The San Francisco call., 1896-07-04
GOLD FORCES CONFER.
It Only Results in a Decision to
Appoint Subcommittee for
Missionary Work.


CHICAGO, ILL. July 3.-After all the
talk about the sensational happening that
might be expected from the conference of
the gold forces. led by William G. Whit
ney, the meeting tonight of Mr.. Whitney
and those who are with him in his en-
deavor to secure some concessions from
the triumphant silver men resulted in
nothing more than decision to appoint
sub-com mittees to do missionary work
with the incoming delegates.
For three hours Mr.. Whitney and the
gold men discussed the situation, and al
though frequent applause drifted out
into the corridors from the parlors where
they held their secre. session, there was
practically little developed to give hope
that the situation had undergone any
change, or that anything might be ex-
pected from the silver forces.
It was $50 o'clock when Mr.. Whitney's
cohorts assem- bled in a parlor of the Audi
torium and it was three hours later before
the doors were opened at the adjournment
of the meeting. Whatever of hope they
had at the beginning did not progress one
iota during the time the conference lasted.
About $50 gold men were there and the
largeness of their mum Der gave them some
encouragement at the outset.
Mr.. Whitney called them to order in a
short speech. He explained that the
meeting was the result of invitations
issued by him and said the purpose was
to have preliminary talk and secure re-
ports from the various States, with view
to getting at the general situation. At
his suggestion, Senator Gray of Delaware
was made permanent chairman of the
conference and Ben T. Cable of Illinois
and John A. Read of Pennsylvania were
elected secretaries.
The conference proceeded to its business
at once. The States were called alphabet
ically and somebody responded from
nearly every State. The gold men frankly
admitted after the conference that not all
the responses were from regularly elected
delegates to the convention, but all the
men who did respond were representative
of the sections for which they spoke,
Those who told of the local situations
were listened to attentively, and some of
the remarks were applauded.
There was no lack of oratory, for Hon.
John r. Fellows of New York, one of the
most brilliant speakers III the country, ad-
dressed the meeting at length. In beauti-
full word-picture he painted the disaster
that was sure to follow if the Democratic
Convention insisted in pursuing the
course the majority of its membership had
marked out. He spoke of the loyalty of
the New York Democracy and its grand
record OF the past, but warned those pres
ent from other parts of the country that
the sturdy allegiance of the party in that
State would be sorely tried if it was COM
PEELED to support ticket that represented
all that New York thought was unsafe and
unsound.
There 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
men to get acquainted with each other
and with the sentiment that prevailed in
the various sections of the country. In
accomplishing this plain language was
used, and men were urged to give the un-
vanished truth regarding the situation in
their States. During this interchange of
views it was apparent from the tone of the
men from the South that there was a
strong fear that if a free.silver candidate
on free-silver platform was nominated
the Democracy would lose several of those
States. Especially was this claimed 10 be
true of some of the border States of Mary
land, West Virginia and Kentucky. Ten
nessee was also represented to be in the
greatest danger.
A number of the men from the South
ern States and not an inconsiderable num-
Der from the East were in favor of boiling
the ticket, but this subject was not re-
ferred to by such men as Mr.. Whitnev.
Nv Hnfr ~ nd
ernor Flower was little more outspoken.
He declared that he did not propose to be
bound in his political conduct by the doc
trines of the Populist party, and if the
Democratic party saw fit to adopt plat
form and name candidate who was