Evening star., 1895-04-29
Secretary Smith Goes to Georgis. in
Its Interest.
70 1COK AFTER SOUTHERN DELEGATES
Great Expectations Of the Coming
Memphis Convention.
OTHER OFFICIALS WILL WORK

| sent an indefinite length of time His de-
parture, coming Immediately after the
| widely circulated announcement of eX-
| Speaker Crisp of Georgia for free silver
| last week, is regarded as being of peculiar
| Significance at this time.
1t is generally believed here that Secre-
| tary Smith has gone south to lend MS
personal influence and the weight of the
administration to the movement in behalf
| of sound money in the south and the coun-
| teracting' of the free silver sentiment
which is being aroused and strengthened
| in one wing of the southern democracy
| 1t Is also thought that the going Of Secre-
| tary Smith is the beginning of the heg1ra
| of administration officials to different sec
| tions of the country in the interest Of
| sound money, which is expected to occur
| within the next three weeks. Secretary
| Carlisle will probably be the next member
| of the cabinet to wend his way westward
| and southwark, and after that 1t Is ex-
spreading out of officials of lesser rank
| to take part in political agitatfons through
out the country.
To Head the SeabOard Delegates.
The belief prevails in some quarters that
| Secretary Smith intends to head the dele
gat ons from the Atlantic seaboard states
| of the south to the sound money conven-
| ticn, which has been called to meet at
| Memphis May 23 next. There will be
great deal of work to be done in connec-
| tion with the organization of the de!ega-
| tions to that convention, as it is proposed
| to have representative body of men,
| typfying the best and most conservative
| business interests of the south. The pro-
| moterS of the scheme are laying great
! stress upon the necessity of making the
| meeting representative one, so that 1t
| can not be claimed with justice by the
| free silver agitators and stump speakers
| that it is packed body, composed OF the
| banking and eapitalistic elements OF the
cities Of the south. In fact it is thought
! care will be taken to have as few bankers
and capitalists in the list of delegates as
| possible, as one of the stock arguments OF
| the radical free silver men. Is that the
sound money movement is being conducted
| by and in the interests of the money lend
| ing elements solely, and is therefore to be
| opposed by the rank and file of the people
sharp Contest Likely.
From present Indications there will prob
| ably be a sharp contest in Georgia be-
tween the free-coinage peonle, under the
| leadership of Mr.. Crisp, ri the sound
| money men, headed by Secretary Smith.
| to dominate the sentiment of the state,
| quite as spirited as the struggle now being
| conducted in Illinois between the two fac
| tions of the democracy dividing on the
| silver line. Georgia holds about the same
| relative position to the Atlantic seaboard
states that Illinois does to the Mississippi
| valley in point of Importance. both upon
political and business merits. The influ-
| ence of Georgia upon the neighboring states
| has increased to a striking degree in both
| these respects in the last few years.
| Georgia newspapers circulate extensively
throughout the southern StateS the politi-
| cal leaders of Georgia are well known and
| men of influence, while Atlanta, as the
center of the industrial new south, is in
| close and sympathetic touch with business
I'M SOnth a.
| sons and DiXon's line. 1t is considered of
| Importance, therefore, to the sound-money
PEOPLE that Georgia should seem to throw
the weight of her influence against unlim-
tied national free coinage. Whether this
can be accomplished or not is, of course,
matter of doubt at this time, but the sound
of their ability to make the effort success
full.
The Sound Money Mems Boast.
1t has been the boast of the sound money
| men that when 1t came to the touch the
south would be found In line with what
they deem the safest financial policy, al
though the uneQuivocal position Of such
men as Mr.. Crisp, Senator Harris of Ten
nessee, Senator Pugh of Alabama and
other southern statesmen on the side of
| free coinage would seem to be a living and
ever present denial of that statement. In
trying to reconcile this apparent discrep-
ancy the sound money men say these lead
yer on the ground of bimetallism, and the
use of the white metal in adequate ratio
with gold in the money of the land, and
claim that these leaders would not urge
and the south would not follow a move
| ment for silver monome tallism. Carrying
out this line of argument, they assert that
the present agitation for free coinage in
the west will ultimately resolve itself into
n declaration for the unlimited free coinage
CT silver by this government, irrespective
of international agreement, declaration
r<, -t1,- foil Fnnf boz
when this occurs the south will part COM
pany with the silver men.
They justify this claim on the ground
that .he south is in particularly sensitive
touch with the east, as eastern money fur
Eishes the circulation which is quickening
the south and warming it into industrial
health and the glow of prosperity Any
deaden the pulse of enterprise is the one
to be avoided by the south. and it is.
claimed that the men of weight and promi-
movement just such a contingency. They
claim that a section which holds to safe
business principles. of which sound money
is the cardinal one, is the section likely to
attract capital and enterprise.
Outgrowth of Popu1istic Ideas.
When asked in view of this explanation,
whence comes the undoubted free silver
sentiment prevailing to a certain extent
there, they reply it is the outgrowth of
populistic ideas advocated among the dis
satisfied lower classes. In recent years
there has been in some communities a
breaking away from the old leaders and old
ideas, as typifieG. for instance. in the Till
man movement in South Carolina, whose
followers are confined almost exclusively
to the poorer, agricultural classes. This
class of people, II is said. furnish fruitful
soil for the growth of free silver ideas. in
common with other Views said to be in op-
position to those entertained in the in
dustrial communities. In South Carolina
this class, by reason of peculiar local con-
ditions, predominates, but it is claimed that
this is not the case all through the south
and that when it comes to expressing the
sentiment of the south a section these
people will be outweighed by the more in
f1uential classes.
Reports indicate that the Memphis sound
money convention will be an important af-
fair Invitations have been sent to over
800 commercial organizations and about
$500 personal invitations have been ex-
tended. The contests in communities to
control the delegations have already begun.
In Little Rock there was a struggle in the
board of trade, but the sound money men
won. In other cities. straightout sound
money delegations have already been Sc
lected.