The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-30
FROM PENNSYLVANIA
COMES THE NEWS THAT FREE SILL
TERIS WHAT THE PEOPLE Want.
And That Is Don Camsron's Issue on Which
He Hopes to Hop Into the Republican
Presidential Next Year.

|
| Mr.. Robert B. Cramer city editor Of The
| Philadelphia Times, who is spending part
| Of his summer vacation in Atlanta, is an
| interesting talker on the political situa-
| ton. He is close observer and his con-
| nection with The Times has given him
| an admirable opportunity to study the
| varying phases of the political outlook.
| For several years he has done much OF
tha political work of The Times, and he
is the right-hand man Of the great jour-
nalist, Colonel A. K. Mcclure, whose man
agement OF The Times for SO many years
has made both him and his paper known
throughout the length and breadth of the
land.
During the past few months the Pennsyl-
vania papers have been full of the growth
of the free silver sentiment in that state,
Senator Don Cameron having been one OF
the few republican senators who have
supported free silver measures in the
senate. Mr.. Cramer says that after this
congress disposes of the tariff question:
and whatever is done with it, this issue
will be a back number far as Pennsyl-
vania is concerned, and that the Hnanclai
question will forge Immediately to the
front. OF this MI. Cramer says:
They Are for silver.
1.-THE change of sentiment among the men
against silver a year ago and secured the
repeal Of thet silver purchasing clause of
the Sherman act, has brought a new and
active element into national political affalrs
which is puZzlng nightly the leaders OF
both the old parties. The approach of anoth-
er presidential campaign with the certainty
that the people will not permit party plat
forms to either dodge or straddle the silver
question, has, within a very few months,
revolutionized the political situation in the
middle and New England states.
I'm Pennsylvania the tariff Is a dead IS
sue. The people are only waiting for some
definite action on the bill now pending in
congress, and when President Cleveland at
taches his signature to the compromise
measure the only regret anywhere will be
that he did not do it sooner The people will
not endure another tariff agitation in con-
gress nor soon permit of another long-drawn
out Wrangle which places an injunction on
trade and ties up every important interest
pending the settlement of the tariff question
by congress on purely political basis.
Preliminary Education.
"The bitter attack on silver in which the
leaders of both parties joined with the be-
lief that it would settle financial woes, END
ed in the repeal of the Sherman act and
gave Pennsylvania people a preliminary ed
ucation in the study Of me silver question.
Since then they have been making up their
own minds about silver and have Joined
with the people of other northern states IN
the belief that silver was not the cause of
our national financial disease but rather
effective and urgent remedy.
The sentiment In favor of free coinage
spread slowly, but it has developed
strength which neither party dare ignore.
1t has overshadoWed the tariff question
and overwhelmed the American Protective
Association element, which once threat
ened to become vigorous political issue
in at least three of the northern states.
1t has done more than that-it has come
to the front a platform on which the
man to be nominated and elected our
next president must stand or fall. Neither
he nor his party could make light of it If
they tried.
This CONFUSION Of sentiment has left
many prominent presidential booms strand
Kinley to make a race on the tarlh issue
again. for the people won't have it. Ihey
may like his bill better than Professor
Wilson'S but they will insist that the next
few congresses at least spend their time
in talking about something else, while our
manufacturers find time to strike a bal
ance sheet.
.'The same is true OF Tom Reed, with the
additional fact that his radical anti-silVer
views places a second obstacle in his pain.
That Reed is endeavOring TO hedge on the
silver question is common talk IN Washing
ton but the pages of The Congressional
Record tell a story too straightforward
to be denied The other prominent repubH-
cans in the senate and the house are in
the same boat. for nearly every one or
them who is accredited with presidential
aspira ti0ns has at one time or another
deprecated the value of the white metal
in our currency.
Dor, Cameron to the Front.
1.-The conspicuous exception to the rule
is Senator Don Cameron of Pennsylvania
With a record for straight republicanism
which reaches back to war times, there is
nothing about him which his own party
can object to, and his voice and vote
against the force bill and the Sherman
repeal bill have placed him directly in line
with the all-pOwerful Independent clement
THE man who is to be nominated by the
republicans for president in 1875 must III
the platform which the sentiments or the
people are now building. The republican
party is not in position to build plat
form to fit any man, no matter how much
popularity he may enjoy at the present
time. Their candidate must be man
whose views on the coinage question IA
vor free coinage absolutely and unreserVeu-
w. and whose record will be at least rea-
sonablv consistent with the declara tons OF
his party on the subject
They Want More Money.
"This bars out all the old-timers who
have waved the bloody shirt until it is
threadbare and who have talked tariff I'M
til every workingman in the country rises
in protest against the very mention OF
the word 1t bars out those who have
been led by public clamor into faVorng
a gold currency, and it leaves IN the nelu
only the men who are pledged to bring
about financial relief by the reconstruction
Of our financial system on cheap money
basis Because of this condition of affairs
noIitjcally the names OF Mckinley, Reed,
Harrison, Tracey, Allison and Sherman are
being showed to the background, While
Cameron comes forward as the straight
and true disciple of the new political reIl-
gion. M 80. 100 -,
state bank currency is considered IN fenil-
svlvania as a thing entirely apart from the i
question OF free coinage. Ihe repeal 10
favored by majority Of democrats ana
minority of republicans, but the demand
fer more money and plenty of it IS aaut ing
daily to the ranks of those VINO IaVoi tle
reneal. Very few conventions OF either
party recently held in the north, hoWeVer,
have cared to handle this question "l'hou'
gloves"