Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-07
MARYLAND with New England.

There does not seem to no the least
prospect that In the South and West the
free coinage OF silver Q6 to ID VIII be-
come less popular than It is On the
contrary. the proposition seems to grow
IN popularity day by day.
II was stated quite recently that
there had been issued by the Ohio Demo-
cratic State Committee an address to
the voters OF that State. In which II
was declared that tho restoration of
silver TO free coinage was tho supreme
issue before the people. This fact IN
dicates, as We have just intlmated. that
these persons are not mistaken who say
that In the South and West the Tree
coinage OF silver. instead OF becoming
less popular is daily growing in strength.
How the Democrats OF the entire country
are to come TO an understanding on this
subject In 1896 does not yet appear
Possibly something may occur to settle
the question before then.
But we always Include Maryland win
the New England and Middle states
when we make out list OF the States
IN which either bimetalllsm or monone-
tallism Is supposed TO be the creed OF the
voters. or a majority OF them. In Mary
land public opinion IS so generally on
the side OF monometallism that candidates
for Congress do not hesitate to avow
that they are opposed to the free COIN
age of silver at the ratio Of l6 10 ]. The
issues In Maryland. therefore, this fall
cannot be the same as the Issues In the
Southern and Western States; but the
voters will have TO decide upon what
Governor Stone declared are merely tenn
porary questions. The tariff question, or
the admission Of raw materials FREQ OF
duty, or the income-tax, or protection In
some form, may be made an issue be-
tween the parties in Maryland, but we
do not understand that there can be any
fight carried on IN that State on the sill
yer question. The position OF Senator
Hill is probably the position Of the Demo
Gratis OF Maryland-that is, they would be
willing TO compromise on the free coin
age OF silver at a ratio which shall make
the bullion in a silver dollar worth as
much as the bullion in a gold dollar.
This last, however. is mere conjecture
on our part. But we have before us evil
dence as TO how the people OF Baltimore
stand affected toward the silver probleEh'
and Will give some Of It as a matter OF
interest to our readers:
Last week convention was held In
the Fourth Congressional District OF
Maryland Zone of the Baltimore districts
to nominate a Democratic candidate for
the national House OF Representatives
to succeed the able and experienced Mr..
Rayner, who had declined reelection.
The nomination fell upon the Hon.
Thomas c. Cowden, who appeared In the
convention and made candid avowal OF
what he expected TO do In case he was
elected 70 Congress. He said |! was to
n certain extent time and place ror a
confession Of faith.
Well. what did this distinguished Mary
lander confess? His first suggestion was
that there "are n series OF public questions
that are not partisan in their character
and upon which, therefore, Mr.. Cowden
did not think line could be drawn be-
Here let us say that whatever anybody
may think as TO the soundness of Mr..
Cowdens views, everybody must admire
his bold, outspoken. clear, candid state
ment OF them. Here Is specimen OF
his speech. Mr. Cowden said:
Il am against any more tampering
with silver. The Democratic party. by
% rot h.a
tied, according to my opinion, the silver
question. BY no vote nor voice nor pen
Of mine shall that question be opened.
Applause) l hold that sixty years ago
Democratic administration practically
placed upon the statute-books OF this
country a declaration that gold was 10
be the measure Of value. BY the repeal
OF the Sherman act we are on a gold
basis and as far as l am concerned on
gold basis We shall stay. (Applause)
Il am not one OF those who believe
that poor man wants poor money. l
maintain for the poor man. he should
have the best money (applause), and the
best money is the measure of value
lected by the experience of the world
and that is gold, and everything else
that acts as money is TO be convertible
into gold. On that platform / stand and
on that platform your present represen-
tative stands"
The reader will see at once that what
ever the Democrats of the South and the
West may do as TO the silver question,
the Democrats Of Maryland will refuse
10 ask for the free coinage Of silver at
ratio of &c to l.
In Virginia majority Of the Democrats,
and We might say, We suppose. ma
jority Of the voters are in favor Of the
repeal of the Federal tax upon the issues
Of State banks. The advocates Of this
repeal denounce the silyerites as infa-
tionists and the silverts In turn de-
nounce the advocates OF repeal as infa-
tionists. On this question Mr.. Cowden
said:
Il take my stand in favor Of a uniform
and stable national currency as against
currency issued by forty-four States.
and cauiing Infinite confusion. l hold that
the National Government has procured
for itself under the undoubted exercise OF
its powers as defined by the Supreme
Court d currency that is as good in Port
land, Me. as in Austin, Texas.
Il hold that we ought not. as Demo-
Gratis. 70 swing back to the days Of Red
Dog ana wildcat and 'Stumptalr cur
rency before the war. Mpplause)
Il hold. again. that having once estab-
lished a national currency. II should re-
main national. once having become uni
form. it should remain uniform; once
having become stable. no Democratic
hand should be put forward to break
down its stability" Applause)
Mr.. CoWden added. however. that the
national banking-system ought TO be
widened, but any new system which might
be adopted ought TO be national. He In
sisted. too, that the questions upon which
ne had given his views were not party
questions.