The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-28
INTERESTING BIQ0F HISTORY
Origin Of the Pree.SilVer Party 10 tM
United States.
WORK OF NINE OWNERS YEARS Ioa
Fost<red by Their Agents and by Their
Misguided Dupes and eliminated In
Chicago by the Nomination of VIM.
Jennings Bryan Tor President.

Newspaper readers will remember that
for several years past various news
papers have advocated the obliteration
Of party lines and that all persons who
believed in free silver should sever their
connections with the old parties and or
sanize new national party with free
silver as the one leading issue.
This thing was time and again preach
ed in Richmond by the Star newspaper,
which recently went out OF existence.
and it is interesting to note that few
days before the end came the Star, In re-
viewing It's WORK in inns community.
spoke OF the reforms 1t had accompilsil-
cd, ana referred with pride to the tact
Cfor 1t is u facO. that the Chicago plat
form was the embodiment Of the Star 5
political views. the yindication OF rs
political course. and the consummation OF
It's dcvout wishes.
About "a month ago information was
received I'm this city from 4 well-knowh
northern correspondent, saying that II
had leaked out IN newspaper circles that
movement or no unpretentious proper
tions was started by the owners o:
silver mines several years ago. with a
view TO organizing national party
whose one great aim WOULD be TO secure
the ffco coinage of silver. And 1t was
further stated that the nominee OF that
party was 70 he William Jennings Bryan.
FROM MONTANA TO HANNA.
1t was believed by tho northern cor
respondent that valuable information
bearing on this subject was to be obtain
nI a., HfgI. NJ ...ts
men in this city have been at work ON
the story, but up 10 this time have been
unable TO verify IL. Curiously enough.
however. the following was printed la
the New York Journal tof Monday lasu,
the great national organ OF the silver
ties:
"A dispatch from Montana to Mr..
Hanna conveys a story TO the effect that
several years ago the men who are now
leading tho Republican wing OF the Free
Silver party held a secret conference IN
Montana for the purpose of agreeing on
a plan for destroying both OF the old
parties and formulating a Frcc-Silver
Coinage party. There were English mine
owners and other foreign capitalists pres
ent and they contributed materially to
the campaign of organization and edu-
cation at that time begun. and which
eliminated in the nomination OF Mr..
Bryan at Chicago last July"
DISCUSSED AT CHICAGO.
This question was openly discussed at
the Chicago Convention. and Richmond
newspaper men. who were there say that
II was well understood among ;he sill
verlies that II the gold delegates should
bolt the convention, The silver delegates
would then and there organize Ma
tiona Silver party. and go before the
country on that issue. However, accord
ing 10 their information. Mr Bryan was
not TO be the candidate. but Senator
Teller was the man selected TO lead the
party 10 victory.
Put all those stories together, and you
have the why's and wherefores OF tho
Chicago platform. II was not an acci-
dent that the convention declared for
free silver and Populistic measures. Tie
whole scheme was evidently outlined long
before the convention met. and 1t was
determined 10 make such a platform as
all classes Of silver men could stand
thereon. Az the Journals correspondent
so aptly puts IT, this scheme OF the mine
owners. which was laid years ago cul-
minated in the nomination OF w. J.
HrVan