Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-02-28
Fight for Free Coinage.
SILVER DEMOCRATS TO ORGAN
IZE AND TO BATTLE FOR
SUPREMACY,
Congressman Bland Says 1t is Time for
Free Silver Men to Make a
Bold Stand.

bOlQ oGauu.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 22.-It has
been known for some time that a
movement was on foot for a thorough
organization of the free coinage ele-
ment of the Democratic party. AS has
been known, the Tree coinage element
is confined almost exclusively to the
South and West. The free coinage
Democrats are sincere in the belief
that the overwhelming majority of the
Democratic party are in avo of free
coinage, and that wing, being the
largest, ought to control-that it should
be the dog, so to speak, and the gold
standard element the tail. OF course,
in the natural order of things, the dog
should wag the tail.
Conspicuous free coinage Demo-
Gratis have been talking very seriously
of late of formally breaking with the
gold element of the party. The inter-
view sent out by the press associations
yesterday with Messrs. Bland, Living
ston and others was the first public
declaration of these gentlemen oftheir
intentions. The Republic correspond
ent conyersed with MIR. Bland to-day,
and inquired as to the authenticity of
the interview. The Missouri states
man admitted its correctness, and said
he believed that he was quotedas say
ing:
s.The time has come, ''said Mr.Bland,
"when the free coinage Democrat
must take a bold stand and prepare
for active fighting. We have been
humbugged and eajoled too long. Year
after year we hesitated to force the is
sue out of consideration for our friends
in the South who were afraid Of force
bills, negro domination, carpet bag or
| bayonet rule, if the Democratic party
divided. Now, there is no longer
danger of the South being interfered
with. The Southern people are able to
| take care of themselves. There is no
| danger of force bills. The solidity of
the South seems to be breaking of its
| own accord. l say to you candidly
that | will never again support a gold
bug for President. care not how the
| gold men construct the platform; how
they may make phrases jingle and
build up sentences to deceive. The
| man nominated for President must
| represent In himself the ideas of the
free coinage men. This might as well
be understood.now as later on. If our
Eastern gold friends want to break
away from us, let them do 30. If they
| outnumber us in the convention | will
favor withdrawing and organizing
among ourselves and nominating a
man who represents our ideas. We
can no longer submit to the intoler-
able control of gold gamblers, nor will
we support anybody for President who
would be Likely to deceive us and vio-
late the &c silands and wishes of the
overwhelming majority of the party
in order to please and satisfy a blinded
few"
Mr.. Bland was quite emphatic when
he said this.-There is no doubt~he is
in earnest. He is not in the habit of
making empty threats, and he is too
experienced a politician to assume
such an undertaking without ample
assurances of being well sustained.
Some time ago it reached the ears
of the Republic correspondent that
soon after Congress adjourns there is
to be a conference of free coinage
Democrats from the South and West.
Messrs. Bryan, Bland, Livingston and
| De Almond and others admit that
such a conference is in contemplation,
but they are not as yet ready to reveal
any of the details. The recent nego-
~tiations of bonds secretly with Nor
gan Rothschilds syndicate has angered
the free coinage men almost beyond
endurance. Even the moderate free
coinage men, many of whom voted to
repeal the purchasing clause of the
Sherman act, have now parted com
pany with the administration. 1t is
their plan to organize the free coinage
element within the party and try to
capture control of the party machin-
cry and of the next national
ton. They claim that by proper or
ga~niZation the free coinage men of
the South and West can easily be in
the majority in the next national con-
vention, and instead of boiling them
selves, if there is any boiling to be
done, they a compel the gold men
to walk out of the convention.
There is no denying the fact that
the situation at the time looks serious.
Less than half a dozen Senators are
supporting the administration, and
advocates of the Presidents financial
policy in the House do not exceed,
perhaps, 25.
: In the meantime the Republican
leaders are trying to get together on
some compromise OH the coinage
question. The Republicans are prac-
teal people. They do what they can.
The free coinage Democrats are
watching the ac.i"ns and conferences
of the Republicans, for they fear the
Republicans may undermine them on
the silver question. They accuse the
President with preventing them from
making a reasonable compromise on
the question, a compromise by which
the party could be held together in
definitely and that would meet with
the approval of a majority of the peo-
pie of the country. The free coinage
men, like Mr.. Bland, believe they
have gone as far as they can in quiet
protest against the policy of Mr..
Cleveland, and now they are going to
come out in open, defiant, and per-
haps vindictive OPPOSITION.
DIR. A. B. McCurdy, of Beatrice,
Neb., who preached two such able
sermons at the Promenade Street
Baptist Church Sunday, lost a - bill
on the street Sunday afternoon. If
found return to this Office and rs~ca;va