The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-29
ST. LOUIS, JULY 22nd, 1896.
This Will be Hereafter One of the
Famous Days in the Ameri-
can Calendar.
The Real Temperance Element Will robably
be There at the Same Time.-Im-
menSe Enthusiasm.
All the Patriots of the Nation Will Come To-
gether to Overthrow the Plunderers of the
World, by Voting for the Same Candi
dates for President and Vice.
President.

Here is the record of the proceedings
of the Free-Slverites at their confer
ence in Washington Jany. 22nd and
23rd, 1896
Washington, D. c.. Jan. 24.-The silver
conference yesterday resulted in an ami
mated discussion of the financial situation
and policy to be pursued by the friends of
silver.
During the discussion considerable feel
Ing was aroused by some of the remarks
made by Cen Hatch, of Missouri, in which
he stated in effect that if the Populists Of
Kentucky had done their whole duty the
election Of Mr. Blackburn to a seat in the
United States senate would not be mat
ter of doubt Gen. Field, of Virginia, and
others made heated remarks. Maj. Tur-
ner, of Lansing, Mich. and Senator Stew
art. of Nevada, also addressed the conVen-
ton.
The committee on resolutions, of which
Senator Jones, of Nevada. is chairman,
submitted its report, consisting of the fol-
lowing preamble and declaratiOn
The paramount issue a this time in the
United States is ndisputably the money
question 1t is between the gold standard,
gold bonds and bank currency on one side
and the bimetallic standard, no bonds and
government currency on the other.
- COZ this issue we declare ourselves to be
in favor of a distinctive American finan-
cial system. We are opposed to the single
SOiQ anu demand the lmmeQTalo
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 16 TO L
and under terms of exact equality, as they
existed prior to 1873: the silver coin to be
full legal tender equally for all debts, pub
lie and private.
I'VE hold that the power to control and
regulate paper currency is inseparable
from the power to coin money and all cur
rency intended to circulate as money
should be issued and it's volume controlled
by the government only and should be
legal tender.
I'VE are unalterably opposed to the issue
by the United States of interest bearing
bonds in time of peace, and we denounce
as blunder worse than crime the pres
ent treasury policy, concurred in by Re-
publican house, of plunging the country
in debt by hundreds of millions in the vain
attempt to maintain the gold standard by
borrowing gold and we demand the pay
ment of all coin obligations of the United
States as provided by existing laws in
either gold or silver coin at the option of
the government and not at the option Of
the creditor.
Whereas. The demonetization Of silver
In 1913 enormously increased the demand
FOR gold, enhancing its purchasing power
and lowering all the prices measuring by
that standard and
Whereas, Since that unjust and indie
fenslble act the prices of American pro-
ducts have fallen upon an average nearly
80 per cent, carrying down with them pro-
portiOndtely the money value of all other
forms of property, except in peculiarly IA
vored localities
Whereas, Such fall of prices has de-
etroyed the profits of legitimate industry
fnr hnrn Of =
non-producer, increasing the burden of the
debtor and swelling the gains of the cred
itor. paralyzing the productive energies of
the American people, relegating to idle
ness vast numbers of willing workers,
sending the shadow of despair into the
home of the honest toiler, filling the land
with tramps and paupers and building up
colossal fortunes at the money centers; and
whereas, In the effort to maintain the
gold standard the country has. within the
last eighteen months. in time of pro-
found peace and plenty. been loaded down
with $162.O00000 of an interest bearing
debt under such circumstances as to allow
syndicate of native and foreign bankers
to realize net profit of $10,0O00OO on
single deal, and
Whereas, Another call is now pending
for a further gold loan of 800 900 900 which
but for an outburst of popular indignation
would also have been negotiated in the
same manner and through the same SYM
dicate: and.
Whereas, 1t stands confessed that the
gold standard can only be upheld by so
tightening our paper currency as to force
the prices of our products below the Eu-
ropean and even below the Asiatic level,
in order that we may sell in foreign mar
kets, thus aggravating the very evils of
which our people so bitterly complain, de-
grading American labor, and striking at
the very foundation of our civilization it
self; and.
Whereas, The advocates of the gold
gold standard persistently claim that the
cause of our distress is over production.
htat we have produced so much that it has
made us poor-which implies that the true
remedy is to close the factory, abandon
the farm, and throw multitude of people
out of employment-a doctrine that leaves
us absolutely without hope for the future;
and,
Whereas The difference of exchange
between silver standard countries and gold
countries is equivalent to bounty equal
to the difference between the value of gold
and silver, in favor of the products of
silver standard countries exported to gold
standard countries, and a corresponding
tariff against the products of gold STAN
dard countries exported to silver using
countries; and,
Whereas, The cost of production other
wise IN the old world and particularly
In China and Japan, is far less than the
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