Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-05
the interests of the farmer and laboring man.
 The convention adjourned at 1:57.
THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
A Straight-Out Platform and Ironclad In-
 structions to Delegates.

house of delegates and the veteran sec
 retary of democratic conventions, was
 made temporary chairman, and Joseph
 Button of Appomatox temporary secre-
 tary.
 In assuming the chair Mir. Bigger made
 one of the briefest speeches in the history
 of his career. He only proceeded to the
 business before him.
 Senator Daniel who is the most con-
 Spicuous figure of this big gathering, oc-
 cupied seat with the Lynchburg dele
 gation in the body of the hall.
 The steering silver committee appoint
 ed by the conference of silver men last
 night will meet at the dinner recess. This
 committee last night refused to recom-
 mend the unit rule, but did recommend
 one providing for instructing delegates
 to Chicago.
 The usual committees on permanent
 organization were appointed, and at 1
 o'clock the convention took a recess until
 3:30 o'clock. Senator Daniel is chairman
 or the platform committee. The gold
 minority on this important committee
 includes B. B. Munford and Lieutenant
 Governor Kent.
 The convention reassembled at 4
 o'clock. The committee on permanent
 organization submitted the name of Mi
 caJa Woods of Charlottesville as perma-
 nent chairman and J. B. Bigger and Jo-
 seph Button as secretaries. Those rec
 concentrations were confirmed by the convention.
 MT. Woods in assuming the duties of permanent chairman, impressed upon
 the body the importance of the minority
 submitting to the domination of the ma Jority. While waiting for the report of
 the committee on resolutions Senator
 Martin made speech for the cause of free silver. He was confident that if all
 the democrats of the country were as inspired as those present they would elect their president this year. and one he said, who would be in accord with his party. No one could, he continued, be greater party wrecker" than the last one elected by the democracy. This sentiment evoked prolonged cheers from
 the silver men and some misses from the gold delegates. Senator Martin said
 there were some things upon which he differed with his party but there was
 never time when he was not in accord with them on the money question. Representative Tucker in a speech strongly commended MT. Cleveland as an honest, upright democrat. This was heartily cheered by the gold delegates. The committee on resolutions submit ted the platform, which was read by its chairman, Senator Daniel. MT. B. B. Munford presented a minority report representing the views of the gold men on the financial question. This was signed by the six gold members of the committee on resolutions.
 
 principles of democracy as enunciated by Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Mason and the patriots of their day, opposes "McKinleyism, which proposes to tax the poor man for the benefit of trusts and capitalists;' favors a tax for revenue limited to the necessities of an economi- cally administered government; opposes "the republican party because, while pro- fessing to protect our laboring men and mechanics, they are, in practice, filling fo oto wi la bor from Europe;" opposes third presl- dental term, and then declares: We are for sound money, soundeSt the world has ever had or can have, the money Of the constitution, the money Of the people, the money of civilization through ages
 past and destined to be such, as we be- lieye, for ages to come.
 "This sound money should consist of
 gold, silver and paper, redeemable in sil- yer or gold, at the option of the payer, the units of the whole mass to be kept at parity by coinage rights and equal
 legal tender functions, the only method
 by which the parity of the two metals has been continuously and successfully
 maintained. We hold to the use of both gold and silver as the standard money of the country, and to the coinage of
 both gold and silver, without discrimi- nal ting against either metal or charge for mintage. The immediate and complete restoration of the bimetal1sm of money which existed in the United States from 17S3 to 1873 is, in our opinion, demanded
 by the interests of commerce, manufac-
 lures and agriculture, which are alike
 suffering from the continuous fall of prices and the consequent embarrass- ment or bankruptcy of those engaged
 therein. Tn order to restore it we de-
 mand the full and unlimited coinage of both gold and silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, without waiting for the assent or con- currence of any other nation. It cannot be that this great nation, the foremost of the earth in riches and power, Is un- able to form a financial system of it's
 own, and while we would wish to come to an international agreement that would settle the vexed question, we are un- willing to defer action or make the in- terest of our own people dependent upon the course of others.
 we warn our countrymen that unless silver be upheld as money of redemp- tion and sustained at parity with gold by equal privileges at the mint and by equal legal tender function further contraction of the currency and the further action of public indebtedness will be inevitable. We have $4 less per capita in circulatio now than we had in November 1893, when the Sherman law was repealed, and in the present strained condition of our resources, the deficits of revenue and the fall of prices, each further contraction of money and accumufdtlOn or ueDt WOulu para1yZe business, lower. wages and bring upon the country widespread panic and ruin. We hereby instruct all of the dele gates from Virginia to the national democratic convention at Chicago to vote for platform declaring for the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the ratio of 16 to and for candidates for president and vice president who openly advocate that principle
 The report submitted by the minority members of the committee on resolutions make these declarations on finance: we demand that the volume of our currency shall be commensurate with the growing population and business devel- opment of the country; that every dollar of gold and silver put in circulation shall be of equal intrinsic and exchangeable value, and that the present gold standard of value shall be maintained; neither de- preciated by legislation, so neither the earnings of the laborer or the capitalist shall be lowered nor creditors defrauded; nor appreciated so debtors would have their burdens augmented and the value of all forms of wealth except money be great | ly lessened. We hold to the Use of gold and silver and the coinage of every dol l lar of both metals as long as their parity tx>na Ty1 4 |, ,1x