Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-10-24
Vest Still Dubious.
CONSIDERS THE NATIONAL PROS
PECTs OF SILVER VERY POOR.
Wants to Make the Fight of His Life
For Free Coinage on the Floor of
the Next National Convention.
From the st. Louis Post Dispatch.

From the st. Louis Post Dispatch.
A Post Dispatch reporter rode from
Fayette to Sedalia with Senator Vest
Saturday afternoon. The Senator had
talked over an hour and a half in
house whose acoustic properties are
very trying to the voice, but he ap-
peared as strong and clipper as
though he had not put in a hard day
travelling and speaking. His stay at
Carlsbad has rejuvenated him, as few
persons are benefited by the treat
ment there. Old friends who have
seen him recently for the first time in
several years declare he looks health
Ter and more robust than at any time
since he made that famous canvass for
the gubernatorial nomination, when
he was defeated, only to be elected to
the United States Senate by the sue
ceeding Legislature.
Senator Vest emphatically reiterates
his views as to the improbability ofthe
silver forces controlling the next
national Democratic convention and
which he announced in the Post-Das-
patch soon after his return from
Europe.
81 am still convinced" said the Sen
ator, ssthat the chances of the success
of the free coinage element in the
next national convention are slim and
1 would be untrue to myself If did
not. thus frankly tell L people what
my estimate of the prospect is. ANY
other expression now only tends to
deceive and to build up phantom hope.
l speak as a man of much experience
in convention work. know the in
fluences that control conventions and
shape their course. 1 am perfectly
satisfied that there are many more 10
to 1 free coinage Democrats than there
are Cleveland Democrats, but the
money power and the incalculable in
tiuence of the great metropolitan press
are on the side of the Cleveland DEM
ocrats, and nobody knows what that
means better than 1 do. 1t is then a
condition and not a theory that con-
fronts US.
aLet's analyze the condition a little
and see what satisfaction there is in it
for the free coinage Democrats. In
the first place we will place the whole
of New England, New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania in the gold
standard column. Those States are as
sure to send delegations solid for the
Cleveland policy of finance as that the
convention meets. I don't suppose
any sane man will doubt that for a
moment. This, then, leaves us the
South and West on which to rely for
silver votes. West Virginia is sure to
go against us, and if we get half of the
delegation in old Virginia we will do
well. Ohio, which has heretofore been
pronounced on the side of silver, has
fallen into the hands of Brice, and he
seems to be able to do as he pleases in
thas state with his money. Ohio must
there iore be accounted against us. AS
to Kentucky, the administration has
shown what it can do with a conven-
ton in that state by its complete
manipulation of that assemblage at
Louisville in June. Undoubtedly there
are more free silver Democrats than
gold monometallists in Kentucky, but
they do not belong to the class of men
who know how to control conventions.
| therefore look to Kentucky to send
a divided delegation to the next ma
tional convention, with the big end of
the division in the hands of the gold
bugs. look for the same thing in In
diana.
"Over in Illinois friends have
been quick to make a demonstration,
but I rather seriously doubt their abil-
ity to hold their own when the crucial
test comes. By that, I mean that
when the preparations are put under
way for selecting delegates to the
national convention the free coinage
Democrats will find all the vast mon
eyed interests of the state arrayed
against them, and if they can go
through such a fight as will ensue with
credit to themselves they will be en-
titled to most anything they ask for,
and if they get half the delegates they
will do very well. 1 don't suppose
anybody doubts the ability of the ad-
ministration forces here in Missouri to
control at least one or two Congress
ional districts, notably the Twelfth,
SO that even Missouri, where the free
silver sentiment in Democracy is
overwhelming, is almost certain to
send a divided delegation to the next
convention. Louisiana and Tennessee
will do the same, and the administra-
ton ought to be able to do something
In Georgia.
When Senator Vest was asked if he
had read Congressman De Armand's
letter in the POST Dispatch ~criticising
the Senator for taking such a gloomy
view of the future, he said he had not.
"But," Senator Vest continued, 81 can
understand about what De Armand
would say on this subject. He is q
mighty good representative, but q
very poor politician. He is a profound
student of political economy and the
science of government, but he doesn't
know much about practical politics,
AS / stated at the outset, I have beer
fighting in convention a great man,
years and I believe l know exactly
what | am talking about at the presen'
time"
Acme Plaster,