Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-20
STRONG FOR SILVER
Last Nights Meeting at Har-
per's Theatre.
BIMETALLIC BRANCH Is FORMED

ers Dlscuss the Great leeuo OF tue hour
Capt. a. p. Petrie, C. X. Ladd ard
Others Pearl In Eloquence and Logic. |
Silver notes in accent strong were
sounded at Harper's theatre last
evening.
The purpose of the meeting. which
in attendance jsmmed the house to
the doors, was the formation in
Rock Island of a branch Of the
American Bimetallic league. and in
cidental to the organization men Of
distinction in all branches OF politi
cal utilization told why they were
ready to stand for common cause.
Prior 20 the meeting there was q
procession from the Bryan club quar-
ters over 1912 Second avenue to the
theatre. Bleuers band led the way
down Second avenue followed by the
speakers of the evening, the Bryan
club and others.
On the stage at the theatre promi-
nent among others were seated: E. H.
Guyer, William McEniry. c. b.
Marshall, NJ. NJ. Briggs, T.. H.
Ellis and L. II. Witherell. of this
city; DR.. j. W. Morgan. W. c. Allen
and Ii. A. Barnard, of Moline; Capt.
A. z. Petrie and Gen. A. j. Streeter,
of New Windsor: G.. X. Ladd, of Ke-
vance; and l.. Ii. Stillwell, of White
side county. E. II. Guyer called the
meeting to order and in doing so ex-
pressed his qualification over the
enthusiastic audience. The inter-
est of the people in the national
issues before them. he said, was
greater than it had been for
Isl years. A great paradox
was confronting us in a country
of abundant resources and an ener-
igetic and frugal people. a country
with railroad mileage equal to all
Europe. with manufactures greater
than those of France, England and
Germany combined. Yet in this
country destitution appears on every
band. He detailed the losses to the
farmer on the products of his toll
under the contracting currency sys-
tenn now in vogue. and presented ag-
ricultuTal statistics to sustain his
argument. With such abundant re-
sources and Yet such want and des-
titutioD, something is wrong with
the scales when labor cannot get its
due. The meeting was called, Mr..
Guyer said. to form branch of the
American Bimetallic league, an or
ganization constituted fer a calm and
logical discussion of the issues and
leaving the monopoly of venomous
abuse to the other side. With the
consent Of the audience he therefore
appointed committee OF three TO
report the plan Of an organization
later in the evening, naming as such
committee, j. II. Morrison, DR.. j.
w. Morgan and G. o. Linn. Mr..
Guyer spoke OF his attendance upon
the silver convention at ST. Louis
where there were LOO delegates, 90
per cent Of which we're upon poll
found to be republicans. Mr.. Guyer
then introduced Capt. A. p. Petrie,
OF Mercer county. as a man who was
true to the convictions of Lincoln,
Blaine and Logan.
Capt. Petrie speaks.
Capt. Petrie said it was his first
Experience here on democratic plat
form. He had first voted the repu bill
can ticket in 1853 and he had consist
emily voted il until now. He referred
to the contraction Of the currency as
the natural consequence of the de-
monetization OF silver, and the man.
ner in which the resulting condi-
tions were bearing on labor and the
wealth producing classes was con-
vincing evidence that something was
| hot LII
more than its share. He spoke of
his devotion tc republican princi Piles
through long years and the final
coming to the parting of the WAYS.
He was not there to abuse the repu B.
lican party or to praise the demo-
cratic party. He had come as an
honest man to express the honest
dictates of an h nest heart. He re-
ferred TO his last presence in a re-
publican convention. the one at
Galva which nominated George W.
Prince. the successor To the patriot,
Gen. Post. who throughout his con-
greseional career had been the stead
last advocate of and worker for the
reconciliation of silver The peo-
pie of the United States are bimetal.
lists. The republican party had
made its declaration to accomplish
that end eight years ago and
four years ago. but at the
late St. Louis convention it had
abandoned in its platform pledges
its time honored principles. En-
tering into a discussion of the
coinsge question he challenged a
gold standard man to point out any
gold country where the rich had not
grown richer and the poor poorer.
J and he challenged any gold standard
man to prove that in a country where
the single gold standard existed,
poverty, degradation. crime and sur
eide were not the prevailing condi-
tions. 1t lakes twice the products
today to pay off the mortgages Int
it did 20 years ago. and the speaker
cited the five products OF American
agriculture, cotton. corn, wheat,
oats and hay as illustrative of the
depreciation in the fruits OF hus-
baudry. He further spoke Of the
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