The record-union., 1897-06-09
Held Yesterday at the Leland Hotel, in
the City of Chicago.
Ex-Congressman Towne of Minnesota
Calls the Meeting to Order and
Delivers an Address to the Con-
ference-The Immediate Business
i'm Hand Was the Determination of
the Time and Place for Holding a
National Convention.

meeting of the Provisional Committee
of the National Silver Republican party
which met in executive session at the
Leland Hotel to-day. Besides the COM
mitteemen of the various States repre-
scented, over a hundred Silver Republi-
cans were present from all parts of the
country. The States represented were
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colo
RADIO, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ken
lucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mich
igan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, New Jersey, New York,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and
West Virginia.
Promptly at 1 o'clock the meeting
was called to order by ex-Congressman
Charles A. Towne of Minnesota, who
said in part:
Il give you greeting upon the aus
picious opening of this conference and
congratulate you and the great cause
wherein we are engaged that so numer-
Gus and representative a body of men
has gathered from a large majority of
the States and Territories to partici-
pate in the first general council of the
Silver Republican party of the United
States. We are happy also to welcome
the inspiring presence of a delegation
representing the bimetallic organization
of the women of the country whose
sympathies are enlisted as ever in be-
half of justice and humanity"
After referring briefly to the circum-
stances attending and the motives in
stigating the inception of the move
ment, he spoke of the organization of
the Provisional National Committee at
the suggestion of the Republican SEN
atorS and congressman. Continuing,
he said: Our motives were these: We
desire above all things else of imme-
date political concern the speedy re-
establishment in the United States of
true bimetallism, the same privilege of
free coinage at the mint for both gold
and silver, and absolute equality be-
tween them in all money power, when
coined, with the option to every payer,
whether the Government or an individ-
basis of payment in every instance. We
wish to do all in our power to advance
this happy contamination, and we real
nc tndl IL Ills SICetl CduSS - " sue
eeed in the elections of 1898 and 1900.
it can do so only through the addition
to the allied armies of 100000 that
followed the banner of the joint stand
ard in 1896 of at least some hundreds
of thousands of Republicans of that
contest.
1--WE have other plans, or may have,
and we believe in other things Also but
the restoration of silver as basic or pri-
mary money along with gold is the first
engrossing object of our activities and
shall remain so until the crescent of
promise shall have rounded into the
full orb of success.
'"The general method of our proce-
dure will be that demanded by the
depths of our convictions and the dom
inant Importance of the issue that has
moved us. With us the cause is ev-
erything. Men and parties sink into
relative inconseQuence. All armies
marching to invest the citadel of the
gold standard are our allies, all their
soldiers our comrades. We will 10y
ally and tirelessly cooperate with all
other organized forms of bimetallism
that honestly profess the faith and res
olutely and undeviatingly keep it. Har-
mony is of vital concern to the sue
cess of the cause, and nothing but con-
sideration of it's welfare shall limit the
burdens we will gladly bear or the sac
rifices we will eagerly make to advance
it, But the sincerity we offer we shall
also require. Our allegiance is to the
cause alone and we should as readily
abandon an ally who would imperil
the cause as we turned from the old
Republican party when it was false to
it's duties. Our allies must recognize
that the present critical situation in
American politics signalizes the inter
action of forces preparing a re-align-
ment of parties. Old things are be-
ing done away with and all things are
becoming new. Let the dead past
bury its dead. Regret of the necessity
of sundering the accustomed ties must
be swallowed up in the satisfaction of
forming new ones that shall link us to
the duties of the future rather than to
the memories of the past.
1T would be useless to deny that So
cial and industrial evolution is MAX
ing for political treatment other cues
lions that viii successfully ripen for
settlement after the monetary reforma-
ton shall have been accomplished. and
that the underlying principles on which
their wise settlement depends are such
as naturally to place their achievement
in the same hands. Many of these
have been long advocated by that great
advance guard, the Populist party, and
some of the most urgent ones are more
and more commencing themselves to
the reason and sympathies of men. Is
it too much to expect, or is it injudic-
ious in me to express the hope that Sill
ver-Democrats, Populists and Silver
Republicans may by 1900 be welded in
to one strong and serviceable instru-
ment in the hands Of Providence for the
political regeneration of the country
and the beginning of reform. restor-
ing the spirit of the Constitution and
contributing to the advancement and
happiness of mankind?''
In conclusion, Mr.. Towne said the i'm
mediate business in hand was the de-
termination of the time and place for