| Show i mm PlANK WAS S A TRAP To Catch i lreo I Coinage Votes for Cleveland Thomas M Patterson Gives an Account Ac-count of tho Committee Proceedings Proceed-ings at the Last Democratic National Na-tional Convention Vilas McPhor Bon and Bayard Represented Clove land Favored a VoteGetter Denver Sept 11he llocky Mountain Moun-tain News today published an editorial In which Mr Thomas M Patterson editor l edi-tor of tho newspaper gives a full account ac-count of the pioceedlngs of the subcommittee sub-committee of the committee on resolutions resolu-tions at the last Democratic convention conven-tion relating to the financial plank The subcommittee consisted of Mr Bayard Senators McPherson Vllas and Daniel John D C Atkins of Tennessee Tennes-see L F Garrard of Georgia Mr Jones of Missouri and Mr Patterson of Colorado Mr Patterson says When the plank was first read and analyzed I suggested sug-gested that It was uncertain and gave room to cavil about Its meaning to remove this unccrtnlntv I suirirostcd that the word free be Inserted before till words coinage of gold and silver etc I distinctly stated that I would be content to omit the ratio for such coinage leaving that to Congress what I did want was the Democratic party clearly and unequivocally committed tome to-me blmetallsm Senators Vllas and McPherson opposed op-posed this and so did Mr Bayard Each gave his reason It wits not that hey were opposed to free coinage on the contrary they favored It but the word free as applied to coinage was so liable to be misunderstood In the East and Northeast that It would through this Ignorance lose the party many votes which should not be allowed owed Mr Bayard was particularly earnest In asserting his fealty to sliver sli-ver and told In graphic and pathetic anguuge the services ho had performed for the white metal Mr Patterson says that after considerable con-siderable discussion Mr Atkins a pro fessed blmetallst offered the following i substitution for the monetary plank We hold to tho use of both gold and silver as the standard money of the country and to the coinage of both gold and silver for the owners thereof without discriminating against either metal or charge for mintage etc I realized In a moment continues Mr Patterson that It was a declaration declara-tion for free coinage as clear and emphatic em-phatic as though the word free were used a dozen times but bpforo committing com-mitting myself I turned to Senators Vilas and McPherson and Mr Bayard and asked What dofyou thlnlcof 1It nntJT < Iln 1Iu1rcat a i wished to consider It He ther conferred with Mr Daniel who approved of the substitution and who said In response to tho assertion that the other side would not accept It Yes they will They are honorable gentlemen and when they say they favor free coinage and would declare openly for it but that the word tree is dangerous and would lose the party many votes in the East and Northeast they mean it This amendment avoids their only objection and they will adopt It Mr Daniel then urged the acceptance of the substitution and was much surprised sur-prised when Senator Vilas announced that they had decided against accepting accept-ing it claiming that the original plank was a declaration for free sliver Mr Atkins also voted against the substitution substi-tution Afi Tntforonn atntna tVinf Afn Whit ney came to the committeeroom and In answer to a question was told of the effort to have the word free inserted in-serted in the monetary plank Mr Patterson continues lIe studied the proposition a moment or two and In a very decided tone exclaimed Thats a votegetter they should not object to that Let me talk with them about It He called Senators Vilas and McPherson aside and talked with them quite earnestly for fully five minutes min-utes lIe returned apparently quite disappointed and said Its no use they object to the word free because It Is a very objectionable word In the Northeast In connection with money and to adopt it would lose the Democracy De-mocracy that section of the country I then explained the Atkins amendment amend-ment whereupon he again said inmost in-most emphatic language They will certainly consent to that I think they will Thats a votegetter I will talk to them about It Again ho held an earnest conversation with the senators When he returned looking more crestfallen crest-fallen than at first he remarked Its no use they will consent to no change The light before the full committee was reported In the press at the time I advocated the amendment Inserting the word free In the plank Mr Bay ard and Senator Vilas made several earnest speeches against It The amendment was lost I carried the amendment Into the convention It was again defeated 1 became convinced that Senators Vilas and McPherson with exSecretary of State Bayard represented Mr Clevelands views and that they fully understood each other The money i plank was a trap with which to catch free coinage Democrats for Mr Cleveland I made up my mind I would not walk into the trap with my eyes open and so as soon as possible pos-sible 1 repudiated Mr Cleveland and did what I could for Gen Weaver |
