The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-09
ORGANIZING DEFEAT.


day last the House voted to discuss the
Bland free silver coinage bill three days,
commencing March q. This vote makes
certain that the Bland bill will pass the
House. Its passage by the Senate Is
doubtful, but in that event it is sure to
be vetoed by President Harrison.
| The impending Endorsement OF the
| Bland bill bv the Democratic House will
prove a fatal political blunder. The pas
sage of the Bland bill by the House COM
mits the Democratic party to free silver,
| and presages its incorporation into the
| platform of the national Democracy at
the Chicago convention in July next.
| Even if the platform does not contain an
| unequivocal acceptance of the Bland bill,
the action of the popular body of the
national legislature fatally commits the
party to this policy of bediam finance. In
! that event the Democracy will lose
| New York and Connecticut and extin-
| guish its fighting chance OF carrying Mas
sachusetts. New Hampshire or Rhode
| Island. The action of the Democratic
senator's from New Jersey, who both voted
dSdillSb lTcc silFSIs As4As fNSAAS
| opinion in that state might turn against
the Democracy if candidate committed
| to free silver was nominated at Chicago.
To make up for these losses the Demo
Gratis would need to improve their chances
in some of the Western states. Wisconsin
| is strongly against free silver, as are Illi-
nois. Ohio and Minnesota. The Repub-
- I'll st
free silver coinage by the Democracy
| might increase the chance of Democratic
success are Colorado. Nevada, Idaho, Mon
| tana, Iowa and Kansas. The possible gain
of some of these states would not make up
for the sure loss of New York and Con-
necticut, and the Democracy must carry
all these Republican states, with Indiana
and New Jersey. in addition TO the Solid
South, in order to carry the election. The
Solid South will give the Democracy 159
electoral votes, leaving "a votes necessary
TO make up the majority of the electoral
college of IA votes.
Assuming that the endorsement of free
silver causes the loss to the Democracy of
New York ard Connecticut, the Demo
Gratis would have to carry both Indiana
and New Jersey and all the Republican
states named. Indiana and New Jersey,
with four votes from Michigan, would
give them % votes, and the Republican
states named in which the Democrats
with free silver might have a fighting
chance, would give them 50 votes. Here
would be % votes, which, added to 159
votes of the Solid South, would make pa,
or one more than would be necessary to
elect. For the chance of carrying these
Republican states we have named, the
Democracy could not afford to lose New
York and Connecticut.
The Democracy on the question of free
silver coinage might lose Indiana. which
has large independent vote, as is shown
| by the fact that the Democrats won in
ls7o, the Republicans in 1872, the Demo-
Gratis in 1874, 1875 and 1873, the RepubIi-
| cans in 1850, the Democrats in 1882 and
1854, the Republicans in 1856 and 1855, and
the Democrats in 1880. The Indianapolis
| Sentinel a pronounced advocate of free
/ silver coinage. recently said:
There is no Disgusting the fact that, upon
this question, ihsre IS 8 very sharp division OF
! sentiment in the Democratic party. The diyis-
Ion does not run strictly on seograp hical lines.
/ TIE Democracy in ell the ststes east OF Ohio
| and north OF the Potomac river is pretty nearly
| unanimous against free coinage.
| In Indiana and the other states of the middle
| West majority OF the Democratic party prob
ably fsvors free coinage but the msiori;y is not
/ very emphatic In TIE Jar West an ovarwhelming
( msior1ty o. Democrats as well IS Republicans
/ sire for Tree coinage.
In view OF these conditions, and bearing in
I mind that there IS 10 possibility of any free
I coinage bill passing the Senate during this
| congress We think the free coinage members of
I the House sce making a mistake in pressing
/ their pet measure st this time.
The passage of the Bland bill by the
| House will make the nomination of any
| pronounced opponent of free silver COIN
| age like Cleveland out of the question.
/ and would increase the chances Of some
/ Western man, like Governor Boies. of
! Iowa, or Ex-Governor Gray, OF Indiana.
/ General Palmer, OF Illinois, is too old:
I Is not believer in free silver, although he
has carried water on both shoulders on
( this question. United States Senator Al
hSon thinks Boies is candidate in good
/ earnest, and that he would be danger
/ oUs4y likely 10 carry Iowa against anv
! Republican save Blaine. David B. Hill.
/ OF New York, would favor or oppose free
/ silver coinage to capture the nomination.
but even Senator Hill could not carry the
East on platform endorsing free silver
] coinage.
Altogether it looks very much as if the
! currency issue might refuse TO down. and
/ might YET crowd the tariff issue into the
background with the national Democracy.
/ If It does, the Democracy, in the words of
} Democratic Congressman Harter, of Ohio.
( are foreordained 10 defeat because the
American people will never. after fair dis
! eusslon, vote TO pick their own pockets.
/ OUR FRONTIER pEFENsEs,
/ General Nelson \. Miles, at the annual
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