The herald., 1896-07-23
AFTERNOON SESSION
st. John nade Permanent Chairman - The
Opening Address

Opening Address
ST. LOUIS, July 22.-It was o'clock
when the convention was called to or
der after the recess. There were about
800 people in the hall, including the dele
gates. A Kansas delegate n6ved that
the doorkeeper be instructed to admit
all the delegates to the Peoples party
convention. The motion prevailed. A
committee of three was appointed to
notify the Populists that they would be
admitted without tickets. The commit
tee on rules reported the order of bust
ness should be the receiving of the re-
port of the committee on credentials.
permanent organization, special COM
mittees, platform and resolutions, nom
ination of candidates, and that the rules
governing congress be used so far as
possible in the running of the conven-
tion. The report was adopted.
The committee on credentials reported
that there We're no contests and ap-
proved the credentials of all delegates,
and that all delegations be allowed to
cast full votes. The report was adopted.
The committee on permanent organi-
zation recommended that w. P. St.
John of New York be selected as per-
manent chairman; Charles a. Towne
of Minnesota to be chosen for vice
chairman. and r. e. Dearfendorfer of
Pennsylvania for secretary. The report
was received with cheers and adopted.
A committee was appointed to escort
Mr.. st. John to the platform. In taking
his place, Mr.. St. John was greeted
init T., foil
ST. JOHNS ADDRESS.
Gentlemen of the Convention: The
skill and efficiency of your labors in the
past have been rewarded by the adop-
ton of your demand for legislation by
, two great organizations of the people
namely, the Democracy and the Peoples
party. If now you are able to induce a
coalition of these two organizations for
the one purpose, the desired achievement
on behalf of the people will ensue.
Among the first principles in finance
Is that the value of each dollar expressed
in prices depends upon the total number
of dollars in circulation. The plane Of
prices is high when the number of dol
lars in circulation is great in proportion
to the number of things to be exchanged
by means of dollars, and low when the
dollars are proportionately uw. The
plane of prices at present and Gor some
time is and has been low. The increase
of our population at about 100000
year, scattered over our immense ter
ritory, calls for increasing exchanges,
and thereby demands an increasing
number of dollars in circulation The
increase in the number of dollars, when
dollars are confined to gold, is not sufli-
GENTLY rapid to meet the growth of our
exchanges. The consequence is grow
ing value Of dollars or a diminishing
value of everything else expressed in
dollars, which is to say, tendency to-
ward constantly declining prices.
The fountain head of our prosperity
has run dry. Our farmers all over the
country have endured the depression in
prices until they get about SS or 50 per
acre for an expenditure Of $40 per acre
and the like. Their credit at their coun-
try store is exhausted. The country
store ceases to order from city mer-
chants; the city merchant reduces his
demand upon the manufacturer. Man
ufactures are curtailed. The conse-
quence is that employees and all ele-
ments of labor are being discharged and
wages are lowered to those who con-
tinue in employment. The sufferings
of the farmers, who constitute nearly
one-half of our people, are thus enforced
upon city merchants, the manufacturer
and all forms of labor These combined
elements constitute the overwhelming
majority Of voters.