The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-23
SILVER MEN.
Silver Men Are Addressed By
Congressman TOWne.
Tells Them That All Silver
Men Must Unite.
P.ST.JOHN TALKS
Says He Hopes Silver VIII Be
Dumped Here.
1t Will Only Be $50 Per Capits
fit Is.

Music Hail. St. Louis July 23.-When
Chairman VIM. P. St. John called the
silver convention to order today he
said he was sorry to be compelled to
announce that Rev. DR.. NiccOlls, who
was to open the convention with prayer
had been called from the city.
Congressman Newlands moved that a
committee on ways and means be ap-
pointed to raise funds with which to
defray the expenses of the convention.
Chas. A TOwne, vice chairman, was
then introduced. He said that the press
of the country had apparently forgot
ten its sacred duty and had become the
plant tool of monopoly. That was the
god it worshiped. But the day of re-
generation was at hand. History was
being made today. The people had been
lax, but had determined to manage
their own affairs. They had suffered
grievously at the hands of the mOnopo-
lies and trusts, but hereafter they
would look after their own affairs.
He concluded by denouncing the per-
nicfousness Of the present money sys-
tenn. The delegates cheered long and
loud
The single gold standard would ruin
the masses. In November they would
relegate the parties of the mOnOpOlies
had the interests of the people at heart.
The speaker referred to the bolt of
Senator Teller from the RpubIcan con-
vention and spoke of the herOism and
patriotism of the Colorado senator to
the delight of the delegates. Next he
referred to the nomination of Mr.. Bry
an, who, he said was born the year of
the election of Lincoln. He then eulo-
gized the Democratic candidate in
glowing terms. This evoked the big
gest demonstration which has thus far
chara cterized the convention.
Referring again to the money ques-
ton he said: Il will be attacked by
men who used epithets and abuse in
arguments. Speaking of Chauncey NJ.
Depew, he said Mr.. Depew was a man
whose jokes were sought for on this
side of the water and his opinions on
| the other where he was not so well
known. Here Depew was gold stand
ard man and a monopolist, and wanted
to impose the English yoke of gold on
the necks of the people of America.
The speaker next explained the free
| silver question, and he attempted to
| show how hard times would vanish
when free silver appeared. When the
Free Silver party got control OF the
| government the robber of thrift for
| the benefit of idleness would cease.
| Three months ago the man who would
| have dared to predict that free silver
would win in the coming election would
have been set down as an imbecile.
| Now the movement had grown to such
proportions that victory was certain,
/ if the silver forces united Sacrifices
must be made on all sides. The fac
| tions must all unite, and the patriotic
people would be relieved of their bur
dens. There was loud and uprOarOus
| cheering by the delegates when Mr..
TOWne ended
Ex-Governor John P. St. John was
| called upon to speak. He was greeted
| with applause. He told how corn was
/ worth ten cents bushel and oats eight
| cents and potatoes six cents a bushel
| in Minnesota. This was one of the rea-
| sons so many farmers believed in free
! silver. A few months ago nearly every
| one believed that nothing on earth
| could defeat William Mckinley for
| president. But the surrender of Amer
| lean interests to Great Britain at the
! Republican convention had fallen upon
| Mckinley like a bolt of lightning. 1t
| changed the sentiment of the whole
! country. Free silver, at 16 to 1, would
| sweep the nation. The people had
| arisen and would defeat the corrupt
| gold power"
But to do this a vast deal of mission
| arY work must be done. There were
| thousands and thousands of voters who
/ had been misled by the gold bugs. -
| The cry was that if free silver were
! adopted it would make this the dump
| ing ground for silver of the world. The
| speaker hoped it would. If all the sill
| yer in the world were dumped in and
/ coined it would only make $50 per cap
| ita. And that was not too much.
| Should this be done it would make this
| the most prosperous country of the
| world. Never in the history of Amer
! lea had it been so hard to keep gold
| here as under the present system. Under
| it $262 900, 900 worth of bonds had been
| issued and the working people plum
| dered by the Wall street Syndicates
| and English bond sharks.
| When John p. St John ended his
| talk a big banner on which was painted
| two human figures was brought in: one
| was marked Mckinley" and the other
| Monopoly" above both was Down
! with these Its appearance was loud
| ly applauded
The next one to address the conven-
| ton was Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar of In
diana She denounced the gold bug
n1onOpolists' and wall street pluto
| Gratis and English bond sharks, anC
| said the only salvation of the people
/ from serfdom was to declare for the
/ free coinage of silver. She denounced
| Mckinley and the platform on which hC
| stands She denounced the Republican
party, the liquor traffic and the run
| power of the world The SaloOnkeep
ers, the rum power and the anarchists
she said, were with Mckinley. So were
the thieves Of Wall street"
AS Mrs. Cougar concluded she call
ed upon the band to play America,
At the request of the Connection
| delegation Judge Joseph Seldom o
that state was given the stand. His re
marks were a review of foreign trad
relations as affected by the silver is
sue.
Delegate Hall of Illinois said that
most potent influence upon the voter
| of the country in behalf of silver
| would be an announcement Of the for