Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-05-22

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ted the Ohio-McKinley plank which
was as follows:
"We contend for honest money !;
for a currency of gold, silver and
paper with which to measure our ex-
changes that shall be Us sound as the
government and as untarnished as its
honor; and to that end we favor BIZ
metallism and demand the use OF
both gold and silver as standard
money either in accordance with a
ratio to be fixed by an international
agreement, if that can be obtained, or
under such restrictions and such pro-
visions to be determined by legisla-
ton as will secure the maintenance OF
the parity of value OF the two metals,
so that the purchasing and debt-pay-
ing power OF the dollar, whether of
silver, gold or paper, shall be at all
times equal"
Smiths gold resolution was adopted
in committee By vote of 81 to 10,
and was embodied in the majority
report. The nay votes were those OF
Adams, Asotin, kittitas, Mason, Okan-
ogan, Pierce, Spokane, Stevens, Thurs
ton and Whitman counties.
Wiley submitted a substitute for
both the majority and minority re-
ports, as follows:
The American people, from tradi-
tion and interest, favor bimetalism,
and the Republican party demands
the use of both gold and silver as
standard money, maintaining at all
times the parity of values OF the two
metals so that the purchasing and
debt-paying power of the dollar,
whether of gold, silver or paper shall
be at all times equal. The President
should be directed by Congress to in
vite the principal governments of the
earth to send delegates to an interna-
tional monetary conference to be held
at some point in the United States,
west of the Mississippi river on May l,
1898, and such invitation should con-
tain notice to the respective govern
ments that in the event of the failure
OF the conference to adopt bimetalism
at an agreed ratio, the United States
will, on the LIST day of January, 1899,
open it's mints to the free and unlim-
tied coinage of gold and silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1.
| w. c. Jones made most eloquent
speech in behalf of free silver. He
dwelt on the evils of gold standard
and pictured how different conditions
at the present time would be il the
gold.bugs did not have a monopoly on
the money of the country. He stated
that the picture Of distress that had
been drawn by Mr.. Burleigh and at.
tributed to other causes, was due to
the monometallic system. The chair
called Mr.. Jones down at the instance
OF Gov. McGraw, who sat at his elbow,
but the convention was of a fairer
mind and allowed Mr.. Jones all ex-
tension of time. Throughout his
then branched off to the protection
, proposition which seemed to please the
convention better, but he came hack
to the silver question and the Governor
and his followers again grew restless
He held that gold had gone up and not
; silver down, consequently silver was
| the more stable. He urged that the
3 Republicans would lose votes il they
r did not give silver a show.
"If you pass that gold resolution
l you will lose thousands OF votes thi.
fall" This was too much for McGraw
and he had the chair call a halt
/. Jones friends asked for more time
: but cries of " no" went up. The gentle
i man made such a courteous reply
however, that the "no" people grew
ashamed and urged him to proceed.
He concluded, "I believe protection
g will be great help, but I further be
lieve that the question OF free coin
age to be vastly more important.
h Burleigh arose in answer to Jone
: and against the minority report. HI
t asked why, il silver was 90 good, wa
e the millions lying in the treasury use
: lessf McGraw popped his hand
t almost continually. The argumen
IT was 80 poor and contained so man,
s glaring Inconsistencies that child il
% political economy could have con
e troverted it. The credit OF the stat
j. being put on the top notch in Lombar,
street, London, was a strong point O
IS Mr.. Burleigh. 1t was, of course, @
d great importance to the ditch.digger.
8. Fisk of Cowlitz was the next l.
d speak. He fsunted the bloody fla
,r and paraded it up and down. Whel
1t the country Was about to be disrupte
the &. o. p. had done some wonderful
1 things. Gold was the worlds standar,
N and it was good enough for him. H
didn't want the United States TO be o.
& level with Japan or Mexico. Afte
Of getting all mixed up, he edited tn
lie audience by long, unintelligible 10
Id of figures and kindly ceased speaking
n. Col. Feighan, of Spokane, was th
Of next speaker. He wanted to kno'
of when the silver dollar became a di:
n, honest dollar. He showed that tn
e, silver in the treasury was not in ust
ID it was but bulk of nothing lyin
idle. "Open the mouth of til