Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-07-24

The Silver Issue in 1902.
When Senator Sherman issued his note of
warning concerning the dangers Of free sill
YER number of the leading democratic
newspapers of the country urged the mem
bers of their party in Ohio not to allow
themselves TO be forced into false position
by the able republican fnancier, thus at
tempting to convey to the world at large
the idea that the buckeye democrats were
for sound money. These organs might have
succeeded in their efforts to deceive the peo
pie of other States in relation to the attitude
of their party in Ohio, but unfortunately for
them the Ohio democrats in their State CON
vention declared by an overwhelming vote
in favor of the Gree and unlimited coinage
of silver along with gold.
This action is of interest to the whole
country because it has been openly con-
coded and freely stated by leading mes of
both parties that the campaign in Ohio
would be fought out on national rathcr
than local issues The republicans recog
nized this fact when they declared in their
State convention for protection, reciprocity
and sound money, and chose the champion
of protection for the head of their State
ticket.
The two great parties in Ohio are thus
committed to opposite sides of the silver
question and the ndcations are strong that
their position foreshadows the attitude OF
tho two national parties in the presidential
campaign of 1892. The democrats Of the
South are practically solid for free silver,
and the action Of the Ohio democrats makes
/ it probable that the democrats of every
other State west Of them VIII also declare in
favor of unlimited coinage
Nor are We confined to the theory Of
probabilities in thi, connection. In 1880
the democrats Of Western States, according
to the Tribune Almanac, took positions on
the silver question as follows: California
democrats in State convention favored 1.-THE
free coinage of silver, to be made an unlim-
tod tender for all purposes The Colorado
democrats demanded "the free and unlim-
tied coinage Of silver. The democrats Of
| Idaho called for ''the unlimited coinage of
| silver The Illinois democrats demanded
| that "all unnecessary restrictions be re-
moved from the coinage of silver. The In
/ diana democratic State convention called
for free and Unrestricted coinage of silver
on the basis existing prior to 1913. - The
democratic conventions OF Iowa, Kansas,
/ Michigan, Missouri. Nebraska, Nevada and
Oregon each declared in favor Of 'the free
and unrestricted coinage OF silver ~
and the democratic OF these States
are not likely to 60 back on their record,
This will leave the democrats OF the New
England State New York, Pennsylvania
and New Jersey and possibly Delaware to
stand mp for sound money in their national
convention next summer, and, as these State.
are entitled 10 only little over one fourth OF
the delegate, in that body, it is evident that
the next national democratic platform is
almost certain to have free silver plank.
The republicans will also have a small
number of silver men to deal with in their
national convention but they will have nc
difficulty in adopting sound money plank
and in so doing they Will gain MS many
sound money votes in the East AZ they vii
lose free silver votes in the West. This i,
the logical sequence Of the present trend Of
the silver question and the issue is clearly
1 drawn.