the gather
ing to say whether he and the other
leaders Of the party had failed to
stand by Democratic principles e. j.
Dockery spoke for silver and Gen. Ed
ward 8. Bragg delivered a plea for the
gold standard. The votes on the adop-
ton of the minority report resulted
12S to 217. The majority report was
then adopted by the same vote. The
following delegates at large were then
elected:
VIM. F. Villas, Madison; Edward S. Bragg,
Fond du Lac; James g. Flanders, Milwau-
kee: James J. Hogan, Lacrosse. Alternates
at large chosen were John j. Suhr, Dane
county: Archie Woodward. Rock county;
John w. Hume, Wfnnebago county; ]. J.
McCallum, Richland county.
Following are the delegates chosen at
caucusses of congressional district delega-
tfOYncs inst H4N H~I%s
Thomas Kearney, Racine. Second-J E. Ma
lone. Juneau; William H. Rogers, Fort At
hnson. Third-HermaH SGasser Platteville;
DR.. w. A. Synon, Iowa county. Fourth
William Bergenthal, Henry Haase, Milwau-
kee. Fifth-M. c. Mead, Plymouth; DR..
Henry Blank, Jackson. Sixth-H. P. Ham
ilton, Manitowoc; ]. H. Wood, Green Lake.
Eighth. L. Brennan. Stevens Point; John
Wattawa, Kewaunee. Ninth-Judge Amos
Holgate, Marinette; e. J. Dockery, Ash i
land. Tenth-R. ]. Shields, Superior; NJ. P.
McNally, New Richmond.
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