The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-07
ONLY A FEW SILVERlTES
THE BIMETALLIC CONVENTION A
"FROsT' IN ATTENDANCE.
Speeches by George Fred williams
and others DenOuncing Presi-
dents Cuban Policy.

delegates, the hall being only about half
full In opening, Chairman Allen w. Clark
asked all present to join with Rev. c. C.
Lasby of the Central -avenue NJ. z. Church,
in the invocation of divine blessing In the
course Of the invocation President McKin-
ley's conservative attitude in the present
Cuban crisis was strongly commended by
Mr.. Lasby. Mayor Taggart followed with a
brief address of welcome, which evoked APP
plause. In it he said in event Of war there
will be no separation of parties, but a united
front of all parties in patriotism.
President Louis Reemelin, of Cincinnati,
then mounted the rostrun2 and discussed
the question raised by the enemies of BIZ
metallism as to the death Of the movement.
He argued that the cause was never so
strong az at present, and never was such
enthusiasm so general for the prosecution
of the work as now.
The report of the executive committee
was then read by Chairman Clark, embody-
ing the programme of the convention as
published in these columns yesterday.
f. EX-GOV. MATTHEWS CHAIRMAN.
Ex-Gov. Claude Matthews was then intro
duced as chairman of the afternoon ses-
sion and said that he had recently read in
a local gold-standard paper that the cause
to say that the facts did not bear cut the
statement He deprecated the delegation
Of the powers of regulating the national
finances to the banks as a great injustice
to the people. He then reviewed the ex-
perience of President Andrew Jackson in
the breakup of the old United States bank
system He stamped as an outrage the
proposed legislation to retire the greenbacks
in favor of national bank notes by the is
suance of gold bonds and said the strik-
ing down Of silver was equivalent to the
eonfscation Of 80 per cent of the property
of the people.
Touching on Cuban affairs, the speaker
ministrauon and said that had belHgerent
rights been accorded the Cubans three
months ago the insurgents would have
worked out their own salvation and the
butchery and starvation and even the loss
OF the Maine would have been averted. He
spoke with scorn of the gold bugs" who,
he said, hung like leeches on such national
occasions as the present one, seeking to en-
rich themselves at the expense Of the Ma
tons distress. Ex-Governor Matthews con-
Guided his address with the Introduction OF
HI. +. Bartine editor of the National BIZ
metallist, of Washington.
MR. BARTINE'S ADDRESS.
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Bartine
told Of his experience in Congress, where
he served on committee work with George
Fred Williams, of Massachusetts, who at
that time was rabid gold bug, but who
now leads the silver forces of his State.
He urged that so long as the Republican
party was in power there would be no in
ternational bimetallism inasmuch as PresI-
dent Mckinley is not, sincere in his efforts
to promote 1t. He cited the mission of the
Walcott commission in Europe, which was
rendered innocuous by a message sent to
Congress by the President urging the main
nf hn roll g-tn Iar1 xwgl1s hot
commission was pleading before the coun-
tries of Europe, causing those nations to
look on the effort for bimetallsm farce.
. Mr.. Bartines time was largely consumed in
controverting the statements of Secretary
Gage, OF the treasury, as to the time of the
establishment of the gold standard in this
country. In closing he prophesied the cleo
ton Of William j. Bryan in 1900 to tremen-
dous applause.
to-day the first business Of the convention
would be the election of officers of the
league for the ensuing year.
THE IMMORTAL GEORGE ABSENT
The evening session was as poorly at
tended as in the afternoon President
Reemelin announced that Col. George
Washington, who was to have presided. was
unable to be present, and in his stead Nick
Perrin. OF Illinois. was made the presiding
officer. The latter said in the course of his
remarks that the convention was fittingly
held in Indianapolis, which was consecrated
as the repository of the dust of the great
Thomas A. Hendricks. Branching out into
his subject he said that history might re-
peat itself with regard to the Ohio valley
States, for as Colonel Clark and his revolu-
tionary heroes wrested this land from
British rule, so might their defendants be
called on to wreSt their country from
British financial rule. With regard TO the
silver issue he said that, far from being
dead. it was still before the people, a living
issue and always would be until it was VIC
torious.
After prophesying the election of Bryan
to the presidency in 1900 Mr.. Perrin intro
duced j. c. Shanklin, OF Evansville, who
arose amid tremendous applause and stated
that he felt with regard to bimetallism like
the boy whose father at table urged him to
east bread and butter He mutinied, say
ing: Whats the use of eating bread and
butter when there's Strawberries and cream
in sight" He stated that the Mckinley adj
ministration had, after year of expert
ment demonstrated that it was failure
He denied that the Democratic administra-
tor was responsible for the late business
depression, but said the single gold stand
ard had appreciated the value of money and
had deprecated the value of labor and its
products.
The money power, he said. was not salts
fed with the gold standard alone, but was
anxious to put into execution the plan prQ-
posed by the monetary conference in this
city some time age BY Nv w Acne All form ,f or
with the exception Of bank notes based on
gold. This he characterized as crime of
the strong against Jn6 Wcdh III WHICH dlu-
man liberty was at stake He. combated
the theory that gold had any intrinsic value
any more than any other artcle OF COM
nerce. In scoring the Cleveland admins
tration he stated that there was no party
that did not feel contempt for 1t.
MR. SHANKLIN ON CUBA.
Touching on the Cuban matter, he said
that the Presidents policy was thoroughly
inscrutable to everyone, providing, II
course that he had a policy, and was the
means Of filling the hearts of all Americans
with shame. This timidity and sordidness
prompted by so-caned business interests is,
he said, holding this government up to the
world as one controlled by towards bound
up by the money power. He was uncom-
promisingly in favor of bimetallic legisla-
ton in this country, independent of the &C
ton of European nations, prophesying, In
the event of its success, that all the other
nations, including England, would come into
the fold from personal interests. In clos
ing he pronounced glowing eulogy on the
qualities of the next speaker, George Fred
Williams, of Boston, who delivered the
speech of the evening. Mr.. Williams was
unable to speak for several minutes be-
cause of the great applause
MIR. WILLIAMS'S SPEECH.
In opening Mr.. Williams spoke feelingly
of his welcome here, recalling his previous
experience in this city as the guest of the
Travelling Mems Association. His work. he
said. in other portions of the country was
not as prolific in recruits for the silver
cause as that of Indiana and Illinois. BIZ
metallism was. he continued. not a political
party with a platform, but church with a
creed which went even beyond bimetal-