The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-09-05
Ohio FOR
IOWA AGAINST
ONE CONVENTION REAFFIRMS?
OTHER REPUDIATES FREE SILVER
Crawford County Delegates Vote solidly
for Free Silver, But Meet Defeat
After Fierce Fight,

for Free Silver, But Meet Defeat
After a Fierce Fight,
The Iowa democracy has officially de-
clared free silver at sixteen to one to
be dead and ready for burial in the
potter's field. Coins Financial School,
the words of the silver -tongued orator
from the Platte, the teachings of the
great silver disciples, ]. B. Romans
and Ct. L. Caswell have been thrown in
the waste basket. At the same time,
the democrats of Ohio enthusiastically
endorsed free silver and suggested for
President, Tom Johnson, sixteen-to-
one man of the most pronounced type.
The contest at the Des Moines conven-
tion was a bitter one throughout. The
venerable Horace Boies, whose letters
on all sides OF the money question have
made him famous, was called to the aid
of the repudiationists and carried the
day for them against the advice and
strenuous opposition Of such men as j.
B. Weaver, j. B. Romans, j. j. Shea.
G. F. Rinehart and Walt Butler. The
air of the convention hall was fairly
sulphuruous at times with the heated
invective of the orators. The term
"D-m fools" was banded back and
forth with Jetfersonian simplicity and
directness and finally by q vote of 3S4
to 344, the free silver plank was otfici
ally pronounced dead, defunct, ready
for burial
The keynote of the majority senti.
ment in the convention was struck by
Horace Boise when he said, Free
coinage of silver at exact ratio of
sixteen-to-one, in Iowa as we'll as in the
United States, is as dead an issue as
ever died." Mr.. Boies said it would
be the srankest folly to reaffirm the
Bryan platforms of 1895 and 1900
Perhaps in the memory of the ancient
war horse OF democracy there yet ling
cred a picture of that great Chicago
convention when the woman in white
cheered him on to victory, when the
crowds Of his supporters surged and
roared and when it seemed, for time.
that he was to be the standard bearer
of a great party in national campaign.
And then upon the scene came the ora
tor from Nebraska and the words ''Y ou
shall not press upon my brow the crown
of thorns, you shall not cruelty me
upon cross of gold" came ringing
through the vast assemblage and the
fate of the man from Iowa was sealed.
That was six years ago. Since then
William Jennings Bryan has twice led
democracy to defeat and all this time
the sage of Black Hawk ,county has
been meditating, biding his time, and
the time came at Des Moines to deliver
to the ambitious Nebraskan the mos,
crushing blow he has yet received
This Reputation OF his great doctrine,
by a neighboring state which has stood
by him unwaveringly through good
and ill-repute, must have been more
crushing than both of his defeats for
the Presidency. The legions are
broken, the Old Guard has gone down,
the living tomb of a political ST.
Helena yawns for its victim.
But the silver knight was not with
out his defenders, Col. c. HI. Mackey
appealed in vain for democracy to stay
with the common people," He said,
eff you want to repudiate the national
platform you can do so. There is no
law to prevent'your making d-m fools
OF yourselves" j. j. Shea made an
impassioned appeal for sixteen to one
He accused Gov. Boies Of trying to re-
pudiate the platform which he himself
had fathered and added, Robbed of all
subterfuge, the question is, are you go
ing to repudiate or not. Refuse to re-
affirm and you make it impossible for
20O,O00 democrats in Iowa to vote the
ticket" (Hisses and applause). Walt
Butler, than whom no man in Iowa has
been more constant and consistent
advocate of the silver cause warmly up
held the cause OF Bryan and free silver.
Mr.. Butler said, ANY party that goes
back on principles will die, because it
deserves to die. believe before God,
that this fight today will decide the
future of the democratic party in Iowa.
If we go back on our principles today,
we will die. because we deserve to
die"
The above are but few extracts
from the many impassioned speeches
made both in defense of and against the
Kansas City platform. 1t was freely
charged that the about face on the
money question was simply in order to
catch votes and if possible to elect a