Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
FREE SILVER MEN.
QUEER THINGS ABOUT SOME SELF
STYLED "ORIGINALs.v
GOVERNMENT SEED INDUSTRY.
Expenditures by War Department
for Improvement and Extension of
Our System of Defence-Personal
Notes Of Interest.

original free-silver men, and with
what pride and self-importance they
boast of the originality Of their free
silverism as II it extended back TO their
infancy, or as IL they inherited 1t from
their ancestors. l refer particularly to
some Virginia statesmen who claim to
be the only pure, unadulterated, and rep
resentative original free-silver men.
1t is still more curious and amusing to
look back into the records and see how
some of these original" free-silver men
stood when the bill to repeal the Sherman
law was before Congress. 1t would seem
that some OF the present boastful "origi-
nal" free-silver men were not so original
at that time. Coming TO a later test OF
the "orginaP' free-silver men, it is some
what remarkable to observe that when
| In August, 1895, a meeting was called by
Senators Jones and Harris at the Metro
poltan Hotel. in this city, how very few
| Of the present so-called or self-styled
| original free-silver men were present.
! This was the first meeting held to or
| ganize the free-silver movement, and 1t
| is to the action Of that meeting its sue
| cess must be attributed. The call was
sent to leading Democrats all over the
country, and the object was to make
| free silver the main plank in the plat
form of the Democratic party.
VIRGINIA REPRESENTATIVES,.
| 1t is surprising fact that Of the men
| now in Virginia who boast of being
| "originap' free-silver men, and make all
sorts Of claims in that connection, not
one of them attended this initial meeting,
| the action of which resulted in the
| triumph of free silver at the Chicago con-
vention. There were two or three we'll
known Virginians at this meeting, but
they are modest men, and have never
been known to set up any extraordinary
| claims on the score of being original
| free-sllver men. The cause of the white
metal began in Virginia just prior to the
| Staunton convention. and all those who
| stood by the platform of that convention,
| and later by the platform of the Chicago
| convention, are as original free-silver
| men as the gentlemen who now so fire.
| quently air the originality of their free
+, silver doctrines. The demand for the free
| and unlimited coinage of silver is only
very recent thing in the country. and
certainly in Virginia, and there is a
| very small margin as to the dates OF the
| conversions to it. until all became its
staunch supporters at the State and ma
| tional conventions, under the standard
of the Democratic party in 1896.
| THE SEED INDUSTRY.
During the past spring. over twenty mil
| lion packages Of flower and field seed
have been distributed by the Agricultural
| Department This distribution of seed
| has given to each member of Congress
| 20 900 packages OF seed. at a total cost OF
$4,000. over a million Of these seed
| packages were flower seed, and nearly
! 10000 field seed. the remainder being a
large variety of vegetable seed. In the
entire distribution, nearly every variety
| of vegetable known 70 The agriculturists
| was distributed. There were thirty-two
| varieties of beans. ten of beets, twenty
three of cabbage, eleven OF carrots. nine
| teen of sweet-corn. eighteen of cucum-
bers. thirty of lettuce, nineteen of musk
melons, seventeen of watermelons. and
| fifteen of onions. The entire quantity Of
| seeds distributed was sufficient TO plant
| an area OF 355 square miles.
| This Is the largest distribution of seed
| ever attempted by the Agricultural De-
| partment, and il Is said that seedmen
| all over the country are complaining that
| they do not make sales to farmers and
| others. because the latter are getting all
| the seed they need from the department.
| The distribution of seed In 1893 amounted
| TO $500 packages for each member Of Con-
| gress, at a total cost of $G5,5iS: in 1894
| each congressman got 1900 packages. the
| entire cost to the government being
| s57 900: in 1895 the number of packages
| of seeds was the same as in the preceding
| wear. but the total cost was reduced to
| $4,000. In 1896 the congressman got 1900
| packages each, and Uncle Sam paid ysO.51J
| for the lot. These statistics will give
| some idea of the enormous expenditure
| of the government seeds being only
very small item
WAR DEPARTMENT EXPENDITURES
The War Department will expend this
year 81, ,31, 1888 for the construction OF gun
and mortar batteries, and In the construc-
ton OF fortifications. to meet contracts.
will expend s2,5OOO00. while to provide
sites for new forts or Notifications. 100000
will be expended Various Improvements
will be made among them the provision
of means for theoretical and practical
instruction at the Artillery School at Fort
Monroe. Others will be in the construc-
ton and repair OF hospitals and shooting
galleries for small arms in target prac-
tjce i'm the ordnance service, and u the
manufacture, repairing, procuring, ana
issuing of arms at the national armories.
The department will devote special atten-
t,on TO submarine mines. and necessary
appliances to operate them, for closing
channels leading 10 the principal sea-
ports. and In this work will expend Sl5O.0o.
A great deal of attention will be paid to
the construction OF Pinch guns and NOR
tars for coast defence, and steel armor-
piercing snot.
SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY.
The War and Navy Department clerks
are enjoying haif-holiday to-day, the
first Saturday half-holiday In many
wears. All department clerks were al
lowed this half-holiday until President
cleveland conceived the idea that 1t was
Illegal. Mr.. Olney was Attorney-General
when this decision was reached. and the
matter was referred TO him for an opin-
ion. He decided the half-holidays TO be
illegal and that the clerks should not
he paid for time not actually passed In
performing their duties. 1t Is said that
after Issuing the order MIR. Cleveland
found the heat OF this city so unbearabie
that he went to Buzzard's Bay to keep
cool. Secretary Alger has revived the
subject in the Cabinet and has taken
the initiative by allowing his clerks
half-holiday to-day. and his example has
been followed by Secretary Long.
The threatened strike OF $4,000 coal |
miners In the States Of Pennsylvania |
Ohio. Kentucky. Tennessee. and West |
Virginia on Monday Is causing great
alarm among the Republican leaders |
here. They know II will forcibly de- |
monstrate the fact that McKinley's pro-
missed prosperity is as far or as it was
when the promise was made In the St.
Louis convention last year.
CURRENCY MESSAGE.
r,ba abatement printed this morning IN