The age-herald., 1898-01-26
Vested in the Delegates Mas What the
 Governor Told Them.
MUST HAVE PAPER CURRENCY
This Convention Is In Session to Have the Report of the Committee Appointed tS Formulate a Plan of Fi-
 nanciaI Reform.

Indianapolis, Ind, Jan 8.-The monetary conference which opened in this city today is the result of a movement started by tho Indianapolis board of trade little more than ons year ago. This commercial body took on itself the inauguration of a move ment whose primary purpose was none tary reform. Without any assurance tha the object of its endeavors would be real ized in national Sense the board of trade issued invitations to commercial organiza tions of the west, which brought together the nucleus on which this convention rests.
 The conference determined to call gen eral convention of the trade and commer cial organizations of the country, to mee in Indianapolis on January 12, 1897, to con sider the currency question in non partisan way.
 In response to the call there assembled In Indianapolis on the date named 300 dele ga5ss, representing the business interests of twenty-eight cities in twenty-seven states.
 To Formulate Currency Reform
 Following the instructions of this con- vention committee of eleven was selected to formulate a currenry reform plan After months of evidence and discussion in Wash ineton this commission completed its re- port which was made public January g. This commission was as follows: Ex- Senator G. F. EGmunds of Vermont Charles S. F'airchild, of New York, ex- secretary of the treasury; c. Stuart Pat terson, of Philadelphia, who was president of the monetary convention last January J. W. Fries of Salem, N. O.; T. G. Bush of Anniston, Ala; George b. Leighton, ol St,Jl1ouis; w. B. Dean, of Sit. Paul; R. s Baylor, of Fort Wayne; L. A. Garnett, oi San, Francisco: Prof. J. L. Laughlin, oi Chicago and Stuyveelnt Fish, of New York.
 Today's convention, which was much larger than the first, was called for the purpose of submitting the plan and se- curing it's adoption. Delegates arrived who were not previously announced, and the whole number will probably reach 4OO Some of the eastern boards of trade at { first declined to send delegates, because they did not think it was necessary but the taking up in the senate of the Teller resolutions, delegates say, for the payment { of bonds in silver led them to cancel their disinclinations, and so delegations from several states came here with delegations exceeding the limit set by the executive committed
 Called to Order by Hanna
 The convention was called to order by Executive Chairman Hugh H. Hanna.
 An address of welcome was delivered by Gov Mount. Leslie M. Shaw of Iowa pre-. sided and c. Stuart Patterson submitted the report of the committee of eleven. In taking charge of the convention Gov Shaw spoke in part as follows:
 T believe, gentlemen, you represent to- day the non-partisan purpose as we'll as the financial sentiment of a very large ma jority of the American people. Every time the question has been voted upon they have declared for sound money and na- repudation of both public and private debts was proposed and openly advocated. Those who espoused the cause insste-- that the most sacred obligations could be hon. estly discharged by the unlimited issue of irredeemable paper currency Gas Zach Chandler expressed in the last speech of his life), a currency payable to no one. at no place., and never. The issue was taken to the polls, and by an overwhelming ma- jority repudiation was repudiated.
 Greenback Movement
 Tt is worthy of note that the green back movement was pressed with greater vigor between 1873 and 1878, while the sil- yer dollar was omitted from our coinage laws. but it's adherents were never victo- rious in a single state or congressional ct ri pt as 10 nf frycfo with one or the other of the leading par ties. The people favored resumption of specie payment, even pending the enact- monetization of silver. people that in- dorsed the prospective return to a specie basis when such return meant the adop- ton of the gold standard, and while the possible dangers therefrom were being realized, and in the face of plan for the liquidation of national obligations by the free use of an irredeemable paper cur re1cy, must be presumed to have been, at that time at least. well centered in sound financial principles Have we since been unwlsely educated? It doth not so ap- pear
 -"Twenty years later, in yet more sub- tie form, and at a time when self-preser- vation appealed to many to join the hosts arrayed for the purpose, partial repudia- tion was proposed. do not wish to be understood as charging those who advo- cated the free coinage of silver at the ratio with gold of 16 to with dishonesty; I prefer to regard them as entitled to for glveness, for certainly they knew not what they did Nevertheless, in no unmistaka- ble terms, it was their avowed intention to provide for the discharge of all existing liabilities, public and private, with a sil- yer dollar, or it's equivalent, intrinsically