The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-24
His Desire to Retire From the
GOEernOrship
Net With a Mighty Shout of
DisapprOYal.
HE lis RENOMINATEI
By AcclamatiOn Amid Cheers
By Spectators.
Convention Comes Out Strongly
For Free Silver.

Peoria, Ill, June 24-John P. Altgeld
is the nominee of the Democratic party
for governor Of Illinois. He was unan-
imOusly placed at the head of the
ticket yesterday afternoon. He had
no opponent, and a few moments be
fore the honor was thrust upon him
declared he did not want it. He said
50 at the conclusion Of one of the most
impressive speeches ever made before
a Democratic convention. He said he
was physically unable to lead the fight,
and his financial affairs were in bad
shape and needed his attention.
No sooner had he mentioned his de-
sire to retire from public life than there
came an impassiOned shout of disap-
prOval, not only from the delegates, but
from the thousands Of people who were
crowded in the hall. It was a strange
convention and will not soon be forgot
ten. 1t was in session only q little
over five hours. Nearly all the candi-
dates We're nominated by acclamation
There was no strife There We're no
acrimonious speeches save those direct
ed against the enemy.
The convention, as had been pre-
diCted, came out strongly for free sill
yer and 50 instructed its delegates-at
large to the national convention. The
platform was almost diametr1cally Op-
pOSGQ IN ali us paElS 10 LlAL OF the
Republican party, and the 1868 dele
gates voted unanimously for its adop-
ton.
The following is the financial plank:
We favor the soundest and safest
money known to man, and as expert
ence has shown that this consists of
both gold and silver, with equal rights
of coinage and full legal tender power
we demand the repeal of that Repubh-
can and plutOcratic legislation which
demonetized silver and reduced it to
the basis Of token money destroying
by One-half the stock of real money,
and by doubling the work to be done
by gold, doubled its purchasing power
50 that the farmers and producers had
to give twice as much work to get q
dollar as they formerly had, and found
it hard to meet the debts interest,
taxes and fixed charges which were not
lowered
IN this way the market for those
things which the mechanic and labOrer
made was destroyed and the factories
had to shut down. But by thus tax
ing out of the commercial world one
half of its blood, industry and trade
have been paralyzed and idleness and
misery have been spread over the civ
iIzed world.
with the richest natural resources,
with a most industrious, frugal and en-
terprising people, and with the most
abundant harVests. our people are in
distress Three per cent of our pOpu-
lation own over one-half the wealth OF
this republic, and almost the only men
who prosper are the bond sharks and
the men who fatten off the misery of
the country. These are conditions un-
der which Republican institutions can
not long endure. We believe in the
patriotism of the American people in
their energy, industry and thrift and
that such a people with the unlimited
resources of our land are strong enough
to sustain a monetary system without
the aid of foreign governments. We
believe the benefit of the independence
which we gained a hundred years ago
the war which was initiated upon
matter of ibute-shOuld not be lost by
yielding vassalage to a monetary sys-
tenn preferred by other governments.
we believe the bimetallic standard
which has done the work of the world
since the dawn of civilization and
which was made the basis of our none
tary system by Hamilton and jefferson,
is absolutely necessary at present to
the prosperity of mankind, that its re-
establishment viii cnecE the present
business paralysis, will give to the
country a safe and honest currency of
adequate volume, viii restore prices of
agricultural commodities, viii encour-
age enterprise and give our people
steady and profitable employment.
Having learned through bitter expert
ence that Wall street has controlled
the financial legislation at Washington,
and knowing that every effort will be
made to defeat the viii of the people,
we deem it proper to be explicit in our
declarations.
and desiring the prosperity of the peO-
pie, we demand the Immediate restOra-
ton of the free and unlimited coinage
Of both gold and silver as standard
money. at the ratio Of 16 ounces of sill
Yer to one ounce of gold Of equal fine
ness, with full legal tender power to
each metal, without waiting for, or de-
pending on any other nation on earth;
and the delegates from this convention
to the national Democratic convention
are instructed to use all honorable
means to secure a similar declaration
by said national convention and to sup
port only such men for the presidency
as are in full and pronounced sympathy
with these principles
We are also opposed to the cOntrac-
ton Of the currency by the retirement
Of any part Of the outstanding treas
ury notes"
The tariff plank follows:
we favor a tariff for revenue only
and declare the government should col
lect no more taxes than necessary to
defray the expenses of the government
honestly and economically administer
ed We are unalterably opposed to re-
v1val Of any such mOnstrOsity in legis-
lation as that act Of congress which was
known as the Mckinley law, which for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1894,
produced a deficit in the United States
treasury Of $40. 0OO 600 under which
wages were greatly lowered and which
gave prOprietors a monopoly while it
permitted them to fill their shops with
the cheapest kind Of cheap labor
brought from all parts Of the earth
He Won't P,.v ETar Rraad-