Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-07
FREE SILVERITES ORGANIZE
Form a State League to Gary on Their
Campaign,
UPHOLD THE BANNER Of FIAT MONEY
Gold, silver, GrccnbncIss or Any Sort
of Issue by the Government
that IL Made Legal Ten
der VIII DO.

| LINCOLN. Jan. Especial )--The free sill
yer meeting at the Lansing theater was
called to order this morning at II o'clock by
John Jeffcoat OF omaha. The auditorium was
packed. and when the house Of representa-
tives adjourned shortly after many of the
members failed to secure seats, and some
even standing room, in the theater. Jeffcoat
introduced Congressman Greene, Of the Sixth
district as the acting chairman of the meet
ing and in a brief address stated the object
OF the gathering. Owing to the fact that
w. j. Bryan was Obliged 20 leave on the 2:15
p. IN. train for the east, the hour of the
meeting had been changed Greene referred
to the recent campaign as a drawn battle.
He did not regard It as political Bull Run.
In 1900 he said the silver side Of the cam
paign would be under the management of
more experienced heads than the last one.
He did not see how defeat could be possible.
w. J. Bryan was then presented as Amer
ica's most brilliant citizen" Bryan said
that 1t was better to have run and lost than
never to have run at all.
At IL o'clock the preliminary meeting
broke up and reconvened at 2. A perma-
nent state league was perfected. The tenn
porary organization was as follows Chair
man, G.. N. Berge, Lincoln; secretary II.
G. Richmond, Red Cloud; assistant secre-
tary, Peter O'Brien, Buffalo The nomi-
mating committee on permanent officers was:
George +. Biglow, j. j. Dunn, G. A. Luke
hart, Judge Miller, Judge Beal and X. A.
Moore.
At $3.50 the permanent organization was
effected by the election of Cunningham II.
Scott OF Omaha as president and James
Stockfam OF Custer county as secretary.
The Bryan people in Lincoln are very much
exercised lust now over a suppressed letter
that was intended to have been read at the
recent banquet rendered Bryan by the Free
Silver Travelling Mems club The letter was
written by Hon. David Overmyer of Topeka,
Kan, and it is claimed, that it was
most brilliant production, calculated
to rebound to the credit of
Overmyer. j. II. Atwood of Leavenworth
is the man accused of having suppressed
the letter, in order that he. himself, might
shine at the banquet as a luminary only
equaled by Bryan. 1t is given out that At
wood and Overmyer do not speak to each
other, and as Overmyer is candidate for
United States senatorshp, Atwood did
not deem it good policy to have the letter
read at the banquet.
The reading of the letter couChed in i'm
pressive language might have awakened an
enthusiasm among the travelling men and in
duced them to request Bryan's influence in
favor of Overmyer. Hence the disgust OF
Lincoln Bryanites. overmyer spoke here
during the campaign and became quite
popular
ADOPT A DECLARATION.
The free silver people convened again
this evening in the Lansing theater and
adopted what Is termed a declaration of
principles. There was a majority and a
minority report, the latter favoring green
backs, and over this the delegates argued for
nearly two hours. It was finally decided
to make the minority report a portion of the
whole platform In substance the resolu-
tions declare for the formation OF the NE
braska Bimetallic Union" under direction
of four committeeman. They declare for the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to
without the consent of any other nation
on earth, and declare that the money question
is the paramount issue OF the day and
likely to remain so until 1900. The minority
report added as follows: And we demand
that all money, whether gold. silver or pa
per, shall be coined by the government and
shall be full legal tender for all debts, pub
lie and private" There was developed some
opposition to this, but it was adopted by a
large majority
Judge Gregory of Omaha. free silver re-
publican; A. C. Shellenbarger OF Harlan
county, democrat T.. H. Edrf1isten of Daw-
son county, populist; and George Il. Bigelow
of Lincoln were elected the four committee
men named in the resolution.
Miss Mary Fairbrother of Omaha was
added to the committee as an honorary men,
ber. The convention then adjourned.