Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-20
The Passing Of George Fred Williams

| tics of the Old Bay State, it looks very
much as if the once ubiquitous George
| Fred Williams had become reninis-
| cence. He has been overwhelmingly
| turned down by the Democracy OF his
own state, while Bryan and Organism
has been definitely and emphaticaily
repudiat ed. The spectacle of this once
powerful leader of the Massachusetts
| Democracy. who since 1896 has be-
strobe the disorganized remnant of his
party like a colossus" being soundiy
land repeatedly Kissed at the council
board Of his own political household, is
a striking proof of the fact that man
who trims his political principles to
meet the veering breezes does not re-
tain the confidence or respect OF any
body of men for a great length of
time. The record Of George Fred Will
lia:ns is the story of a political grass
| hopper He has jumped over the
1 arena of present day policies with an
| agility that has been little short of
| dazzling Starting out as a Republi
can, he soon landed in the Democracy.
In 1880 he was elected a member of the
| sd Congress.
| The great fight in that Congress was
on a bill introduced by Blond of Mis-
| souri, providing for the free and I'M
limited coinage of silver at a ratio of
! l6 to l. This was referred to the CON-
mittee on coinage, weights and meas
| ures. 1t was favorably reported by
| the committee, but there was also
| minority report drafted by Mr.. Will
liams which vigorously opposed it,
pointed cut its fallaces, and it's grave
| dangers to the welfare and prosperity
of the country. In the fight which fol-
| lowed Mr.. Williams bore a conspicuous
part as the recognized leader of the
sound money forces. The strength Of
| the free silver forces was shown on
March Z, 1892. when the preliminary
| figh. between the free silver and sound
| money forces came on a resolution re-
ported by the committee on rules to set
apart three days for the considerations
| of the free silver bill. Mr.. Williams
| led this opening fight in a vigorous
speech, in which he declared that the
people of the North were mot yet
| ready to go into national bank
/ r,a IA nj
| lar From this it would appear that
the market value of silver bullion was
considerably higher at that time, than
it is at the present day.
Mr.. Williams was unable to stem the
current, however, and the resolution
| was adopted by a vote of 100 to 50. This
| vote while not strictly confined to party
lines. was significant in indicating the
| general attitude of the great political
| organizations on the question of free
silver coinage. 1t showed that 66 per
cent. Of the Democrats in the House
| and only Is per cent. of the Republic
| cans We're in favor of the bill. The dis
cussion which followed on March -.
% and "A was one of the most notable
in the history of Congress. On March
%, Mr.. Williams made a strong speech
for sound money in which he pictured,
| with graphic force, the evils that would
| inevitably result from free silver coin
age The opponents of the bill, taking
1 i, - Il
under that Democratic regime, resort
| ed to filibustering. The battle was
waged far into the night of March 24th;
but Blond and his friends were unable
to secure a quorum, and were finally
obliged to adjourn without securing the
passage of their bill
| Mr.. Williams very cheerfuly assumed
a lions share of the credit for this re-
| suit
| In 1895 Mr. Williams ran for COVER
nor Of Massachusetts, on what, if we
remember correctly, was sound
money platform. In 1896 Mr. Bryan
and his followers captured the Demo-
cratic national convention at Chicago,
repudiated the former principles of the
party. stole the Populist platform,
and started new political movement
| under the old name, with the Nebraska
| leader as it's standard bearer.
Immediately a change came over
the spirit Of George Fred Williams
| dreams. The erstwhile champion of
| sound money, suddenly blossomed
| forth as an outspoken and insistent
advocate of the free and unlimited COIN
| age of silver at ratio of IS to /. The
| conversion of Saul was not a circum-
stance to the change of vision that
came to this self-constituted Sparticus
| of the Bay State Democracy.
His was about the only voice in his
state that was pitched high enough to
be heard above the resounding foot
steps of former Democrats who had
suddenly found themselves without a