The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-31
FLEA IN HIS EAR.
Good Advice Given to Thomas
B. Reed.
The Republican Party and the Sill
yer Question.
Minneapolis Times, Oct. 81:

minneapolis Times, Oct Il:
When Thomas B. Reed vas entertained
by Senator Washburn at his home the night
of the big meeting at the Exposition he
got something that a great deal
harder for him to digest than the excellent
dinner which was served on the mahogany
Gus matters We're discussed between and
during the courses, and the Importance Of
the conversation SO distracted the atten-
ton of the guests from the daintness of
the menu that Mr.. Washburn's chef would
have CRASHED his teeth had he seen the in
difference to the finest products of his skill.
When men like Senator Washburn, the
american car" Loren Fletcher, John
Lind, D. F. Morgan, and such party war
horses get together, whether in a secret
chamber around the banquet board, their
deliberations cannot fail to be of weight
especially when the standard is threaten
in so great Republican stronghold as Min
| nesota. From the time the gentlemen met
in the dining room until they took their
carriages for the Exposition building. Mr..
Reed heard nothing but statement after
the Republican party on silver was jeopar-
Gizing the party's success in the state and
was directly accountable for the Scandi-
navan detection, which was openly
granted and treated as one of the serious
features of the present campaign. Morgan
and Lind one after another impressed upon
the stalwart of Maine the truth of the
statement, claiming that the silver question
was the issue of paramount importance in
this state, and that the free silver plank in
the Popuist platform was the allurement
which was drawing the Scandinavians in
hordes from Nelson. The reason that they
did not go in part to Becker was on ac-
count of the presidents stand against free
coinage and his we'll known views about
sound money.
a clap of thunder from clear sky, and
that it impressed him deeply is evidenced
by the fact that ne promised to see the ma
tlonal committee as soon as possible and
confer with them to the best means of
changing the position that the state
might not be lost How this change can
be effected so that the party will stand for
sound money in one section and still make
| such a showing here that it will satisfy the
friends of free silver that it is the safest
custodian of their interests, is one OF thosa
problems that only a political wizard like
Reed can solve. Even he may be at loss
for a solution, but this cannot be safely
said until the short period before election
passed without some pronunciamento which
shall have a direct bearing on this most i'm
portant issue.
If this be the real cause of the Scandna-
Wan detection, the state is in more Sc
| rious predicament than has before been
| imagined, for the Republican party has
| been SO outspoken a champion of sound
| money and restricted coinage of silver
ba q homeless "a to ma "a
any portion Of the community believe that
it could hold any other views in the short
space of time that remains before election.
But that this is the cause of the detection
| is real in the minds of those party leaders
| who were present at the dinner is beyond
| the shadow of a doubt for this informa-
ton comes directly from the lips of one
who was present, and one who is far from
being the least important in the state or the
nation.