The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-07-10
Report Which the Gold Men
Presented to the Convention
as Substitute.
Some of the Declarations of the
Majority Unnecessary, 9th
ers Ambiguous.
General Dissent on Platform as a
Whole, and Special Dissent
Oh Money.

Following is the report of the minor.
lty of the committee on resolutions, pre-
sented by Senator David B. Hill:
TO the Democratic National Convention:
Sixteen delegates constituting the mi.
nority of the committee on resolutions,
find man. declarations in the report of the
majority to which they cannot give their
assent. Some Of these are wholly unnec.
esSary Some are i'll considered and am.
b%iguously phraScd, while others are ex.
IRENE and revolutionary of the we'll rec,
ognized principles of the party. The mi,
nority content themselves with this gen,
eral expression of their dissent without
going into Il specific statement of these
objectionable features of the report of the
majority.
But upon the financial question which
engages at this time the chief share of pub
lie attention the views of the majority
differ so fundamentally from what the
minority regard as vital Democratic doc,
trine as to demand a distinct statement of
h they hold to as the only just and
true expression of Democratic faith upon
this paramount issue. as follows, which is
offered as Il substitute for the financial
planks in the majority report.
1--WE declare our belief that the expert
ment on the part of the United states
alone of free silver coinage, and a change
of the existing standard of value. indie,
p~endently of the action of other great
nations, would not only imperil cur
finances, but would retard or entirely pre-
vent the establishment of international
bimetallism, to which the efforts of the
government should be speedily directed.
1t would place this unit at once upon
IA silver basis, impair contracts, disturb
business, diminish the purchasing power
of the wages of labor. and inflict irrep-
arabic evils upon our nations
and industry.
Until international cooperation among
leading nations for the free coinage of
silver can be secured, we favor the rigid
maintenance of the existing gold standard
as essential to the preservation of our ma
tional credit, the redemption of our public
pledges and the keeping inviolate of our
%cOuntry'S honor. We insist that all our
paper and silver currency shall be kept
absolutely at II parity with gold. The
Democratic party is the party of hard
money and is opposed to legal tender
paper money as part of our permanent
financial system, and we therefore favor
the gradual retirement and cancellation of
all Cnites notes and treasury notes
under, such legislative provisions
as will prevent undue contrac-
tor. We demand that the national credit
shall be resolutely maintained at all times
and under all circumstances"
The minority also feel that the report of
the majority is defective in failing to
make any recognition of the honesty.
economy, courage and fidelity of the pres
ent Democratic administration. and they
therefore offer the following as an amend
ment to the majority report:
1--WE commend the honesty, economy,
courage and fidelity of the present Demo.
cratic administrations
The report was signed by David B.
Hill, New York William F. Villas,
Wisconsin; George Gray, Delaware
John Prentiss Poe, Maryland Irving
W. Drew, New Hampshire G. o. Hol.
man, Maine; P. J. Farrell. Vermont
Lynde Harrison, Connecticut David F.
Baker. Rhode Island Thomas A. C.
Weadock, Michigan james E.O'Brien,
Minnesota; John E. Russell, Massa.
chusetts; Robert E. Wright, Pennsyl.
vania William r. Steele. South Da-
kota; Allen A. McDermott. New Jer-
sey Charles o. Rogers, Alaska.
Senator Hill also offered the follow
ing amendments to the platform and
moved their adoption:
(Amendment.) But it should be care
fully provided by law at the same time
that any change In the monetary stand,
ard should not apply to existing contracts
(Amendment.) Our advocacy of the
free coinage Of silver being based on the be
lief that such coinage will effect and
maintain a parity between gold and sill,
yer at the ratio of Is to l, we declare, ~ a
pledge of our sincerity, that if such free
coinage shall fail to effect such parity
within one year from it's enactment by
law, such coinage shall t%hereupon be