Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-07-02

maintenance of so-called 'sound money"
and placed themselves on record as OPP
posing the free and unlimited coinage of
silver They instructed their twenty
four delegates to Chicago to vote as a
unit upon all subjects and candidates,
and reaffirmed the Democratic doctrine
of a tariff for revenue.
Interesting Convention.
Ii was the most interesting Demo
cratic state convention held in Wiscon-
sin since 1890, when there was a seram-
bic for every place on the ticket. Ihe
silver men made a hot fight, demonstrate
credited with. The sound money men
had the organization, and this was
great point in their favor 1t it had
not been for this fact they would have
been unable to have secured majority
report in the committee on resolutions.
OF the eleven members of the commit
tee six were for sound money and five
for silver.
Majority and minority reports were
made, and this brought the battle of
the standards to the floor of the conven-
ton The debate was spirited. Silver
was championed by w. c.. Silverthorn
of Wausau, e. J. Docsery of Ashland
Senator William +. Villas and Gen.
Bragg made the arguments for sound
: money. The first speech was made by
Mr.. Silverthorn, who presented the mi
nority report, asking for free silver. TIL
report was signed by Mr.. Silverthorn,
C. e: Armin of Waukesha. r: G. Falcon
er Of Portage and Thomas r; Hayden
of Milwaukee. Judge Bohmrich was OPP
posed to gold, but did not sign the re-
port saying it was too radical. The
majority report, declaring for sound
money, was presented by Ellis B. Usher
of La Crosse. It was signed by Mr.
Usher, George Crawford of Iowa coun-
Il. Park of Stevens Point David Doble
of Superior and J. M. Morrow of Mon
roe.
Mr.. Silverthorn Speaks.
The silver men cheered loudly when
Ar. Silverthorn took the platform. He
said he believed the minority report ex-
pressed the opinion of the majority Of
the Democrats of the country. They
did not believe conditions had SO changed
as to require a new platform; the plat
forms of the past were good enough.
The leaders of both the Democratic and
the Republican parties had misinter
preted the platforms of 1892. Mr.. Silver
thorn said common sense demanded that
the coinage question should have been
settled long before this. 1t was Il ques-
zion that any board of supervisors in
Wisconsin could settle fairly
Mr. Silyerthorn caused a sensation
when he declared that the leaders Of the
party, not the party itself, had gone
wrong on the money question. The ad-
ding at Wisconsin's senior senator and
Kisses and cries of "No, no!' followed
the statement, while the silverites
cheered again and again.
Continuing, Mr.. Silverthorn said that
when the leaders went wrong the parties
fDIl,
clusion, he said he could answer the
question of what should be done with the
eA-presidents. LET us put Them he
said, Eat work at some private occupa-
ton. like raising cranberries in New Jer-
SEW Nv
land brought laughter and applause from
GlVerthorn's followers, while the sound
money men restrained themselves. but
2ooked very angry. Before Mr.. Silver
thorn returned to his seat there were
loud calls from all parts of the House
for Senator Villas.
Senator Villas Makes Reply.
With flashing eyes the senator mount
ed the platform. and his manner showed
that he intended to resent the filings of
the silver leader. This was confremd by
Sstuator Villas first words, for he said:
The time has not yet come when l
fear to stand before the Democrats of
L
their faces. 1t is pleasure to me to
stand before party such as the Demo-
cratic party of Wisconsin has been, is
aow, and, if it pleases God, ever shall
5e, party which knows it's opinions,
ana n party which is never afraid to ex-
press them openly
Continuing. Senator Villas said he stood
before the Democrats of Wisconsin to
ask them if he had misrepresented them.
Said he:
IF there is anything upon which the
Democratic party of Wisconsin has been
more plain, more faithful, more unmis-
taxable and more democratic, it is in
tho doctrine that we should be open
and fair with the people of this country,
and~aneyer under any circumstances has
The Wisconsin Democracy misinterpreted
or misconstrued the principles which it
has enunciated.'
Z, Senator Villas charged the present agi-
tation for cheap money to the protective \
demands of the silver mining states.
They, he said wanted to change to a
oliver dollar, which was only worth half
as much as the standard dollar of the
United States.
when he asserted that the price of
human labor had materially advanced
since the time a gold basis was estab-
2ished there was loud applause. In clos
ing Sepator Villas appealed TO the con-
vention to stand by the time-honored
principles Oh w lSCoISli bcthotldSS W
a,eqefring the majority report.
n. J. Dockerry of Ashland then spoke
sm the minority report. Mr.. Dockery
reviewed the legislation which resulted
In the demonstration of silver in 1873.
prva read extracts from speeches made
by the late Allen G. Thurman and Sem
ator Allison in support of his assertion
that silver was stricken 1 down seer cert thy:
from the silver men, who.
while in the minority, succeeded in max
ing much more noise than the honest
raSney men.
.udge Louis G. Bohmrich of Kenosha
spoke kindly of Senator Villas and his
services for the party, but said he could
n,as subscribe to the single gold standard
,iiactrine 1t was not Democratic but.
he commended, the common people de-
mand the remonetizatio ton of silver. Judge
Rohmrich said he was not in favor of
the free and unlimited coinage Of silver
at the ratio of 16 to L. The ratio should
be decided upon later.
Ovation for Bragg.
The greatest ovation of the convention