Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-24
SILVER THREADS AMONG THE GOLD
The Minority Seemed to Have Most of the
Enthusiasm.

Iac 0ulaOr1by 0o0lu6Q 10 I1db0 IuOSb Vi b1O
Enthusiasm.
Milwaukee, Wis, June 23.-The Bijou
opera house was crowded to the doors
this morning long before IL o'clock, the
time set for calling the state democratic
! convention to order. Upon the stage
were gathered the old time leaders, Sena-
| tor Villas. General Bragg, w. c. Silver
thorn, Thomas B. Barton and other nota-
| bles, who were cheered as they took their
seats
| At II o'clock promptly Ex-Governor
| Peck, chairman of the state central COM
| mittee, read the call and introduced
| Thomas F. Frawley of Eau Claire to act
as temporary chairman. Mr.. Frawley
| was received with cheers.
After the address the usual committees
were appointed. In all cases the selec-
| ton of district conventions held early
| this morning were indorsed. These pre-
| liminary conventions indicated clearly
| that the gold men had full control of the
| convention and that sound money plat
| form will result.
| Senator Villas, General Bragg and
James Flanders have been agreed upon
as delegates at large. There is a fight
| for fourth place, with chances in favor
of Ex-Speaker Hogan of Lacrosse. All
are sound money men.
The chief interest in these committees
was centered in that on resolutions. The
| only enthusiasm manifested was when
| the name of some well known advocate
| of free silver coinage at ratio of 16 to 1
| was reported. Especially was this the
| case when the name of w. c. Silverthorn
| of Wausau was announced to represent
| the Ninth district. Everybody seemed
| to know he was for silver and there was
| enthusiastic applause at the mention of
his name.
| After this the convention took recess
until 2:30 o'clock. During the recess the
free silver men, to the number of about
| sixty, held a caucus. 1t was resolved to
make fight for two of the delegates at
| large and to prevent If possible, an out
| right declaration for the gold standard
| in the platform.
l. When the convention reassembled two
| reports from the committee ON resolu-
| tions were presented. The majority is as
follows:
I'VE, the democrats of Wisconsin, in
state convention assembled, indorse the
| wise and patriotic administration of
| President Cleveland We commend the
course in congress of our able sena tors,
/ William F. Villas and John l.. Mitchell,
| in their faithful adherence to the princi-
| pie of the democrats of Wisconsin. We
| believe thai a tariff for revenue only
| would extend American commerce to the
uttermoSt parts of the earth, and un-
| trammeled industry would advance our
| country to the foremost place among ma
| tions. We are, therefore, firm In our ad-
| herence to the doctrine enunciated by the
| last national democratic convention, that
| this government should impose no tariff
| taxes except for revenue.
I'VE believe that the demands of COM
merce built upon the broad and enlight-
ened doctrine of free trade requires a cur
| rency that cannot be discredited in any
| civilized country.
"Realizing this logical demand for the
best money for international trade, realiz-
ing also the dangers of fiat currency in
domestic use, and aware that the present
condition of commercial distress calls for
| the patriotic and sturdy maintenance of
national honor and financial integrity, we
declare ourselves opposed to the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and in favor
of gold, the highest monetary standard of
the world.
I'VE hereby direct the delegates from
Wisconsin to the national democratic con-
vention to be held in Chicago July Z next
to vote as a unit on all subjects and can
didates when and as a majority of the
delegation may direct"
The minority report was as follows:
The committee on resolutions, by the
undersigned minority, begs leave to re-
port as follows:
Resolved, That we reaffirm the plat
form of the last national democratic con-
vention, and particularly upon the sub
ject of coinage, believing that fair in
unlimited coinage of both silver and gold
as lsgal tender money of the country.
w. c. SILVERTHORN,
c.. e. ARMIN,
THOMAS F. HAYDEN,
r. c. FALCONER.
The delegates reassembled at 1855 p. m.
The report of the credentials commit
tee gave the silver men one more cham
pon on the floor, Judge Mallory of Mil
waukee being seated as proxy.
The committee on permanent organiZa-
ton reported in favor of. making the tenn
porary organization permanent. Car
ried.
When Mr., Usher from the committee
on resolutions read the majority report
the names of Cleveland Villas and Mitch
ell were cheered to the echo, and there
were also loud cheers at the financial
part.
When Mr.. Silverthorn took the floor to
read the minority report the cheers
broke louder than ever and his friends
demonstrated that they had wonderful
lung power. He called the leaders of
both parties protoplastic prevaricators.
Loud cries for Villas followed and a
perfect pandemonium of applause greet
ed the suggestion. The senator took the
platform in response to the cheers, which
continued for some moments and made
stirring appeal for the gold standard.
Speeches followed by Delegate Dockery
of Ashland for silver, Louis j. Bohmrich
of kenOSna Tor a Strduule on the Hndnc1al
question and General Bragg for gold.
The minority report was then rejected
--217 to 129-and the majority report
unanimously passed.
The delegates at large selected are:
Senator William f. Villas, Gen. Edward
S. Bragg, James G. Flanders of Milwau=
kee and James J. Hogan of Lacrosse.
At 6 o'clock the convention adjourned
sine die.
DOUBLE -Barreled Democracy.
Austin, Tex, June 23.-The state sound
money democratic convention and the
regular democratic convention met here
this forenoon. The first in the opera
house, with about 400 delegates present,
and the latter in the convention hall,
with about loo in attendance. The sound
money men met at II o'clock and organ
lied by electing Ex-Congressman e. L.
Anthony chairman. George Clark ad-
dressed the convention, strongly advo-
eating sound money and advising that
the free silver wing be utterly ignored.
1t was determined to elect delegates to
the Chicago convention. and after the
appointment of committees on platform
q nd resolution the convention adjourned