Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-23
REFORM EnIronS AT MEMPHIS.


the Country.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Feb. 22.-The Reform
Press association was called to order in the
hall of the Young Mems Hebrew association
at 10 o'clock this morning by President PAU
Vandervoort. The Reform Press association
is what may be called an auxiliary to the
peoples party. The number of delegates in
attendance reaches into the hundreds and
nearly every southern and western state is
represented. The only prominent eastern
peoples party man on the ground is George
F. Washburn of Boston, He is member of
the United States national executive COM
mittee of the third party and was closely
associated with Senator Jones in the direc-
tion of the late campaign. Many OF the
southern and western states have state or
ganizations of the Reform Press association
and all of these organizations are represented
at the meeting. When President Wander
wort called the convention to order this
morning Mayor w. l.. Clapp OF Memphis wei
coined the delegates on behalf of the city.
President Vandervoort responded briefly and
introduced Hon. Thomas B. Turley of
Memphis who delivered an address of vel
come on behalf of the Bimetallc league OF
Shelby county. After a response by Frank
Burkett OF oklona, Miss, committees were
appointed by the president and an adjourn
ment was taken until o'clock in the after
noon.
MISTAKE MADE AT ST. LOUIS.
When the delegates reassemb!ed this al
ternoon Paul Vandervoort read his formal
address. in part he said
I'VE nave passed through a most eventful
year and the struggle for the life of our
party has been the hardest in the history of
the organization When we last met we
were all aware that a deep laid conspiracy
to ruin our party and destroy the reform
movement had been inaugurated, had secured
control of our party machinery and of nearly
all those whom we had elected to positions
of honor and trust. But with all their devil
ish skill in manipulating events and men
they have never been able to seduce or
destroy the power and influence Of the great
body of the reform press. Some have been
deceived and led astray, but they are open
ing their eyes to the true system and Will
rally as one man to the defense of our
sacred principles when the slogan sounds
for the great campaign of 1900.
1--WE should take no new departure. We
will not allow our name or platform to be
stolen by any band of bandits on the face
Of the earth. So for 1900 we will hold the
first convention IL we have to meet January /.
We will stand by the platform announced
at Omaha but ! hope we will make the
chasm so wide and deep between our party
and the democracy that the separation of
the sheep frcm TIE goats will at once COM
mence,
"The silver panaceas will add some $4O-
900, 900 annually to the money volume of
the nation; 1t will employ more labor, which
will be benefit, but 1t VIII not solve the
problem of employing all the idle labor nor
starting up the dormant machinery. We will
never consent to make another campaign
with that question as the vital issue, our
thunder would be stolen by the republicans
and we would be stranded by the roadside
W tn the di organized, brolS down, spawned
wreck of the democratic party. If we con
tinue to retain silver as one of our cardinal
doctrines, we should declare in favor OF the
true and normal ratio, held by two-thirds
of the nations OF the earth-ffteen and one
half to one. We are unalterably opposed to
the retirement of the greenbacks The ma
tional banks should be deprived of the power
to issue money. This would release and put
into circulation the vast sum held in re
serve and the banks would be unable to
contract the volume of money and would
have no selfish reason for squanderlng mil
lions to control elections We must bring
about political revolution at the ballot
box remodel the government on the Ameri-
can plan resume the sovereign power Of
Issuing money, and compel the bankers to
run a legitimate banking business. Let the
people rule and not the banks, and let us
continually agitate that 1900 Is the time TO
hold a national constitutional convention and
secure the rights Of free government taken
from us by corporations, combines and
trusts.
believing that the life and preservation
and success of our principles depend upon
it, / recommend that this association de-