Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07
GAIN FOR THE WEST
Free Silver Sentiment Losing Its
Hold.
DIVERSIFICAFION OF INDUSTRIES
People Turning Attention to New
Pursuits.
FEELING FOR CLEVELAND
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,


September 3, 1895.
Ex-Congressman Coombs, who Is now
government director of the Union Pacific
railroad, is just in from a pretty thorough
tour over the Union Pacific road and its
branches. His trip has brought him into
contact with good many people in this
western country-people of all sorts, from
the officers and employees of the railroad
down through the various gradations-
bankers, merchants, hotel managers, resi-
dents of the cities and towns end stations
along the road and its branches, stockmen,
ranchmen, mine owners and employees. poll
ticians, lawmakers and men who want to
make laws.
Zone of the things that especially inter-
est me in this interesting country" said
he, talking to The Star correspondent, ''is
the9act that this country is rapidly getting
over its absolute and unqualified demand
for free silver 1t is getting to see that 1t
is not coming and this fact is really prov
ing very valuable to it,
"Hcw is it valuable, Mr.. Coombs, to
country that has as much silver as this,
and which has looked upon the loss of Sill
yer as ruinous to it?''
Because it is turning its attention to its
other undeveloped resources, and in so do
ing accomplishing much more for this coun-
try than would have been the case under
other circumstances. Heretofore when there
was a market for silver at good prices, all
attention was turned to that one industry.
Now that silver mining has become less
profitable, the people are turning their at
tention to other industries, such as the
mining of gold, the raising of stock, the de-
velopment of other mines and rnanufac-
lures. In other words, the industries of
the country are becoming much more d.
tod nd n Na1l
you think then, that this section Is
not going to suffer much from the loss
of silver as had been supposed by its peo-
ple?'
Undoubtedly not. OF course the silver
mines VIII not be as profitable, but the
gold mines which have been developed
since the recent fall in the price of silver
very numerous and profitable, ard VIII
be more SO. Then, too, the changed con-
ditions regarding silver are resulting in
general turning of attention to other in
dustries, not only gold mining, but many
others, both in mines. stock raising, agri-
culture and manufacture. / have no doubt
that the result VIII he such a development
of these other industries as to render the
country thus affected really better off. The
state of Colorado is this year producing
enormous quantities of gold and is giving
California close race in this line. The
fruit productions, the agriculture, well
as the various mining and manufacturing
interests of this western country, so de-
pendent upon silver, are being rapidly de-
veloped, and the people are not going to
suffer from the loss of silver as much as
they had expected"
DO you find any cessation of the eX-
IRENE silver sentiment which was so clear
ly defined and persistent here as to put
aside everything else In political way?"
Yes. The people are many of them see
ing that it is impracticable for this country
to undertake free coinage of silver. under
the present circumstances, and are accept
ing the situation. l do not mean by this
m
have reached that conclusion yet, hut I do
find that the more intelligent, thoughtful
and experienced business men, who have
an opportunity to study the situation from
the broader standpoint, are coming to that
conclusion very rapidly
Yet, this country will doubtless send
free silver delegates to the national con-
vcntions of both the great parties, will it
not. Mr. Coomhs?"
Doubtless. That is to be expected 1t
would not be reasonable to expect SO rapid
a change as to produce other results, at
present.
What do you think they will do in case
the great parties refuse to put free silver
in their platforms?"
THAT Is pretty hard to say. If there
should be free silver convention, nomi-
mating free silver candidate, they would
doubtless support that candidate. But if
not, 1 think they will follow the leaders
of the old parties
You do not think they are likely to sup
port the populist candidate then, even if
the great parties refuse to indorse free sill
ver?"
NO. 1 think they have had enough of
that experiment. The populists are too ex-
IRENE in their fiat money and other 'isms'
to suit even those who are extreme free
silver men, for they do not look upon the
fiat money idea as at all allied to their free
silver view"
DO you find any disqualification of SEN
timent yet as TO candidates Of the parties
for the presidency?"
mo. OF course the silver sentiment and
the fact that none Of the proposed candi-
dates are of that sort prevent, the forma-
ton Of definite sentiment here, at pres
ent. But it is astonishing how warm a
sentiment there is toward Mr.. Cleveland
even in this section, where his views in
regard to silver have not met with general
approval"
DO you think there is really any thought
of q third term for him?"
He seems to be more spoken of than
anybody else. I find one thing especially
marked, that he is more popular among the
people and away from the politicians than
we had realized. 1 do not think that we
realize In the east. and especially in
Washington, how near Mr.. Cleveland is to
the hearts of the masses of this country"