The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-13
ST.JOHN'S FUNNY STORY
His Story About the Kansas
Man Who
Wanted to Talk on the Silver
Question at a Funeral.
State Bimetallic League Elects D. C.
Tillotson as It's State President.


ed to order yesterday afternoon the
committee on permanent organization
reported recommending R.W. Turner as
president, John Davis and J. G.. Lowe,
vice presidents, and Frank W. Elliott
and D. G. Zercher as secretaries.
The report of the committee was
adopted and the nominees elected.
r. w. Turner when called to preside,
made a short speech thanking the con-
vention for the honor conferred and
saying that this was a convention held
for the purpose of keeping up a cam
paign of education. It was fitting that
Kansas should keep up such a cam
paign for Kansas was a state inhabi-
ted by intelligent citizens and Ameri-
cans. He said that Bryan had carried
the state of Kansas and that he had
also carried the majority of the intel
Hgent, thinking American vote of the
entire country, and that the cities of
the east that had given the majorities
for Mckinley were not American COM
munities, that the inhabitants of New
York are so per cent foreign and the
inhabitants of Chicago are &c per cent
foreign while Kansas was largely
American and had given Bryan a ma
jOrity.
Ex-Governor St John was called on
for speech and responded in his usual
happy manner He started out by say
ing that while the silver men were
called anarchists and other hard and
apprObriOuS names because they kicked
against the present prosperity, that he
was willing to prophesy that four
years more Of the present prosperity
would ruin this country. He said that
the restoration of confidence meant
that the west would soon have all the
confidence and the east all the money.
He referred to the splendid campaign
that Bryan had made and told how he
was addressing a meeting in Ohio and
some one said that he belonged to
party that did not have to send it's
candidate around over the country, but
the people came to Canton to see and
hear him.
Mr. st. John said: Ct told him that
there was a reason why Mckinley did
not go ont and make a campaign over
the country. There is a law in the
state of Ohio against the removal of
mortgaged property from the state. In
illustrating the persistency the aver
age Kansas man displays in sticking
to a single line of policy he gets en-
thusiastic over St John said: 1T puts
me in mind of the story of the woman
who was travelling through the state of
Indiana on the train and took sick and
was left at way station where she
died soon after. The inhabitants of the
place decided to hold funeral and
after the minister and few others
had made a few remarks there was a
silence that became more and more
oppressive as it continued till finally a
Kansas man in the back part of the
house arose and suggested that if no
one had anything more to say in be-
half of the corpse he thought a few re-
marks on the silver question would not
be out of place.
Mr.. st. John then made an argument
on the silver question.
The report of the committee on reso
lutiOnS aroused a spirited debate which
lasted most of the afternoon The re-
port was finally referred back to the
committee with instructions to prepare
other resolutions combining them to the
purposes expressed in the call
The committee on credentials reported
faYOring that each county be allowed a
delegate for each 100 votes cast for
Bryan, or fraction thereof The re-
port was adopted.
The evening meeting was called to
order by President Turner at 7:3O and
the crowd was entertained by the Blue
Mound glee club, which sang ''TWinlxle
Silver Star" and a political "Peek-a-
boo" parody.
The singing of the club was loudly
applauded.
The committee on resolutions reported
and after considerable debate the fol-
lowing resolution as the declaration of
principles of the convention was
adopted:
1.-The Bimeta1lic league of Kansas, in
state convention assembled, at the city
of Topeka, January Il, 1884, hereby de-
clares:
"First-That we favor the free and
unlimited coinage of both silver and
gold at the present legal ratio of 16 to
1, without consulting any other nation,
and any person believing in the free
coinage of gold and silver al the ratio
of 16 to 1 and opposed to trusts and
corporations controlling the affairs of
government may become a member of
this clubs auxiliary and this club
The following resolution was offered
and adopted by the convention:
Resolved, That nepotism in office
will lose more votes than all of the
people with united action can secure.
We are opposed to it in any FORM
The committee on constitution and
bylaws reported. and after some dis
cussion the constitution reported was
adopted
d. c. Tn1otson was elected president
of the state union and Fred Close sec
rotary; F. w. Elliott and A. P. Shreve,
assistant secretaries and J. NJ. Hart,
treasurer. The choice of vice presi-
dents was left to the various congress
disfr