Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-06-18
NAMING THE PRESIDENT.
National Republican Convention ut st.
Louis Now Engaged In That Duty.

The RepuDllcan nhtiOndl couVentioh
to which the thought OF the nation
has been directed this week was called
to order In st. Louis. Mo-, at the large
convention hall built especially for the
purpose at 1920 o'clock p. m, Tues
day, by Hon. Z. p. Carter, chairman
of the national Republican committee.
When order was restored the conven-
tion was opened by prayer by Rabbi
Simon Sale.
The Hon. Chas. w. Fairbanks Of
Indiana was elected temporary chair
man and as he stepped forward to the
platform loud applause greeted him
and he made speech OF about forty
minutes. Upon the question OF silver
ratio he said:
Those who profess to believe that
this government can, Independently Of
the other great commercial powers,
open its minis TO the free and indepen-
dent coinage of silver at ratio OF IL
to one, when the commercial ratio in
all the great markets is 30 to /, and at
the same time not drive every dollar
of gold out of circulation, deceive
themselves. Great and splendid and
powerful as our government is, IL can
not accomplish the impossible. II can
not create value. 1t has not the al
chemists subtle art OF transmitting un-
limited silver into gold nor can it by
omnipotent fiat make fifty cents worth
one hundred cents. AS well undertake
by a resolution of congress to suspend
the law of gravitation as attempt to
compel an unlimited number of fifty
cent dollars to circulate with one hun
dred cent dollars at parity with each
other. An attempt TO compel unlim-
tied dollars of such unequal value to
circulate at parity is bad in morals
and is vicious in policy. Sound think
ers upon the great question OF the cur
rency know from the beginning of the
experiment how miserably and cer-
tainly it would fail. The commerce Of
the country would be again thrown up
on the sea Of uncertainty and the spec
ter OF want would continue to haunt
us for years to come. At the close OF
the speech the chairman announced the
officers and the convention adjourned
until Wednesday at 10 O'Clock a. m.
When the convention was again call
ed to order on Wednesday morning
the committee on permanent organiza-
ton reported the name OF Senator
John M. Thurston OF Nebraska as
permanent chairman who had the dis
tinguished honor of being chairman of
the Republican convention eight years
ago when Benjamin Harrison was NOM
mated. He made short but ringing
speech in clear voice that could be
heard throughout the entire hall, at
its close recess was taken to allow
the committee on credentials to make
their report. The committee on resO-
lutions have formulated a platform but
at this writing have not made their
report in convention. The financial
plank is as follows:
"The Republican party is unreserv-
edly for sound money. We are unal-
terably opposed to every measure cal
culated to debase our currency, or inn
pair the credit Of our country. We
are, therefore, opposed to the free
coinage OF silver, except by interna-
tional agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations of the world, which
we pledge ourselves to promote, and
until such agreement can be obtained,
the existing gold standard must be pre-
served. All our silver and paper cur
rency now in circulation must be main
tanned at parity with gold. and we
favor all measures designed to main
tain inviolably the obligation of the
United States and all our money,
whether coin or paper, at the present
standard, the standard Of the most en-
lightened nations OF the earth"
Mckinley will in all probability be
nominated by reclamation today. AS
to the vice-presidency there are a half
dozen names mentioned, but it is con-
ceded the fight lies between Garrett A.
Hobart of New Jersey, and Levi p.
Morton of New York.