The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-06
THE MICHIGAN CONVENTION.
Did Federal Appoirtees Participate On
That Occasion?
Lansing, Mich, May IL, 1896.

NV Dear Sir-You will pardon this
intrusion upon your attention Upon
reading in the Detroit Free Press OF
Sunday last the inclosed article, Not
For Free Silver" purporting to be a
statement of Don NJ. Dickinson, of
this State, l was impelled to file my
protest with you against it.
| am astounded at the claim of Mr..
Dickinson. / was one of the delegates
to the late State convention from the
Sixth Congressional district, and was
on the committee that the free silver
men appointed to resist the action of
the forces OF the administration. |
believe that | know something of the
sentiment of that convention. Mr..
Dickinson states that the offices in this
State were distributed to free silver
men through free silver congressman.
If such were true it is a sad common
tary upon the prostituting effect OF
public patronage, as L believe 1t can
be safely said there is not a Federal of
fetal in the State who has dared de-
clare himself in favor OF free silver or
to vote against the wishes of the adj
ministration in that behalf. The
statement that there were silver dele
gates to the State convention who were
Federal officers is without truth, and
when Mr.. Dickinson says that the free
silver officials outnumbered the adj
ministration officials as delegates he
states a cold-blooded falsehood.
The postmaster of the city of De
troit was conspicuous in the delega-
ton from Wayne county. The collec-
tor of customs of the Port Huron dis
trict was on the floor of the conven-
ton doing his best for the administra-
ton forces. The collector of internal
revenue invaded my own Congressional
district, where he had no right to be.
The collector of customs of the West
ern district of Michigan, though not a
delegate, was doing what he could to
oyerawe the silver men of his section
of the State. The District Attorney
of the Eastern district of Michigan
and his deputy were also using their
influence with the delegation from
their respective counties. And the
Deputy District Attorney of the East
ern district of Michigan, Mr. Charles
r. Whitman, was chairman OF the
delegation of Washtenaw county, and
made no less than four forclble
speeches in support of the resolutions
offered by the administration crowd
The deputy collector of revenues rs
he confessed TO me after the conVen-
ton was over, brought about change
in the vote of Saginaw county whereby
the entire 'twenty-seyen votes were
east for the administration delegates
at-large and the resolution supporting
the administration, notwithstanding
seventeen of the twenty seven delegates
from that county had been elected as
free silver men.
The postmaster from Berrien county
succeeded upon the floor of the conVen-
ton in depriving the county OF Cass
from casting but five silver votes, when
it was entitled to seven, and obtained
a ruling from the chair that enabled
him, with the aid of three other dele
gates. ITO vote eighteen votes from has
county against the same rule that cut
down the Cass county delegation.
The postmaster of my own city, one
of the Observation-Disclosures referees,
after we had turned him down in this
county as delegate, went TO the State
convention and opened headquarters
for the administration people, and the
newspapers the next day after the con-
vention attributed a great deal OF the
success of the goldites to his work.
That the administration brought
about the defeat of the silver men cam
not be disputed, The President had G
consultation with Mr.. Stevenson few
days before the convention, and gave
him his instructions. Within two hours
after the close of this convention, Mr..
Cleveland photographed his congratula-
tions to Mr.. Stevenson for the work.
Furthermore, as to Mr.. Dickinson S
statement in which he claims the 16 to
men never had majority of delegates
elected of $50, this is the first time this
claim has been made in Michigan, and
no one knows the falsity of the state
ment better than Mr.. Dickinson HIM
self He states that there is not to ex-
coed 25 per cent. of the Democratic
votes of this Stae who favor free silver.
OF course such a statement is easily
made and hard to be refuted, but If
my life were at stake upon the ques-
tion that there are Is per cent. of the
Democratic voters of this State who ia
vor reconciliation of silver and the
vote was to be taken tomorrow,
should sleep well tonight.
The silver sentiment of Michigan is
not confined to the Democratic party
alone. While there are not as many
silver Republicans as Democrats, the
Republican State convention last week
refused by decided vote to inIorsc
the gold standard
AS to the instructions given to the
Michigan delegation to vote as a unit
at Chicago. would be glad to have
you know that it can be shown that
for every vote that went to make up
the majority in favor of such instruc-
ton, we can show that two delegates
violated the instructions given them
by their respective counties.
J. have been constrained to present
this matter to you, believing that
when the time comes you may to some
extent be able TO correct th,. false i'm
preston that has gone abroad that
the Democracy Of Micigan are believ-
ers in the monstrous financial doc
triac advocated BY Mr.. Cleveland.
/ have no desire to inveigh against
the President of the United States.