Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-13
ARE AGAINST THE SCHEME
Washburn's Plan to Drop Free Sill
YER Not Accepted.
Chairman Butler Gives 1t a. His
Opinion That the Currency
Question IN b Most
Important Of All.


Washington. Feb. 6-POpulist mem
beers Of congress do not take kindly 10
the proposition OF National Committee
man Washpurn of Massachusetts, mat
the peoples party abandon the silver
question and fail back upon the TWO
question OF government issue al paper
money and government control Of rail-
roads. Neither do they ind1rse the idea
Of Secretary EdgerJOn Of the p0pulist
national committee for a conference of
rhe leaders Of the party t. determine
what shall be the course OK the parry.
Chairman Butler expresses the opin-
ion that the populist party Is committed
70 free silver as the main issue until
that question Is disposed Of. Then. ne
thinks, il viii be time enough for the
party 10 take up other matters.
The logic Of the situation won't per-
NIT the party 10 cut adritt from the sill
YER question" said Representative KEN
Of Nebraska yesterday. Il agree with
what Mr.. Washburn says as ~ the fu-
ture Of the party. except a. 10 silver.
His portrayal OF the situation 10 correct.
Times have grown 40 better and will
grow no better. The populist party Is
stronger by reason II It's support OF sill
YER. I have never been a silver man be-
cause / believed IL would be a sglu lon
OF the money question. Il because /
knew II would give the country more
/ money, and that Is what is needed"
Representative Bell Of Colorado. was
asked the question whether the popu-
lists would leave tne silver democrats,
silver republicans and the silver cause,
go TO themselves and adyOcatc an ex-
elusive paper currency. as advocated by
Mr.. Washburn. or would stay with their
platform and allies IL last year. a. ID
vised by Secretary Edgert5n.
The great mass Of the populist
party" said MIR. Eel. advocates the
free coinage OF bo,h gold and silver and
the supplement Of The deficiency OF
these metals with . sufficient volume of
full legal tender paper money, 70 be
safely limited In quantity. many think
ing $50 per capita about right. others be-
lleV,ng hat as the needs OF circulation
are controlled by the mCu OF proper
u TO be eXchanG i rather than by ths
rsumber OF people VINO use IL, the
amount Of money should be proper
rioned to the value OF the property ia
the country to be exchanged. M. Cal
houn suggested hat probably there
should be az all times one dollar in cur
rency for each $50 worth Of property.
The popGllsts do not believe i'm a
forced redemption of paper money.
They believe in coming al the gold and
all the silver that can be obtained, Il
YOU reach $50 per capita. or 81 In money
for each $50 worth of property, If that
test IS adopted. thcn we would have no
paper money at all, except silver or gold
certificates representing the coin. but II
YOU failed to find enough coin, and the
world has always so failed. then we be
lIeve IN issuing paper money, 70 b. au-
tomatically taken up as the mines in
crease their output. If not automatic
ally taken up. Ihen they viii De indel-
nitely i'm existence.
Some OF our people believe in a sci
entifc paper money bottomed on axes
receivable by the government FOR All
dues and made a full legal tender for
all dects, public and private. However.
all Of our public obligations are - ciic-
ally payable in coin Of the standard
value of July IA, 1870. embracing the
standard silver dollar and our present
gold coin, which makes IL idle for any
one To contemplate displacing gold and
silver coinage for "a century to come.
Furthermore. nine-tenths If the party.
in my opinion. fully believe In the last
party platform in It's entirety.
The Hrty Is welded also 10 a form
Of legisla ton, long practiced in Sw.rzer-
land. known as the initiative and refer
sndum: that Il the legislative body. on
the petition of a given number Of cleo
tors. 10 be fixed by law, formulates a
law covering the important measures
and refers il back to the people. and IL
Is determined by direct vote OF the cleo
tors in the same that voters Of
the STA ties pass amendments 10 their
state constitutions.
NO form Of the initiative and refer
andum could submit the o question
to a more direct determination of the
people than the attitude Of the different
parties submitted ii az the November
election.
The battle Is not so much a question
OF gold and silver as il is whether We
shall have a national currency or a
mere bank currency. 1t Is now clearly
dawning upon the people that this is not
a battle of the standards. but a battle
Of the banks for a pure bank, instead OF
any kind Of a national currency.
No. II is my opinion that we will not
divide the silver vote in 1900 nor o
abandon the platform Of 1896. nor cease
our efforts until the great middle classes
are recognized in governmental action.
as well as in stump speech pariance, as
the bone and sinew of inc republic"