Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-17
CLEVELAND'S LETTER
DESIGNED to Check the Free Silver
Movement in Illinois.
CABINET OFFICERS TO SPEAK
Will Seek to Stop the Democratio
Division on Money.
SOME CRITICISMS MADE

| land to visit that city to make an address
| upon the money question claim that their
| mission was non-partisan. The letter of
President Cleveland, which is the imme-
diate result of their invitation, is however.
regarded by many leading democrats as a
radical exhibition of partisanship inside the
democratic party. The leaders of that par
ty here appear to consider the letter d
| challenge to the masses of the party to
| repudiate doctrine to which they are ir-
| reVocably committed, and the initial move
ment for new party which 1t is expected
| will be built upon the ruins of the democrat.
| lied democracy
| Effect of This Movement
The effect of this movement will not. IL
| is thought, be any enactme on silver
| until after the present administration of
! PRESIDENT Cleveland. 1t Is not considered
| likely that there will be any bin passed ON
| the silver question by the Fifty-fourth
Congress. But the debates will, II is beliey-
ed be as fierce and the contentious as bit.
yer as II II We're probable that law could
| result from the agitation. The letter of
| PRESIDENT Cleveland is, it is claimed de-
signed to check the free silver movement
| H IA the democratic party in Illinois. Ex-
| Congressman Cable of Illinois who is so
earnestly opposed to free silver and who
| Is now here, declares that the letter of the
PRESIDENT will be used to obstruct the free
democratic
whlcn mas become SO formidable in his
| state. He hopes that the delegation from
silver.
Mr.. Gable and Col. Morrison are said IN
| be working together in this matter. One
OF the most prominent democrats here
saio Yesterday that there can be no ques-
| tfcn that eight-tenths of the democratio
| party favor the old ratio of I6 to /. There
| is no doubt, he thought, that the Illinois
convention Is part of scheme of the ma
tional silver men. and that it did not
originate with the democratic free silver
| leaders In Illinois alone. The free silver
men had made all arrangements for a
thorough canvass of Illinois on the silver
question before the call for the democra tic
state convention was issued.
Cabinet Officers To Stump.
The President is considered to be SO
committed to the movement in opposition
to this free silver agitation that il IN
Claimed he will not only permit but win
encourage all cabinet officers who will take
the stump in support of the declarations
of his Chicago letter. Secretary Carlisle.
Secretary Morton and Postmaster General
Wilson are slated to do that 1t is inti-
mated also that Secretary Gresham may be
invited to Illinois and other western states
to speak upon this subject Although
there is a belief that Secretary GRESHAM,
Is not in full accord with the admfnistra-
ton In all of the features of its financial
policy, he is said to be at one with the
President in the belief that the silver
monometallism the basis of l6 to I
would be contrary to the best interests of
the people. Secretary Gresham has not
publicly addressed the democrats of ILL.,
ncis since he entered the cabinet. 1t is
expected that he Will receive an Invitation
to do SO now. Such United States office
holders in Illinois are not themselves
it is stated also be expected to speak
against it, In addition, Col. Morrison of
the interstate commerce commission, Scott
Wike. assistant secretary of the treasury,
and Mr.. Eckels. controller of the currency
Will doubtless also support the Presidents
position on the stump. According to the
statement of Col. Morrison's friends the free
silver question among the democrats in
Illinois is the preliminary movement in the
contest between the friends of Col Nor
rison and Vice President Stevenson for the
delegation from Illinois to the democratic
national convention. Col. Morrison is not
opposed to silver. but he favors interna-
tional bimetallism and not silver mono
metallism. Vice President Stevenson, on
the other hand, who first elected to
Congress as an out an out greenbacker, is
now being urged for the presidential nomi-
nation by the democrats who are advocat.
Ing the free silver monometallism on the
ratio of 16 to 1.
Controller Eckels says that he will uns
doubtedly visit Chicago during the season.
but that he is not certain that he Will
speak.
Assistant Secretary Hamlin said that he
doubted whether he would be able TO find
time to go to Illinois, as there was a great
demand upon him for the consideration Of
customs cases just now. Mr. Hamlin speaking
of the division in the democratic party on
the subject of silver, said: 1T is true that
We are divided, but the apparent unity in
the republican party is only veneering now.
Wait until Congress comes together, and
you will see the republican ceiling cracked
as badly as ours is"
Some Criticfsms of the President.
A prominent democrat said today: TT
President Cleveland after the Chicago con-
vention had said that the line Of battle is
drawn between the forces of safe cur
rency and of silver monometallism,' he
would have been more popular in the west;
but he would not have been President. The
fact is that two-thirds of the western and
southern democrats interpreted the Chica-
go platform upon which Cleveland accepted
and was elected as a declaration in favor
of free coinage They do not believe that
President Cleveland should have accepted a
nomination on that platform since he was
in favor of gold monometallism. 1t is be-
cause he stood upon that platform, which.
as they interpreted it, favors free coinage,
that there is such opposition to him among
the democrats of the south and west.
Even those who heartily approve of Pres
ident Cleveland's letter say that he should
have defined his phrases of sound money
and safe currency that he should have
suggested some remedy for the existing
financial situation: that, moreover, he
should have declared himself In favor OF
Information bimetallism or against ii. and
that he should have made some specific
recommends tion as to the disposition the
government shall make of the vast stores
of silver lodged in the treasury vaults. and
what Is the proper thing for the govern
nent to do as to the issue of paper. The
Inference which the President has lett is,
they say, that he not only is opposed TO sill
yer monometallism, but that he is not a
very serious. believer in international bi-
metallism; that he is an absolute gold
moronetallist 1t is stated that the man
ayers of the Reform Club will soon declare
for gold monometallisin-a fact OF which
the public, 1t is said, will soon have official
notice.
Bnck mt Work.