Evening star., 1897-06-08
SMALL CLOUD VISIBLE
Shadow Of Dissension at Silver Re-
publican Congress.
FIRST INDICATION OF JEALOUSY
National Silver Party Feared En-.
croachment on Its Preserves.
CHAIRMAN TONNES ADDRESS
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star

Ni'uu appeared yesterday on the horizon OF
the silver republicans. II was extremely
sihaii ana seems TO have disappeared but
1t Is sufficient to indicate that there Il the
making OF storm somewhere Nothing
| more harmonious than are the silver re-
pub,icans among themselves can he
imagined They seem to be of one mimi
| and there appears amcng them none of
that rivalry usual among politicians work.
ing earnestly to some end. The point
hasn't reached with them where ambition
cchtends against unity. The ques t!on is
rointedly suggested, how far they can 20
along tteir way without exciting the riv-
airy OF other bodies. They present now
the spectacle of a body of enthusiasts
ready to do battle and make sacrifices for
cause to which they are devoted, and
| their politics at this time is open aad on
the surface. The other organizations with
Wlich they must combine and co-up.r .rate
in the campaign which they are laNing out
for themselves have, however, some y hat
less of the ideal and more of wha; is
commonly called practical from a personal
point of view.
The arrival here of the silver republican
leaders was the signal for the pub lea iion
or an article under a Denver date line
supposed to come from silver sources, ac-
cusing them of a scheme to overthrow
Bryan and to establish themselves in con-
troll of the silver moveme nj, with one of their
OE n EunDer at the mead. ms publication
was promptly denounced by Mr.. Towne and
Mr.. Dubois, and was regarded as simply "A
fo oolisn attack inspired by opposition to the
silver movement. 1t appears. however.
that somewhere in the silver ranks there
is feeling of apprehension that some
bodys ambitions are endangered by the
silver republican organization.
National Organization Discouraged.
A representative of the national silver
party appeared here yesterday aftcrno-
from California, as the representative CT
Mr.. Lane, the millionaire head Of the ma
| onal silver party organization He at
once set to work to discourage the organ
ization of the silver republican party On
rational lines, claiming priority of organ
iZation for national silver party.
From his statements it was made 10
appear that Mr.. Lane apprehended that
the silver republicans were encroaching on
pre-empted territory. His suggestions
were that the organization here In the
process CT formation should confne its
| operations to looking after the congress
sional elections, leaving national ofganlxa-
lion to the national silver party. This In
cident caused no considerable amour; Of
friction. as the suggestion received no con-
sideration.
The matter was not pressed to any great
length by Mr.. Lanes representative. who
seemed TO be satisfied by what dae learned
that the silver republicans had no designs
upon the vested rights OF his organization.
ing much attention, but there was sufficient
in II to indicate that there are many dim
culties in the way of perfectly harmonious
action between the silver forces.
Mr.. Towne, in speech to the Illinois
silver republican convention last light.
spoke of the silver republican organization
as the cementing force TO hold the other
silver factions together ard said that their
purpose was to hold the populisIs by cne
hand and the democrats by the other and
tell them that they shall not fight.
The conference assembled at o'clock this
afternoon. Alabama, Arkansas, California,
Colorado. Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa. Kansas. Kentucky,
Louisiana Massachusetts. Michigan. Min
nesota Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New
Jersey New York, North Dakota, Ohio.
Oklahoma. Oregon. Pennsylvania. South
Dakota. Utah, Washington. Wisconsin. wy
oming and West Nirginia-thirty-two states
in all-were represented. The meeting being
that of the national committee there could
be but one regular representative from each
state, the national committeeman: hut n
great many more were in ATTENDANCE and
they were given the privileges Of the con-
ference except the right to vote
After the preliminary matters were dis
posed of Mr.. Towne, chairman of :he COM
mittee. delivered his address.
Remarks of Chairman Towne.
Upon calling the committee to order Mr.
Towne said in part:
"Gentlemen of the committee-I give you
greeting upon the auspicious opening OF
this conference, and congratulate you and
the great cause wherein we are engaged
that so numerous and representative n
body of men has gathered from a large
majority of the states and territories 10
participate 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 repre-
sentinG the bimetallic organization of the
women Of the country. whose quick in
stincts have OWNED the woeful results,
both to our own beloved country and to the
world, of much longer continuance of an
appreciating money standard. and whose
ready sympathies are now. IN all past
ages the sympathies of women have been
when right and wrong have bat;led to-
gether enlisted in behalf Of Justice and hu-
manity.
"It is not my intention to detain YOU with
any extended observations al this time. IL
is proper. however. that We should recall
briefly the circumstances attending and the
motives instigat;ng the inception of this
movement, and that We emphasize the OBJ
ject it aims at and the general method by
which that object should be pursued.
THE circumstances were these: The re-
publican party. previously as plainly
pledged to bimetallism as the most solemn
and deliberate pronouncements I'm national
council reinforced by repeated declarations
of state and local conventions and the ad-
vocacy of its distinguished leaders could
possibly pledge any party, had, I'm its plat
form adopted at st. Louis in June 1896.
committed Itself IN dennite and emphatic
terms to the maintenance of the gold stand
ard To be there was coupled with
this declaration weak and half-hearted
concession to the restoration of silver COIN
age upon condition that II be secured by an
agreement among the principal commercial
nations. But, despite the fact that this
grudging clause bore the outward SEM
blance OF promise and was relied on at
the ensuing election by millions of voters
who, however devoted to protection. would
not easily have indorsed the uncompromis-
ing and naked proclamation of the gold
standard, nevertheless those who controlled
the manufacture of that platform never in
tended this formal and hollow promise to
be observed In good faith.
This Agreement Cannot Ne Secured.
''But the international agreement cannot
be secured. Any attempt to secure II, with
in any time that our stricken energies can
survive to. is foredoomed to failure. sys-
tenn that fattens the creditor nations upon
the products Of their debtors will not be
changed upon the initiative Of those cred
ttor nations. So long ~ their cooperation
- deemed essential thew WIu nth.