Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1896-09-02
so,,nd Moneu COmrentiom.

The safe Convention Of West Virginia
Sound Money Democrats was held ia Wheel
ing on Saturday last aud attended by be
tween three and four hundred delegates
Oft the Intelligencer says: st was body
Of more than three hundred earnest, sub
s,antial intellectual citizens, representing
thirty five counties OF the State, who were
acting on the dictates of their cousciences,
men who believe in the timehouored prin'
ciples Of the psrty in which they were bora
and reared" Those who attended, says the
same paper, "were impressed with its char
acter as well as with the intense earnestness
which characterized all the proceedings"
Ex-Attoruey. Genera caldwell called the
Convention to order, and addressed it brief
~ and earnestly. Concluding he named as
temporary chairman Mr. Benjamin Trapnell,
of Charleston, Kauawha-a native of this
town. The InteIligencer says:
Nlessrs. Henry NJ. Russell, of Ohio and Wes-
tenhaver of Berkeley, were chosen to escort
Mr. Trapnell 10 the chair. The latter IS a
Young man of striking appearance and address.
His speech on assuming the chair was a clean
cnt and eloquent exposition of the issue OF the
campaign aud the situation that cOnironts the
true Jefferson Democracy OF West Virginia ana
the nation. Mr.. Trapnell expressed his deep
appreciation Of the honor conferred by the
convention and hoped not 10 fall below the
standard demanded of such an Intelligent and
earnest body of men. The conditions of the
present campaign, he said. are without prece-
dent and he hoped never to see anything like
them again. Four years ago the Democratic
party appealed 20 the country and elected one of
the greatest latter day opponents OF JeiferSoni-
an Democracy, Grover Cleveland. (Appause.)
What has followed Four years OF chickering's
and personal jealouSies that we would forget
If we could. Continuing, Mr. Trapnell said {:
Under the influence of these heresies con-
vention assembled at Chicago which was the
apparent product of the ordinary party ma
cbinerv but which speedily proved itself re-
creant and apOstate from the cardinal doctrines
of the Democratic faith a cabal OF PopuliSts
and renegade Republicans was plotting in the
background aud the convention showed its
sympathy with these alien elements by repu-
dating the administration of the only leader
under whom they had achieved success for
more than thirty years, and by denouncing
the efforts to maintain our national honor,
which were made by him and his great fnan-
cial minister, John g. Carlisle Great APP
plause) The convention was poisoned by the
virus of sectionalsm injected by the blatant
Tllman. Ii was dominated by the demon of
anarchy. which stalked incarnate in the per-
son of an Altgeld and liz fabricated misshap
pen spectre of. lawlesSness, reputation and
dishonor. before which every true American
must bow his head in shame When they were
drunk with the contemplation of the wild mis-
chief which they had promised for the future
the trmpter appeared before them with an in
sidious appeal TO prejudice, to anlmositieS of
race against race aud OF class against class and
TO the jealousy felt by the unthriity toward the
prosperous.
Under this inspiration they htly completed
their work by nominating for the presidency
a man wholly inexperienced in public affairs,
who. whatever may be said of his honesty Of
purpose, is Theatrical, spectacular and all for
empty sound and show in his every act and
every instinct. He boastfuliy declared that he
would march into the heart of the enemy's
country 10 receive formal notification of the
choice of the convention and when he arrived
there and stood in the very shadow Of that
Wall street which for years he had been de-
nounciug in words of fire, the man Shrunk to
bis true proportions He descended to
criuging wheedhng apology for himself and
his principles he drOned out a wearisome
mass If plaitudes and economic fallacies,
which as compared with the meat of wild de-
INNOVATIONS and reckless promises that he had
served up to his western hearers, was as milk
for babes but the milk had been sOured Dy
The thunder of his speech that won him his
nomination 40 Chicago (Appausej
To the awful shock which the Chicago plat
form gave % the moral sense OF all true Demo-
Gratis. the Chicago candidate has added the
pains OF humiliation and digust In this
emergency il was the obvious and imperative
Itn hs.fN To flra fnnfta
Democratic faith to desert this man and stamp
out the policies which he advocates. The read
lest means to this end was 10 vote for his Re
publican opponent but TO this course grave
obstacles 20 once presented themselves. The
Republican party has indeed declared itself for
sound money aud the national honor, But it
also stands for many policies which we regard
as inimical TO the public welfare, and which
for many years we have opposed, with varying
success, bat always without tlinching. APP
plausel
To meet this grave emergency a conference
was held, composed of many of our best, tried
aud most trusted leaders. As result of their
deibcratiOn a national convention has been
called % announce once more the true Demo-
c.alic faith TO declare our unhending allegi
auce TO 10, and tc put forward duly accredited
champions Of the cause iGr tha coming cam
paigu We are TO declare our answering dc
termination to maintain monetary system in
which every dollar shall be equally acceptable
and equally valuable 10 rich and poor, TO debt
or and creditor alike; not because the govern
ment has stamped 10 and endowed 10 with the
debt-paviug power of q dollar. but because the
honor and manhood of the American people
have made 10 worth one hundred cents, either
In its own substance or in that with which
they stand ready and able 10 redeem IL upon
demand.
I've are now to raise a banner and to in
scribe thereon i'm ineilaceable letters the princi
pies of projection TO life, liberty and property
% the right of private contract and the sanctl-
" of private faith; of equal and exact justice
between man and man aud of national honor
raised high above the assaults of experiment
aud theory however safe or plausible they may
appear 1t may be that 10 the minimizing OBJ
server after the election it will appear that We
have fallen in the struggle, but we shall not
falter until we have planted this banner upon
the tOpmOSt pinnacle of our rative mountains;
and then when the mistS of error have been
dis,ipated and the wave of madness which
has swept over the land has been hurled back,
to leave our institutions as firm and uush iken
as ever. the chastened ald purified hosts of
v ost Virginia Democracy will rally TO that
banner and bear it forward 10 en impcrishable
triumph" As Mr. Trapne.l concluded his
eloquent address, the convention, which seem
ed thoroughly imbued with the sentiments so
forcelully presented by the speaker, went wild
with its enthusiasml
DR.. L. NJ. Turner, ex President of the
West Virginia University, was made perma-
nent chairman, and Messrs. w II. Wilson
and J. d. Baines were appointed a commit
tee to escort him to the chair Upon taking