Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-05
REPUBLIcANs AND THE THIRD PARTY.
Ex-senator Blair Believes the Republicans
Will Declare for Free Coinage.


Will Declare for Free Coinage.
HE THINKS SOME OF THE PROPOSITIONS ADVANCED
81 THTBD PARTY xES WILL HAVE TO BE TESTED
BIZ ExPERIMESr-rHE INTELLIGENCE OF THE
FARnERs-rHE PUBLIC EDUCATION QUESTION.
Ex-senator Blair OF New Hampshire is view
ing politics from the outside these days and is
taking the world philosophically. A STAR re-
porter met him at the Arlington yesterday and
he talked for hour with perfect freedom
from official restraint Tho Senate and the
Chinese mission are for him things of the past,
and if he is going to begin the practice Of
diplomacy in Japan he does not nov know it.
lie is a looker-on IN politics, though he proba-
bly, does not expect to always remain inactive.
A STAR reporter asked HIM about the third
party movement, which is the right question to
start politicians with now. He looked far off
into space for moment, as if taking bird s.
eye view OF the whole political field. Then he
started his answer with a question:
do you think the people who are in the
movement can be reasoned out of their present
Convictions? Much depends on that. assume
that the farmers are the backbone of the move
ment- They are intelligent class Of men,
and unless they have struck o truth that they
cannot be turned from somewhere in their
platform they are apt to be reached by argu-
tioBs; if there Is any important one which can
not be eontroverted, if they insist upon any
question which canuot be settled by fair argu-
ment, the movement will probably livenntl
apractical test by experiment has been made
~ ILLUSTRATION FROM THE GREESsAcg MOVE
MENT.
'The greenoack movement had its run not
only in the west. but in the east it had strong
advocates, and some Of our public men, who
have since had their heads cleared out and re-
covered their senses. held tc the theory of nat
money before the resumption. The sOundness
OF the theory Of money which required that il
should have a commercial value nor dependent
upon the fiat of the government demon
strable, however, and the nat money craze died
out. IL is clear enough now to men ike Sher-
man. who at one time believed in the nat the
DRY, that money must have value of its
Intelligent people who advance any other the
DRY can be brought by argument 10 realize
that. II the third party movement is based
on demand for nat money there will be no
life in IL and 1t cannot hurt either
Of the two old parties. But 1 believe they in
clude other propositions in their platform; the
government control OF railroads and telegraph,
land questions and other economic and social
reforms, some of which it may not be possible
to demonstrate by argument to be incorrect
Some of them may demand demonstration by
experiment. and the government may have TO
make the experiments before the questions can
reputation of being the greatest railroad man
ager in the world, who Las been referred to as
the best business man OF this generation, is
quoted as saying that if he could consolidate
all the railroads of the country under his man
agement he could make them pay. With this
testimony from an unexpected source. and
one Of high authority. they may argue that the
only way 20 consolidate the railroads Is under
tie government control, and insist that under
such control it IS entirely practical to run them
oil
may not be easy to oyerturn this proposition
BY argument The experiment may, in time,
have to be tried.
MAY REQUIRE EXPERIMENT.
"Al these questions of overcoming monopolies
may have 10 be tested by experiment. and
there may be others that will give stability to
a new party, unless the old parties step in and
take them up. Blindness is a common ailment
among leaders Of the old parties. With all
vagaries and all theories of fiat money cleared
away, the financial question resolves itself into
question between the debtor class and the
creditor class as TO which shall get the advan-
tase Of the difference between the value of the
gold and the silver dollar. BY the law of the
land the silver dollar is now legal tender for
the payment Of all debts and IL NAV become the
standard Of value. Contracts have been made
and are being made nnder the double standard
and the debtors have perfect right to pay in
either they find it to their advantage to use.
provided they pay actually in silver or gold.
not In paper This issuing of paper note
secured by silver and making il a legal tender
is not wise These notes are nat. ami it is not
just to make the creditor take them IL payment
Of debts contracted under a coin basIs. This
may seem a trihing matter, the paper being
secured by actual deposit Of metal but 1t must
be remembered that the same power which
issues these notes can remove the deposited
security by legislation. 1t may be argued that
they would not do that. But they can do it. ard
that constitutes an clement OF insecurity.
These notes may be convenience. but they
have business TO be endowed with legal
tender qualities No money should be legal
tender which has not value of Its own.
Silver Is legal money, money under the Consti-
tuition. Let Us have free coinage of silver and
let the coin be legal tender, but do not put the
hat upon paper in any form.
THE KEPUBLIcANs AND FREE COINAGE.
Il think, said Mr.. Blair, that the next re-
publican platform will declare in favor Of the
tree coinage of silver. / believe the old party
will pull itself together. will meet the demands
of the people and will win in 80. believe 1
could write the plank in the platform now, We
believe In the free coinage of silver and gold
as legal tender for all debts, puolic and
private"
DO you think, then. that the republicans in
the next Congress will join the democrats of
the House in passing free coinage act?'' asked
IHE STAR reporter.
NO, 1 DO not" was the reply. THAT Issue
VIII not De settled In the next Congress. but
viii come into the campaign The republicans
viii put free coinage in their platform and
they viii try to pacate the discontented
farmers. Then, il the Farmers Alliance sees
no hope Of eleeting a third party President
each individual will reason out for himself the
probable effect Of his vote if cast for a third
candidate IL he prefers the republican eandi-
date to the democratic candidate and finds that
his voting for the third candidate will help the
democrat, he will vote the straight republican
ticket A democrat instead OF voting the third
party ticket will vote his old way. The third
party votes will be those cast by men who one
side or the other. are opposed to their OLD
party, but cannot quite bring them selves to
vote for It's rival. This, think. is very apt to
be the outcome of the third party movement
unless they take up some great question OF in
terest to the whole people and make fight on
both the old parties They are now forging
As the blacksmith does and we are yet 10 see
what Is coming cut OF it. IL they asse mble to-
gether propositions for the improvement OF the
condition Of the people which seem 10 promise
well and which cannot be successfully attacked
by mere argument. If among other PROPOSITIONS
for government institutions for the BENEFIT Of
the whole people which they advocate thew
should include the pubic education and should
make an earnest fight, believe they would de-
feat both the old parties"
Speaking OF the party nominations he said
he thought II now looked a. If Harrison would
be renominated. but he could form no opinion
rs 20 what the democrats would do for a candi
data