The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-07
FREE COINAGE CONFERENCE.
Considerable Talking but No Definite
Action Taken

Chicago, July Ga conference of the
accredited representatives of free silver
1eleSations assembled at the Sherman
House ut o'clock this afternoon They
represented 400 voters, Senator Harris of
tennessee. presiding, with n. Q. Towles
as secretary.
After much discussion Senator TilIp,.p
asked that the roll be called by states To
decide wlpether the silver men would name
STATE Tor officers OF the convention ana
Tor President and Nce-Prcsidcnt TO he
supported IN open convention by all silver
men The votes on this proposition stood
Ayes, IFS; nays, 50: undecided. ~, as fol-
lows; Alabama, undecided, -: Arkansas.
aye, IL; California. no, 49, Florida. undo.
sldeu, \; Georgia, undecided. %. Idaho. no
b; illinois, undecided is: Indiana, no 30.
I N3,Ssi ,,1 q; Kansas, no, 20;
Montana, undecided 6; California ave. Is.
Tennessee. undecided "a Texas. undecided
50, tan, no. q; Wyoming, aye, t.: Arizona,
aye. U; District of Columbia undecided i.
Indian Territory. undecided. c: New Mrxi
co, aye, q; Oklahoma, aye g. All other
states not mentioned were unrcpresented
;, PREVIOUS TO the vote and leading up to
IL WAS long and earnest debate. Govern
or illiman, OF South Carolina said il was
10 ms mind essential to present "A firm
'front.' ana To accomplish this. organiZat lion
must De mad The gold bugs were here
now trying to SOW the seeds of disrtntion
ana Disqualification and We're sparing no
means In their power TO do II. Ths.y were
playing on the vanity of men nv utittine
the bee a-buzzing where. ii the bee were
lively, II would be the last place 1t would
seek honey. Yet its effect was now felt
IN the iact that silver men hcsitatCd to
take the lead and keep IT,
Governor Altgeld. OF Illinois, stated Tim,
from what lie understood yesterday. no
silver conference could be held which
would include all the six hundred and odd
silver Delegates iii the convention Never
tneieSS II such Il conference seemed To
those present wise and prudent Illinois
VIII be found acting in concert 10 promote
hu, NJ
cate to present and was hampercd i'm no
way which could interfere with her riv-
ing her best efforts to nominate n candi-
date upon platform that would com
mand the majority of the votes of the
people in November. Still he thourht
there might he some danger in "A confer
ence OF so many as Coo men with no rules
toguide theman unless all speeches were
eliminated and they simply came down
10 voting on propositions and men the
conference might find. at its close. that il
LETT them less united than at the begin
ming. " al
Mr. O'Donwell. of Colorado. reiterated
ms remarks of last Friday night that II
together so that the gold bugs of the "a 81
could not throw their 300 votes i'm a bodv
10 some silver man least Objectionable ~
me gold bugs and thus nominate him
Such man. nominated in such a wav. he
declared, could not carry Colorado. With
out taking any action but with the under
standing that each of the delegates pres-
ent wonld endeavor to get in touch with
his delegation and ascertain If any
changes had taken place, the conference
ADJOURNED to meet again later on.