Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-07
THEY TALK OVER TIE SITUATION.
Ex-Gov. Flower outspokcn in Favor OF
Repudiating n SILVER Platform and
Candidate-Senator Hin Is Nom
committal the Subject

mated one until the guests scattered to
toelr rooms AT five o'clock the bus load
OF the Whitney party drew up in front
of the hotel. where the former secretary Of
the navy had engaged almost the whole
OF the parlor floor-nine bedrooms and six
parlors-for the cause of sound money"
ana democracy. Mr.. Whitney was the
first to inscribe his name ana after hin,
came the following: Thomas r. RYAN.
Walter Stanton, James Smith, Jr; John r.
Felsows, New York; William e. Russell.
boston; Senator George Gray, Delaware;
j: j. Martin, G. c. Baldwin, Smith NJ
" " e I ~; NJ. q; Harvey, III. d. MACEDONIA,
" II. Mlliery, Thomas j. Ryan, New York,
kx-Gov. Flower Talks.
Senator Hill and ex-Gov. Flower went
TO the Palmer house. Where the state dele
cation, as body, has large parlor re-
served for its use as headquarters Gov,
flower d1scoursed at some length upon
the financial condition of the country. He
salo that free silver was not the cure for
existing evils, but that restriction of pro-
duct'on by farmer and manufacturer alika
was necessary. 1.-The farmer" he assert-
co. needs above all things else a short
crop to enable him to sell what he has at
good prices. He has had two or three
crops now SO bountiful that he could not
Wen dispose of them at remunerative rates
he IS the last of the row of bricks to be
knocked down as the result Of the panic Of
1875 ana whoever shall be elected presi-
dent this. year, there will be good times,
believe, in 1897. But not upon a free
SILVER basis. Diluting the currency will
not restore the conditions of good and
profitable business. Credit is the stability
and soundness Of all our money and must be
maintained"
Gov Flower expressed the opinion that
II the democratic convention nominated
candidate upon free silver platform the
republican ticket would carry New York by
of off
he said, which never, even in Fremont's
days, gave to exceed $3.50 republican ma
jority, will give 5000 to the ticket, believe.
anu that IS a. rural county, too"
Gold Leaders Confer
AFTER all the talk about sensational hap
Pehlngs that might be expected from the
conference of the gold forces, led by VIII
liam U Whitney. the meeting Friday night
OF Mr.. Whitney and those who are with
him in his endeavor to secure some con-
cessions from the triumphant silver men
resulted IN nothing more than a decision
70 appoint subcommittee to do missions
airy work with the incoming delegates
For three hours, Mr. whitney and the
soid men discussed the situation, and al
thouSh frequent applause drifted ont into
the corridor from the parlor where thew
neld thelr secret session, there was prac-
tica!Ay Hltie developed to give hope that the
situation had undergone any change. or
that anything might be expected from the
silver FORCES. 1t was half past eight o,cloc,.
when Mr.. Whitney's cohorts assembled IN
parlor of the Auditorium, and it wa tIraa
hours later before the doors were opened
at the adJournment OF the meeting. What
ever OF hope they had at the beginning did
not progress one iota during the time the
conference lasted. About 100 gold men we've
there. and the largeness of their number
gave them some encouragement at the ont
set.
GrnJ Of Tlf1o
chairman. There was no lack of oratory.
for Hon. John r. Fellows of New Yori,
one OF the most brilliant speakers in tbe
country, addressed the meeting at length.
In beautiful word picture he painted the
disaster that was sure to follow If the
aeniocratic convention insisted in pursu-
ing the course the majority of its mem
bershiD had marked out. He spoke of the
loyalty of the New York democracy and
Its grand record of the past, but warned
those present from other parts of the
country that the sturdy allegiance of the
party IN that state would be sorely tried
II II were compelled to support a ticket
that represented all that New York thought
was unsafe and unsound.
Fear OF Southern Democrats.
Ihere was natural indisposition among
those present to tell what was said by the
various speakers, for the reason that the
gathering was called to enable the gold
with the sentiment that prevailed in the
various sections of the country In ac-
comprising this plain language was used
no men We're urged TO give the unyarn!shed
truth regarding the situation in their states
ljurlng this Interchange of views it was ap-
parent from the tone of the men from the
south that there was a strong fear that If
free-silVer candidate on free-silyer
PLATFORM We're nominated, the democracy
would lose several of those states; especiaI-
ly was this claimed to be true of some of
the border states of Maryland, West yir-
ginia and Kentucky. Tennessee was also
represented to be dangerous ground.
Flower Threatens to Bolt,
A number of the me-. from the southern
states and not an inconsiderable number
from the east, We're in favor OF boitinf. tho
ticket, but this subject was not referred ia
by such men as Mr.. Whitney, Mr. Harrity
and Mr.. Dickinson. EX-Gov. Flower was
little more outspoleen. He declared that
he did not propose to be bound in his no.
litical conduct by The doctrines of the popn-
list party, and If the democratic party saw
mt to adopt platform and name cand1-
date who was pledged to the cardinal
principles of that party he, for one, did not
propose to support IT. This outspoken state
ment from SO prominent democrat was
seized at once by others less known In tho
! pafty's counsels as declara ton of a bolt.
and some one asked Senator Hill what he
had to say on the subject
| Hill Eoncommittal.
| The senator took the edge off the 70
mark of his distinguished colleague by
| simply saying that it had always been
his plan in political campaigns not to bcr-
row trouble and never to cross a bridge I'm :
| til he reached it, This rather non-com-
initial answer was taken as an intimation
| that the senator was not prepared to saw
that he would bolt.
From other sections came the positive
declaration that the integrity of the party
and the honor. of its representatives do
manded that the minority of the conven-
| ton give the people an opportunity to ex-
| press their sentiments at the polls by yot-
| ing q democratic ticket that was in con-
sonance with the traditions of the party
| which had always stood for the best money
| that the government could provide.
| There is no denying the fact that the out
cropping of a desire to see q bolt was mani
| fest but to what extent it may develop Is
matter for conjecture only. Tho leaders
will not admit that possible bolt exists,
| even in embryo, but they do state that the
gold men are intensely in earnest and have
by no means given up the fight. One Of the
| most prominent n!t;I tat THIS conference
| after 1t was over. stated that the anti-sil-
| yer men had not underestimate the
| strength of the silver element, but hoped
that they would still listen to reason and the
arguments that the gold-standard men
| would advance.
|