The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-09
A CALIFORNIAN TALKS.
WHAT HE HAS TO SAY ABOUT
SILVER, WHEAT AND COTTON.


Some Facts for Those Who Are Will
ing to Do Little Thinkiug-How
Cleveland Stands in the West--Other
Points OF Interest.
SAN FRANCIsCo, May 7.-Among the
leading democrats of the Pacific coast is
John p Irish, formerly editor of the Alta
California, and now secretary and treas.
urer of the board Of Yosemite valley and
Big Tree Grove commissioners.
Mr.. Irish came here from Iowa several
years ago and immediately took place in
the front rank OF the democrats of the
Pacificc coast. He is one OF the
ablest stump speakers in the
union, and has done excellent
service in all the exciting political cam
paigns for the past twenty years. He ran
for governor of Iowa in the old days when
it was merely form to fill out a ticket
Mr.. Irish keeps himself thoroughly in-
formed of the condition of public sentiment
on the Pacific coast. He does this both by
correspondence and travel, and by his large
acquaintance with men west of the Missouri
river. He is everywhere known as a stanch
friend Of Mr.. Cleveland, and readily con-
sented to give his views upon the condition
of sentiment here relating to that gentle
man, as well as upon the silver question as
it affects the politics OF the Pacific coast.
"Tbe states west of the Missouri river"
said Mr.. Irish. "are supposed to make silver,
free silver, silver coined at the mints. at a
statutory ratio widely disjointed from the
actual ratio with gold, sole and guiding
and controlling issue in their politics. The
cultivation of this supposition in the east
has been the special task of the western
wing of republican protectionists. They
have held out false lights to lure the demoo-
racy and shat their imposition has so nearly
succeeded is one of the marvels of these days.
'These western states are squeezed by
protection. Their resources are drained by
it. Their agricultural greatness has de-
parted Their crops, year after year, have
cost more to produce than they have brought
in the market at the farm price,
''While this was the case, while wheat was
the lowest it has been since 1900 the silver
wing of the protection party bruised the
defenseless air with the outcry that the
value Of the silver rupee OF India and
bushel Of wheat were always interchange
able, and that, therefore, low silver pro-
duced low priced wheat. But famine fell
upon the fields OF Europe last year aud
wheat went up while silver went down.
An enormous aggregate of money came to
US for our food produced surplus of 1891,
required by the millions Of consumers In
Europe. But where is that
money! 1t should have fabricated
trade from ocean to ocean, but il
has not. Here on the Pacific, as yonder on
the Atlantic, and in the vast Mediterranean
region between. the mournful cry is the
same, depressed business, money not in cir
culation, no great enterprises in action, and
hard times. The great national sponge,
called the Mckinley bill, has absorbed for
hal ~ 20. klxn agrr h..
the toll of the many, and the silver ring
cries 10 chorus that the resulting stringenoy
is caused by lack of free, unlimited, inde-
pendent coinage of that metal.
II notice, however, that they have dropped
their rupee and wheat argument and
now are poisoning the south with financial
hereses, using the low price of cotton as
the means of promoting their delusions. II
is an economic fact that everybody in the
south should have sense enough TO remem-
Der that when wheat is high cotton is low
Last years wheat was high, and last years
cotton was low. Food and drink are the
prime necessities of man. Clothing is sec.
ondary. Foreign crop failure aud famine
raised wheat and the people filed their bel
lies at the expense of their backs. Silver
had about as much TO do with it as the
moons Of Jupiter with the teething of a
hippopotamus in the Nile. The whole
truth is, that Mr.. Cleveland has put the
system of protective spoliation in peril
He DESTROYED sectionalism, upon which the
protectionists had so long relied, and which
they put in focus whenever they were in
danger, and they have invented the silver
question TO take its place, to divide the
democrats, defeat Clevelnnd, and continue
the system of plunder which enriches the
few at the cost of the many.
"Here In the west there are no democrats
in the silver camp except such as desire the
defeat of Cleveland. l am safe in saying
that 80 per cent of tue party demand his
nomination. They demand more than
that They want him nominated by
a convention Of his friends who will organ
ize the party aud constitute the national
committee to elect him.
'There has always been a suspicion here
that in 1888 the committee was organized to
defeat him. There were queer things done
and said at the headquarters in New York,
and therefrom radiated the chill that went
TO the partys marrow. Mr.. Clevelands
ideal leadership has put hope in the heart,
and his heroic self-sacrifice has put courage
in the conduct OF the party in the states
where we must win and hold public favor il
we expect ever to be again a genuinely
national party. We cannot go on tied to
the south and New York From that bond
age he has given us the first promise of de-
livery, and already Wisconsin, Michigan,
IOWd hh0 AAlAloAS ilAb up buSit AhDb5.
he stands to-day the first and foremost
American In the hearts of his countrymen.
True, some politicians are striving by toll
and craft to reach the honors which the
people desire to bestow on him. So Aaron
Burr and George Clinton toIled and in
trigued for the presidency, but the people
turned away from politicians and called to
their service Jefferson, the statesman.
If nominated, Mr.. Cleveland will be
elected and then this republican castle of
selfishness will crumble and fall. The
greeds aud grudges Of the past will evapo-
rate, and the real republic will come again.
"The accumulation Of wealth in the hands
of the few, the boasted material prosperity
which is around us, but not shared by the
masses, are the signs which have gone be-
fore the fall of other nations. The people need
northumberland and more liberty In it's
largest sense. All things needful are prom
ised in the ideal policy Of Mr. Cleveland;
then let the party do its duty"