The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-09
MINORITY REPORT
Objections of Gold Men to Plat
form Presented.
Silver Plank Especially Dis
tasteful to Them.
DON'T LIKE ANY OF 1T.
But Are Content to Express
Themselves Against Silver.
Hill Offers Two Amendments to
the Platform.
DON'T LIKE ANY OF TT.

Chicago, July 9.-The following is the
report of the minority of the committee
on resolutions presented to the con-
VentiOn today:
To the Democratic National Com
mittee: Sixteen delegates, constituting
the minority of the committee on reso-
lutiOns find nine declarations in the
report of the majority to which they
cannot give their assent. Some of
these are wholly unnecessary; some are
ill-considered and ambiguOuSly phraSed,
while others are extreme and reVo-
lutionary of the well recognized princi-
pies of the party.
The minority content themselves with
this general expression of their dissent
without going into specific statement of
these ObiectiOna BILE features of the re-
port of the majority. But upon the
financial question, which engages at
this time the chief share of public at
tentiOn, the views of the majority differ
so fundamentally from what the minor
ity regard as vital Democratic doctrine
as to demand a distinct statement of
what they hold to as the only just and
upon this paramount issue as follows
which is offered as a substitute for
the financial plank of the majority re-
port.
We declare our belief that the expert
ment on the part of the United States
alone of free coinage of silver and a
change Of the existing standard OF
value Independently of the action of
other great nations would not only i'm
peril our finances, but would retard
or entirely prevent the establishment
of international bimetaIlism, to which
the efforts of the government should be
steadily directed.
It would place the country upon a
silver basis and impair contracts, dis
turb business, diminish the purchasing
power of the wages of labor and inhict
irreparable evils upon our nations
commerce and industry Until inter
national cooperation among leading
nations for the free coinage of silver
can be secured, we favor the rigid
maintenance of the existing gold stand
ard as essential to the preservation of
our national credit, the redemption of
our public pledges and the keeping in
violate of the country's honor.
We insist that all our paper and sill
yer currency shall be kept at a parity
with gold. The Democratic party is
the party of hard money and opposed to
legal tender payments as a part of our
permanent financial system, and we
therefore favor the gradual retirement
and cancellation of all United States
notes and treasury notes under such
legislative provisions as will prevent
undue contraction. We demand that
the national credit shall be resolutely
maintained at all times and under all
circum stances.
The minority also feel that the repOrt
of the majority is defective in failing
to make any recognition of the honesty.
economic courage and fidelity of the
present Democratic administration and
they therefore offer the following dec
laration as an amendment to the ma
Jority report: We commend the hon
esty, economic course and fidelity of
the present Demo national admin
istratiOn.
(Signed) David 3. Hill, New York;
VIM. f. Villas. Wisconsin: George Gray.
Delaware; John Prentis Poe, Maryland; &;
Irving w. Drew, New Hampshire; c. o.
Holman, Maine: P. J Farrell Vermont;
Lynde Harrison, Connecticut; David F
Baker, Rhode Island; Thomas A c.
Weedock, Michigan; James z. O'Brien,
Minnesota; John E Russell, Massachu-
setts; Robert E. Wright, Pennsylvania I:
VIM. r. Steele, South Dakota Allen
A. McDermott. New Jersey; Charles D
Rodgers, Alaska
Senator Hill also offered the following
amendments to the platform and moved
their adoption:
Amendment-But it should be care
fully provided by law at the same time
that any change in the monetary STAN
dard should not apply to existing con-
tracts.
Amendment-Our advocacy of the in
dependent free coinage of silver being
based on the belief that such coinage
will effect and maintain a parity be-
tween gold and silver at the ratio Of
Is to I. we declare as a pledge of our
sincerity that if such free coinage shall
fail to effect such parity within one
year from it's enactment by law, such
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