The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-01-31
IHBESABTaHS
Bi1etsliisss Getting TogsfhsF sos the COniag
Political Battle.
The National Silver Coaferenes at Wash
ingtOn Last Week One OF tie Most
Notable IN the History Of the
Country.

Country.
The silver conference at Washington
last week was the first step toward the
union of the silver forces who have so
long been fighting the gold men in de-
tachments, and have suffered defeat
more on account Of divided efforts
than the disparity ia numbers. When
tho convention was called to order
motion was made and carried unsnni-
mously inviting the committee Of con-
ference appointed blythe pOpulist execu-
tive committee TO seats in the cOnyen-
ton and requesting them to participate
In the deliberations. The committee
consisting Of Senator Butler, Congress
man Bell, Hon. J. B. Weaver, T. NJ. Pat
terson, Hon. E. G. Brown of Massaehu-
sets, and Mr.. Warner of California,
accepted the invitation, Gen. Weaver
returned thanks in behalf of the com
mittee.
The speech of Gen. Warner opening
the deliberations, was strong and con-
seFyative. He said that the time for
action had come. There was no hope
of winning the fight in attachments in
side organizations controlled by gold
standard men. "Gold," he said, "was
written on the walls of the inner tenn
pies of both old parties, and it could be
obliterated only by tearing down the
walls"
This conference was called, he said,
to deliberate upon the present situa-
ton of the country and to decide upon
the policy to be pursued by the friends
Of bimetallism, and twas expected that
an agreement would be reached upon
time and place for holding a national
convention to nominate candidates for
the presidency and vice presidency of
the United States.
The fight must begin now and con-
tinue until election day next November
and the silver men must get together
as the gold men are together.
The conclusions of the conference
resulted in calling a convention to be
held at st. Louis July q, the day set
for the populist convention, at which
time, no doubt, a candidate viii be
agreed upon that will be supported by
all silver men.
The Neutrality-suspicious. were adopt
ed by the conference:
The paramount issue at this time in the United
States is indisputably the money question. 1t is
between the gold standard, gold bonds and bank
currency on the one side, and the bimetallie
standard, no bonds and government currency on
the other,
On this issue we declare ourselves to be in IA
VOr OF q distinctive American financial system.
We are unaltsrabiy opposed to the single gold
standard and demand the immediate return to
the constitutional standard of gold and silver,
BY the restoration by this government, independ-
entity of any foreign power, of the unrestricted
coinage Of both gold and silver into standard
money at the ratio of is to 1, and upon terms of
exact equality, as they existed prior to 1873 the
silver coin to be q full legal tender, equally with
gold, for all debts and dues public and private.
We hold that the power to control and regulate
par currency Is inseparable from the power to
coin money, and hence that all currency intend
ed to circulate as money should be issued, and
its volume controlled by the general government.
and shOuld be legal tender.
We are unalterably opposed to the issue by the
United States of interest bearing bonds In time
OF peace, and we denOunCe as a blundeF worse
than crime the present treasury policy, concur
red in by a republican house, of plunging the
country into debt by the hundreds of millions,
in the vain attempt to maintain the gold stand
ard by borrowing gold and we demand the pay
nent Of all coin obligations of the United States
as provided in existing laws in either gold or
silver coin, at the option of the government, and
EOtab the option of the creditor
Whereas The demOnetiZatiOn OF silver in 1873,
enormously increased all the demand for gold
enhancing its purchasing power and lowering all
prices measured by that standard and
whereas, Since that unjust and indefensible
act the prices OF American products have fallen
upon an average of nearly 50 per cent, carrying
down with them prOpOrtiOnaliy the money value
OF all other forms OF property, except in peculiar
" favored localities; and
Whereas Such fall of prices has DESTROYED the
profits of legitimate industry, iniuring the pro-
Queer for the benefit Of the nOn-pTOducer increas-
ing the burden of the debtor and swelling the
gains OF the creditor. pariyzing the the prOduc-
tive energies OF the American people, RELOCATING
TO lGleness numbers of willing workers, sending
the shadows of despair into the home of the
honest toileT, filling the land with tramps and
padpers and building up colossal fortunes at the
money centers; and
Whereas, Ia the effort to maintain the gold
standard the country has within the last
elgateen months, 10 time OF profound peace
and plenty, been loaded down with S162 600, 600
OF additional interest-bearing debt, under suCn
circumstances as to allow syndicate of native
a1d foreign bankers to realize net profit OF
Si0G090O On a single dsal and
Whereas, Another call Is pending for a further
gold loan OF Slu0OOU,lJ0, which, but for an ont
burst Of public indignation, would also have
been negOtiate1in the same secret manner and
through the same syndicate; and
Whereas 1t stands confessed that the gold
standard can only be upheld by so depicting the
par currency as tOfOTce the prices OF our products
below the European, and even below the AsiatiC
level - order that we may sell ii foreign mar
kets, tiltis aggrayating the very evils of which
our people so bitterly complain, degrading
American labor and striking at the very fOunda-
tian OF cur civilization itself; and
Whereas, The advocates Of the gold standard
persisteGtiy claim that tho real cause of our
distress IS over prOductiOn-that we have prO-
tucSd so much that it has made US pOOr-which
implies that the true remedy IS to close the fac
terry abandon the farm and throw multitude
Of people cut of emplOyment-a doctrine that
leaves us absolutely without hope for the fu-
! sIres and
Whereas, The difference Of exchange between
silver standard countries and gold countries is
eeelvSient to a bounty equal to the difference
between the value Of gold aad silver in favor OF
The products OF silver standard countries ex.
ported to gold standard countries, and CORE
spending tariff against the products eff gold
standard countries exported to silver using
countries; and
Whereas, The cost Of production otherwise in
he sorld and particularly in China and japan,