Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-26
STANDING ROOMI IN DEMAND
GREAT MASS MEETING IN NEW YORK
Senator TiIlman Called for Show of Haads
and Over Half Went Up for the
White Metal.

meeting at Cooper Union tonight filled
the large auditorium and all the available
standing room was occupied. The audi
ence was enthusiastic and applauded
loudly every time an opportunity offered
itself. Senator Benjamin T. Tillman oc-
cupied prominent place on the platform
and was cheered Justify when he entered
the auditorium a few minutes before s
o'clock.
George P. Keeney, general organizer Of
the American silver organization, pre-
sided. He said that the object of the
meeting was to get resolutions adopted
declaring for the free coinage of silver
and urging the adoption of free coinage
by the Chicago convention
After Senator Bixby had made few
remarks, in which he said the country
needed free silver, Hon. Alexander Del
mar was introduced as recognized au-
thority the world over on the money
question. He said the capitalists were
not content with the high rates of inter-
est but they wanted to bind the people
to pay in gold, of which they had mo-
nopoly. The country needed medium
of exchange Gold would not do, because
1t would flow out of the country. Silver
and greenbacks would do, because they
would stay here. Fifty per cent of the
business of the country Is done by note,
proving that there is not sufficient mon
ey, counting in both gold and silver, for
the business of the country.
This nation, IL 1t is to remain inde-
pendent, must devise and maintain its
own system of money" said Mr.. Delmar.
land 1 say with the monetary commits
sions- of 1876 and 1878 that all attempts
to render money international are DOOM
ed to disastrous failure"
1t took several minutes for the vast
crowd in the auditorium to get through
cheering when Senator Tillman was m
troduced. Senator Tillman began by
paying his respects to the newspapers.
He said that tonight would give an
opportunity to show the members that
the newspapers were unreasonable liars.
The owners of the newspapers, he said,
were prostitutes of Journalism, and not
a paper in New York would dare print
his speech in full. Coming to the money
question, the senator said: IF the Chi
cago convention does not give us de-
mocracy and return to the faith of
Washington and Jefferson 1 will have
nothing to do with it afterwards"
Senator Tillman referred to the mon
eyed men of the east as thimble-riggers,
and repeated his assertion that Cleveland
was a tool of Wall street. Then senator
called on all those who had handled gold
within year to hold up their hands.
Half dozen hands were raised Then he
called on those who had not handled gold
coin to raise their hands. Possibly a
Then where has the gold gomez" asked
Senator Tillman.
You have not handled 1t, although
$3.50, ,000, 900 of the $550,0O0,000 in govern
ment bonds were sold on Manhattan
island.'
The senator said that If he were on the
senate committee Investigating the re-
cent sale he would ask President Cleve-
land why he made the private contract
to sell bonds at 1041s per cent when they
were selling on the public market at H..
The senator then talked about unem-
p1oyed labor. which he said was lever
by which those employed were ground
down to low wages.
you see on your own street car lines,"
he continued, cars labelled United
States mail. Those cars do not carry
any mail. They are on there so that the
car lines can claim the protection of the
United States troops In case of strike" /"
Senator Tillman characterized John
Sherman of Ohio as the high priest of
mammon and the joint owner with Ham
ma of William Mckinley. "All of you
who are going to vote for gold hold up
your hands," concluded the senator. Five
hands were held up.
"All who are going to vote for silver de-
gardless of party hold up your hands" :"
over half the audience raised their
hands. .94s rs4y se4