The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-15
THE PLATFORM ADOPTED
SENATOR TlLLMAN OPENS THE DE-
BATE FOR THE SILVERlTES.


The Platform Adopted by Vote or 6*s to
eOt-Tbe Convention Refuses to Endorse
the Administration by 5Gt to 35S-Can-
didates Nominated.
CHICAGO, July 9.-The convention
was called to order today at II o'clock.
After prayer Representative Richard
son was called to the chair by Presi
dent White. Senator Jones, chairman
of the committee on resolutions, read
the platform as published elsewhere
which was adopted. AS he finished
the platform, Senator Jones said tha1
at the request of the minority of the
committee On resolutions he woulC
now present certain amendments thai
were proposed by the minority, also
two amendments that would be pro
posed by Senator Hill of New York
All of them would now be read, after
which by agreement, two hours ano
forty minutes would be allowed for de
bate. He hoped the convention woulo
listen patiently to what was to be reao
and said. The minority report was
thereupon read by one Of the secreta
ries of the convention, as follows:
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Tothe Democratic National Conven'
ton: Sixteen delegates. constituting
the minority of the committee. on res
olutions, find many declarations IN
. the report of the majority to which
they cannot give their assent. Some
of these are wholly unnecessary, some
are ill-considered and ambiguously
phrased, while others are extreme and
revolutionary of the well recognized
principles of the party.
The minority content themselves
with this general expression of their
dissent without going into a specific
statement of these Objectionable fea.
lures of the report of the majority.
But upon the final question, which
engages at this time the chief share OF
public attention, the views of the ma,
jority differ so fundamentally from
what the minority regard as vital
Democratic doctrine as to demand 9 9
distinct statement of what they hold
to as the only just and true expression
of Democratic faith upon this impor.
tant issue, as follows, which is offered
asa substitute for the financial report
Of the majority.
"We declare our belief that the ex.
perience on the part of the United
States alone of free silver coinage and
q change in the existing standard OF
value Independently of the action of
other great nations would not only
imperil our finances, but would retard
or entirely prevent the establishment
of international bimetallism, to which
the efforts of the government should
be steadily directed. It would place
this country at once upon silver ba-
sis, impair contracts, disturb business,
diminishing the purchasing power OF
the wages of labor and intlict irrepar-
able evils upon our nations common
sense and industry.
"Until International cooperation
among leading nations for the coin
age of silver can be secured, we favor
the rigid maintenance of the existing
gold standard as essentiary to the
preservation of our national credit,
the redemption of our public pledges.
and the keeping inviolate of our coun-
try's honor. We insist that all our
paper currency shall be kept at par
ity with gold. The Democratic party
is the party of hard money and is op-
posed to legal tender paper money as
part of our permanent financial sys.
tenn and we therefore favor the grad
ual retirement and cancellation of all
United States notes and treasury notes
under such legislative provisions as
will prevent undue contraction. We
demand that the national credit shall
be resolutely maintained at all times
and under all circumstances.
'"The minority also feel that the re-
port of the majority is defective in fail
iHg to make any recognition OF the hon.
esty, economy, courage and fidelity OF
the present Democratic administration
and they therefore, offer the follow
ing declaration as an amendment to
the majority report:
"We commend the honesty, econo
my, courage and fidelity of the pres
ent Democratic national administra,
ton.
'David B. Hill of New York, VIM.
F. Villas of Wisconsin, George Gray
of Delaware, John Prentiss Poe OF
Maryland, Irving w. Drew of New
Hampshire, G. o. Holman of Maine.
P. j. Farrell OF Vermont, Lynde Har'
rison of Connecticut, David N. Baker
of Rhode Island, L. 9. Weadock oi
Michigan, James o O'Brien of Minnesota
John E. Russell of Massachusetts,,
Robert E. Wright of Pennsylvania
William r. Steele of South Dakota,
Allan McDermott of New Jersey"
The amendment endorsing the ad
ministration of Cleveland as read by
the secretary was cheered.
Mr.. Whitney rose with the New
York delegation and Joined in the
cheering, but Mr.. Hill retained hi.
seat.
The amendments proposed to be of
fered by Senator Hill were then reat
as follows:
First amendment: "But that
should be carefully provided by Law
at the same time that any change il
the monetary standard should not ap
ply to existing contracts.
Second amendments: "Our advo
cacy of the Independent free coinag
of silver being based on the belief tina
such coinage will effect and maintain
parity between gold and silver at tn
ratio Of 16 to 1, we declare as a pledg
of our sincerity that ifsucn free coin
age shall fail to effect much parit.
within q wear from its enactment b,