The herald., 1896-06-20
Choose Delegates and Discuss
the Silver Question
CHAIRMAN HARRITY HOPES
But the Democracy Must Declare for
Sound Money
With the noney Question ELIMINATED the
Democrats Could Conduct q Winning
Campaign on the Tariff
A Associated Press special Wire.

/ associated freSS special wire.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, June 19.-The
Democratic state convention was in ses-
sion until 2:15 this morning, the greater
part of the time being taken up in a hot
fight over the question OF expressing a
choice for a presidential candidate. A
resolution instructing the national dele
| gates for Bland was vigorously opposed
by Senators Jones and Berry, but finally
adopted-420 to 327. The platform makes
no reference to the national administra-
ton. The financial plank is as follows:
I'VE favor bimetallism and to that end
we insist upon the free and unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver at the
ratio of Is to l as money for final re-
demption, with equal legal tender pow
| ers independent of the action of any
| other nation"
Delegates to the national convention
were chosen as follows: At large, SEN
ators Jones and Berry, Carroll Arm
| strong, ]. T. w. Tillar; First district,
Charles Coffin, John B. Driver; second,
S. NJ. Taylor. ]. j. Sumpter; third, Paul
Jones, w. Kramsat; Fifth. r. B. David
son. Phil D. Scott Sixth, ]. w. Crockett,
A. S. Layton.
FLORIDA DEMOCRATS.
OCALA, Fla, June 19.-The Democrat
ic state convention did not adjourn un-
til late last night, nominations being de-
layed by deadlock on the nomination
for comptroller The gold men bad
majority, but not the necessary two
thirds Finally, by compromise, w. II.
Reynolds was named for comptroller
The rest of the ticket is as follows: Gov
ernor W.D. Bloxham; secretary of state,
J. L. Crawford; treasurer, w. c. Col
lins; attorney general. w. d. Lamar;
superintendent of public instruction.
Sheats (renomnated) commissioner of
agriculture, Wombell (renominated)
IN MONTANA.
BUTTE, Mont, June 19.-The Demo-
cratic convention meets here tomorrow.
The fight will be over the delegates
to Chicago. There are about sixteen
candidates for the six places. The main
contest will probably be over selecting
L. d. Mats as delegate to Chicago
Three years ago he and several others
bolted the caucus nominee for senator
in the legislature, of which he was a
member, and defeated the election of a
Democrat to the United States senate.
The platform will be straight-out de-
claration for free coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to l.
HARRITY'S OPINION.
ST. LOUIS. June ia special from
Pittsburg to the Republic says:
Chairman w. F. Harrity of the Demo-
cratic national committee passed
through here today en- route to Philadel-
phia from St Louis. He has been the
guest of Ex-Governor Francis of Mis-
souri,. While in st. Louis Mr. Harrity
declined to be interviewed on the sub
Ject of politics for the reason that his
visit there was of purely personal and
social nature and that it seemed indeli-
cate for him to discuss politics from a
Democratic standpoint while the Re-
publican party was in convention in ST.
Louis.
When asked about the platform adopt
ed, he said: I'm my opinion the action
of the national committee makes it all
the more important that the Chicago
convention shall declare for sound mon
ey than if an equivocal financial plank
had been placed in the St. Louis plat
form. I am on record as predicting that
the Democratic national convention will
not declare for the free coinage of silver
and I am still hopeful that the sound
money element of the Democratic party
will prevail in the convention"
What effect will the withdrawal OF
Senator Teller and his free silver asso-
ciates from the Republican convention
have upon the Chicago convention" was
asked.
1t ought to give no encouragement to
our party to adopt a free silver plank. 1t
will be found that the gentlemen who
bolted the st. Louis convention will not
take any steps to help the Democratic
party They would doubtless cooper
ate with Democrats providing the Dem
ocrats would follow where they led The
suggestion that Senator Teller may be
nominated by the Chicago convention
is not worthy of a moments considera-
ton"
Il believe" continued Mr.. Harrity,
that the Democracy can enter the cam
paign with much more of hope and con-
tidence if they will unequivocally de-
clare for the existing gold standard. If
they will do so and nominate candidates
in harmony with such a declaration, the
currency issue will be practically elm
mated from the canvass and so far as
it might remain it would be to the ad-
vantage of the Democrats in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut because of
Major McKinley's equivocal record and
attitude. The tariff would be made the
main issue and 1 believe this would be
to the prejudice of the Republican cam
didates who stand for an extreme high
protective tariff. The business inter-
ests. of the country except those having
a direct concern in still higher duties
upon imports, want a rest from further
tariff agitation.
LAS soon as this country gives salts
factory assurances Of the soundness and
stability of it's monetary policy, as would
be the case if both the great parties de-
clared for the existing gold standard
general confidence would be restored. 1t
will then be found that the present tar
;ff will v,rodY,oa p,nlp raVap11a for all of