The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-04
SILVER MEN WILL
RUN CONVENTION
No Hope for the Democratic Gold Bugs
at Chicago.
SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF TELLER
His Associates in the Senate Are
All Giving Him SuppOrt..ScnatOr
Jones Declares That There Shall
BE No Jugglery with the Platform.

Chicago. July at looks as if the
Chicago Democratic convention would
be quite as lop-sided as the recent
Republican gathering at St. Louis.
There has been no break today in the
monotony of the signs and tokens of
what is to happen. 1t Is to be Il free
silver convention. Moreover, with sur
prising unanimity the controlling men
of the western and southern delega-
tions have declared thsr preference for
Teller. Nearly all his associates or for
mer associates in the senate who be-
lieve in free coinage are giving him
their support. The list includes Tur-
pie. of Indiana; Jones. of Arkansas;
Harrison. of Tennessee; Walsh. Of
Georgia: Chiffon, of Texas, and Cock
rell. OF Missouri.
When the eastern delegates and
friends Of the gold standard reach
Chicago they will find that the silver
men have absolute control of tho situa-
ton. Conferences have been frequent
during the day. out of all this con-
sultation but one concrete fact seems
to have been developed. The platform
will be concise. short and clear cut.
without So much as ambiguous word
that can be msconstrued into mean-
ing anything other than out and out
declaration for the free and unlimited
coinage of sil> er at the ratio of l6 to |.
Senators Jones. of Arkansas: Bate
and Harris. of Tennessee; Blackburn,
of Kentucky. Tllman, of South Caro-
a Of
ator-elect Money. of Mississippi: Rep
resentative richardson, of Tennessee,
and Hon. John II. Mclean. have been
in conference during the day, and all
are agreed that the financial plank
shall be given that prominence which
its importance demands and that its
text shall be so short ana its meaning so
fixed and determined that he who runs
can read it understandingly.
NO GUSH ALLOWED.
''Platitudes will be eschewed by this
convention" said Senator Jones, of Ar
kansas, today. "The silver men repre-
sent the plain people of the country.
the thinking masses, and our declara-
tiun will be such that no nan can jug
gle with its meaning or .peak to rep
resent it as some thinl, e > i Is tlotsls
This convention Is to he run by the
silver men; we are in control and
everything that is done will be by the
consent of the majority only. This sit
uation might as we'll be accepted by
the minority at once. The minority
will be accorded all its rights and will
be part or parcel of the Democratic
convention, but the voice of the ma
jority is the voice of the party in the
convention.
When asked if he had any fear Of
the delegates being weaned from their
allegiance to silver, Mr.. Jones replied
with a negative that was emphatic and
con\ incng as to the sincerity of his
own views. IF the gold men are hop
ing to be successful in proselyting
among the silver men," he continued
lit IS high time they understood the
character of timber Of which this con-
vcntiun will be constructed The del
esatcs to the convention are men who
can neither he bought or bull-dozed
They are firm in the faith, and moth
Ing can shake their loyalty to the
cause. which they put above all other
puit!ca, questions. Long months ago.
when we first organized the silver
movement in Washington, we took
care to provide against such influences
and wrote our people in every district
to see that strong men We're selected
as delegates.
while there seems to be no concen-
trutiou upon any one for temporary
chairman the general opinion is that
either Senator Harris. of Representa-
tive Richardson, both of Tennessee.
may be permanent chairman, and that
Senator Blackburn, of Kentucky. may
be temporary chairman. All tn Sc & n
tlemen are good parliamentarians, Mir.
Harris having been president pro TEN
of the senate, Mr.. Richardson a fire.
quent and experienced occupant of the
speakers chair during the two terms
of Speaker Crisp. and Mr.. Blackburn
having frequently presided over the
senate.
NO GOLD NOTE WILL SOUND.
Concerning the report that the ma
tional committee intended to attempt
to force gold standard man upon
the convention for temporary chair
man. Mr.. Richardson said: Nothing
of the kind will be done. OF course
we recognize the fact that the commit
tee. as at present constituted, Is
against silver, but the committee will
be very apt to remember also that the
convention is very largely the other
way. If it decides by a majority vote
to recommend to the convention gold
man, the minority of the committee
will offer a substitute naming a silver
man. When the committee makes it's
report to the convention the first SUBJ
stitute will be offered, and a substitute
is always voted on first. The substi-
tute will be adopted. and If there is to
be brush about the question. it will
be short and quick and result in a
sweeping victory for the silver men.
The majority will not listen to the
sounding of a gold note in the opening
of the convention.
Governor Altgeld's idea that the con-
vention can complete its work in one
day is secuted by experienced politi-
clans. One of them said this after
noon that while he was in favor of
reasonable haste, he recognized the
fact that 1t required time to Cafe
fully transact the business of a nation
al convention. The platform would
cause some debate, depending entirely
upon the pleasure OF the convention,
exercised through the gavel of the
chairman. 1t is not improbable that
some prominent person representing
the gold side of the question will be
selected to antagonize the report of the
committee on resolutions. and with
that single speech discussion WIFI end.