Turpie Made Presiding Officer

Fully 1.6U0 delegates were present in the Auditorium when at 2:15 o'clock President W N. Brown, of the Central Bimetailic League of Memphis, called the oonvention to order and introduced Judge L. H Este9, of Memphis, who offered up a prayer. President Brown then called for nominations for permanent ohairman. and Senator Isham G. Harris, the ante-belluru governor ot Tennessee, was given an enthusiastic reception when he arose to present the name of Senator David Turpie, of Indiana. Harris said he had no idea of making a speech, that he only wished to state in a word the purpose and object3 of this convention. It was called by the Central Bimetailic League of Shelby county, a strictly non-partisan oreanization oomposed of Democrats, Kepubllcans and Populists. lts doors were thrown open to every American citizen who honestly believed in ihe propriety, the advisabiüty and the necessiiy of the rahabilltatlon of silver. Their doctrine ia bimetullisin, and by bimetallism they mean the tree and unlimited coinage of all the gold and all the silver produced in this country. They hold as to this convention that a Democrat can be present and particípate iu its deliberations without impairing in the slightest degree his allegiance oj: fidelity to his party organization, and the same is true of Republicans and Populists, whose party iealty cannot be mpeached because of their open advocacy of free silver coinage. "We are here," concluded the senator, "as a band of freeraen to oontjider this all-absorbing question which now confronts the American peopie. We are to consider the coinage question and that question only." He then nominated Turpie, who was elected with a whaop, and the senator írom Indiana was warmly received. Whlle he buars his 6S years lighsly, hia v.jii.e was rat her weak for the large hall, and he showed that the warm weather made the task of delivering an elabórate addrcss before the conveution a difficulc one. Alter Senator Turpie had been elected by acolamation he assumed the chair and addressed the convention at length in favor of free silver. H closed aa follows: "The faith of the advocate of a single gold standard is compounded of one truth and one pernictous error. That ooined Standard dollars shoukl oe of equaJ legal valué is truc, bui that the m3fal in i (hem must ba of equal buil Ion vulue ia a íalliiov ?o contrary to our coinmon sense and experlenca that it oannot be much aided bv prophecy." Senator Turpie was acoorded another ; round of appltiuse when he finished hia I nddross. A commUtee on resolutions was nppointud - une member f rom each etnte represen red, Senator Jones, of Arkansas, beine chairmau and Senator Harig a member trom the United States at large. Judge J H. McDoweli, of Tennessee. rose to ask recognition for the Populista upon the committee on resolutions He carried his point without diffiDulty and it waa agreed that he be empcwered to present the names of delegates, who were ndded to the committee on resoluttons as represeutatives of the People's party. Ex-Governor Prinoe, of New Mexico, laid the reason there were no individual ielegates from a number of western and northwestern states was that at the Salt Lake City silver conference a committee had been appointed to represent those itates collectively, and that committee was here. Speaking was next in order. And Alexander Delmar, forinerly director of the bureau of statistics and minina, delivered á long address He began by saying that " principie on which all parties in this issue unite ís stabiiity; he was convmced that "no institution can snjoy u permanent footing in thi9 country unless foanded on principies of equality," and "any system of money that does not point to substantial atability of prices" will fail. He reiterated the charge that the "demonetization of silver" was brought about by fraud and surreptitiously. He was loudly applauded, but the audience wanted more speeches in spite of the fact that it was time to take reoess. The chair finally declared the body adjourned to evening and the deiepates ctispersed.