The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-23
NO OTHER sUBJ1sCr ToUCHEn ON
zx THE isILvEM 5eAHTxsa
PLATFORM
SILVER AT SIXTEEN TO ONE
PRESENTER AS THE BASIS OF
FAITH OF THn NEW
PARTxs
EN-. WEAVER WAS VOTED DOWN.
HIS Desire Was to Adopt the Plank
Prepared by tho Washington
COnferencea

81. LOUIS, July zZ.-Tne cOmmlttee
on resolutions of the silver convention
met tonight and subcommittee was
appointed to consider the platform
passed at the Washington bimetallic
conference, In January last. There
was q hard fight on the part of Gen.
Warner, the Ohio member, for the In
dorsement Of the conference silver
plank in toto, but by vote Of 16 to 5,
the subcommittee was instructed to
report the following platform:
The National Silver party, in conven-
tion assembled, hereby accepts the fol-
lowing declaration Of principles.
First-The paramount issue at this time in
the United States Is indisputahly the money
question. It is between the gold standard gold
bonds and bank currency on the one side, and
the bimetallic standard, no bonds and govern
ment currency on the other. On this issue we
declare ourselves to be in favor of distinc-
lively American financial system. We are I'M
alterably opposed to the single gold standard
and demand the immediate return to the con-
stitutfonal standard Of gold and silver, by the
restoration by this government, independently
of any foreign power, of the unrestricted coin
age OF both gold and silver into standard
money at the ratio of 16 to l. and upon terms
Of exact equality as they existed prior to 1873,
the silver coin to be full legal tender equally
with gold for all debts and dues. public and
private, and We favor such legislation as will
prevent for the future the decentralization of
any KIND OF legal tender money by private
contract. We hold that the power to control
ana regulate paper currency is tnseparable
from the power to coin money, and hence that
all currency intended to circulate as money
should be issued and it's volume controlled
py the general government only and should be
the issue by the United States of interest bear
Ing ponds in time Of peace, and we denounce
as blunder worse than a crime the present
treasury policy concurred in by Republican
q vrv1fr r. d1Iz+
nundreds OF millions in the vain attempt to
maintain the gold standard by borrowing
goid, and we demand the payment of all coin
obligations of the United States, as provided
py existing laws, IN either gold or silver coin.
at the option of the government and not at the
option of the creditor.
Second-That over and above ell other
questions of policy we are in favor OF re-
storing to the people of the United States
the time honored money of the constitution
goid and silver, not one but both-the money
OF Washington and Hamilton and Jefferson
Monroe, Jackson and Lincoln to the end
that the American people may receive honest
product. that the American debtor NAV paw
his Just obligations in an honest standard
and not In standard that has appreciated
100 per cent above all the great staples of
our country, and to the end, further that
silver standard countries may be deprived of
the unjust advantage they now enjoy in the
difference IN exchange between gold and sill
yer an advantage which tariff legislation
alone cannot overcome. We therefore conf
IDENTIFY appeal to the people of the United
States to leave In abeyance for the moment
all other questions, however important and
even momentous they may appear, to sunder
II need be, all former party ties and affllia-
tons, and unite In one supreme effort to
free themselves and their children from the
domination OF the money power, power
more destructive than any which has ever
been fastened upon the civilized men of any
race or in any age And upon the consum-
nation of our desires and efforts we invoke
the gracious favor of Divine Providence.
The platform which Gen. Warner sought
to have recommended reeiteds that 1t had been
adopted at the Washington conference. which
called the present convention, and the Dem
ocratic party had incorporated 1t as plank
in it's platform, in accordance herewith and
further set forth that the Silver party's plat
form should indorse both the Democratic
platform and nominees.
Judge C. r. Scott, of Nebraska, was
on his feet Immediately and offered the
platform above as a substitute. DR..
Frank Powell, of Wisconsin, made a
speech, strongly urging the adoption of
the substitute, as a distinct silver party
platform. He said that many silver
Republicans would not vote for the
Warner platform, inasmuch as the
Democratic party had passed 1t, and on
that account would be prejudiced
against it. He was followed by G. w.
Baker, of California, who contended
that the Democratic candidates would
be indorsed and that was as much as
the Democrats should insist upon. The
silver party platform dealt with none
but the financial issues, and the Re-
publicans with silver inclinations,
would not vote for platform made up
from the one in question Gen. War
ner said the Democrats adopted prac-
tically the same platform as the con-
ference at Washington and the only
change was in the phraseology. 1t had
been adopted to unity the Democrats
and all silverites, and In his Judgment
the Democratic platform should be i'm
dorsed.
There were several other speakers
along the same lines when Judge Scott
made the motion that Subcommittee
of five be appointed and instructed to
report as indicated, and his motion was
agreed to. The same subcommittee
was authorized to issue an address to
the citizens of the United States ex-
planning the attitude of the silver party.
The committee appointed was: c. w.
Baker, of California; w. HI. Harvey, of
Illinois; Judge c. r. Scott, Of Nebraska;
c.. w. Thompson, of Washington; Hal
let Kilbourne. of Washington, and DIR.
Frank Powell, of Wisconsin.