The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-18
CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS.

CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS.
St. Louis, Jun 1S.-The convention be
gan it's work of today mt 10:30 O'clock
at which time President Thurston called
the body to order. Without waiting for
delegates to get into their seats, he in
troduced Rev. John II. Scott, colored
clergyman of Florida, who offered the
following invocation:
"Our Father, from whose hand the
centuries fall like grains of sand, we meet
today, united, loyal to our land and to
Thee. We thank Thee for all the bless
ings of life that are ours to enjoy and
we beseech Thee Thy blessings upon
our labOrs in this convention, and we ask
that all things that we do may be done
to Thy honor and glory. We ask these
things for the sake of Him who has
taught us in praying to say: Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread. Forgive our
trespasses as we forgive those who tres
pass against us. Lead us not into temp
tation. but deliver us from evil, for Thine
is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever. Amen.
The Chairman-Order of business is
the report of the committee on platform.
Is that committee ready to report?
Governor Foraker of Ohio-The com
mittee is ready to report.
The Chairman-The chair recognizes
the chairman of the committee, Senator
elect Foraker of Ohio.
Announcements of Mr. Foraker's name
produced tremendous outbursts of ap-
plause. which continued for several min
utes. The outburst subsidized and finally
broke out again with renewed force
After quiet having been somewhat re-
stored business was resumed. Governor
Foraker having ascended the platform,
read the report platform will be found
in full on page 1O)
At the conclusion of the reading Sena-
tor-elect Foraker, addressing the presi-
dent. said: 81 move you, sir. that the
resolutions as they have just been read,
be adopted by this convention as the Re
The Chairman-The adoption of the
report has been moved and seconded.
Are you read for the question?
Cries of question" question were
heard from various parts of the house.
Senator Teller here appeared upon the
platform and was greeted with cheers.
The Chairman-The chair recognizes
the gentleman from Colorado, Senator
Teller.
Senator Teller did not read the minor
ity report of the committee, but called
The Chairman-Gentleme the gentle
man from Colorado moves as a substi-
tute the following, to that which may be
termed the financial plank of the plat
form. which the secretary will read:
"We. the undersigned members of the
committee on resolutions. being unable
to agree with Il portion of majority re-
port which treats on the subject of coin
age and finance, respectfully submit the
following paragraph as a substitute there
for: The Republican party authorizes
the use of both gold and silver as equal
standard money and pledges its power to
secure free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer and gold at our mints at the ratio
of sixteen parts of silver to one part of
gold"
Senator Teller was recognized by the
chairman. AS the Colorado statesman
came forward he was received with cheers
and Misses. He spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Conventional will
not attempt to infiict upon you discussion
of the great financial question. which IL
dividing people not only of this country
but of the whole world The few mo.
ments allotted to me by the convention
will not enable me to more than state
in the briefest possible manner our objec-
tions to the financial plank proposed for
our consideration. | am n practical man
and recognize the conditions existing in
this convention, foreshadowed as they
were by the action of the committee Sc
lected by representatives assembled from
different states. his plank, or the propo-
sition, was presented to the whole COM
mittee and by it rejected. Loyalty to
my own opinion and in consideration of
the great interest that is felt in this coun-
try compels me, in the face of these diff
culties, to present this for your considera
ton, not with that bounding hope or with
that courage that ] have presented this
in other bodies with greater measure of
success than | can hope for here. The
great and supreme Importance of this ques-
ton is alone my excuse for the few words
that | shall say to you in conjunction with
the subject in a public capacity. | have
dealt with it, however, twenty years. !
represent a state that produces silver, but
| want to say to you now that my ad-
vocacy is not in the slightest degree in
fluenced by that fact. applause and
voice. 'goodr) / contend for it because
| believe that there can be no sound
financial system in any country in the
world that does not recognize this princi-
ple. contend for it because since 1873,
when it was ruthlessly stricken from our
statutes, there has been a continued de-
probation of all products of human labor
and human energy. l contend for 1t be-
cause in this year of 1896 the American
people are in greater distress than they
ever were in their history. l contend for
it because this is, in my opinion, the great
weight, the great incubus that weighed
down enterprises and destroyed prices in
this favored land of ours | contend for
it because | believe the progress of my
is dependent upon it, | contend
for it because / believe the civilization Of
the world is to be determined by the right
full or wrongful solution of this financial
question. | am tolerant of those who diff
fer with me. ! act from my judgment,
as best / have been able to
enlighten it by many years of study and
many years of thought In my judgment
the American people, in the whole line OF
their history, have never been called upon
to settle a question of greater Importance
to them than this The great contest in
which many of you participated, whether
we should have two flags or one, was no
more important to American people than
the question of proper solution of what
shall be the money system of this land.
/ have said enough to show that | think
that this is not question of policy, but
a question of principle. 1t is not mere
idle thing but one on which hangs the
happiness, prosperity, morality and indie
pendence of American labor and American
producers. (Applause.) Confronted for
the first time in the history of this glori-
ous marty of ours. confronted, | say, for