Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-21
r1fE srLvgR ISSUE m KENrUcKY.

TIE SILVER ISSUE IN KENTUCKY.
A very general interest is felt regard
ing the outcome of the contest within
the democratic party of Kentucky over
the silver issue. The state democratic
convention will meet next Tuesday
and there is certain to be very bitter
and probably a prolonged fight be-
tween the sound money element and
the advocates of the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver by the United States
at the ratio of 1G to |. What the result
of the contest will be is problematic,
but the indications are that the conven-
tlon will be controlled by the advocates
of sound money and that Senator
Blackburn will be defeated in his can
didacy for reelection. 1t now seems,
from the most trustworthy advices,
that instead of the adoption of Il free
silver platform by the Kentucky demo
Gratis there will be rcassertion of the
democratic national platform of 1892
and an endorsement of the administra-
tion. If this shall be the result it will
be due very largely 10 the efforts of
Secretary Carlisle, ably seconded by
Mr.. Henry Watterson and the other
champions in Kentucky of sound
currency. Mr.. Watterson has made Il
vigorous fight in the Louisville Courier
Journal against free silver, plainly
warning the democrats that If their
state convention committed the party
to that policy it would be in great dan
ger of losing the election. The busi-
ness interest is almost solidly arraycd
in opposition to free silver and this, of
course, eXerts powerful influence,
while the action of the republican con-
vention in unequivocally declaring
against free silver and planting that
party squarely upon a sound money
platform has also had great effect in
changing sentiment in the state.
1t is said that leading democrats of
Kentucky, while pleased with the uneX-
pected outlook regarding the silver
issue, are still apprehensive as to the
result of the fall election. They regard
it as quite possible that the rcpubli
cans may win in November, when for
the first time Kentucky will vote under
the viva voce system of voting super
seeded by the secret ballot system, the
democrats are apprehensive that thou
sands of business men who have here
tofore voted the democratic ticket will
quietly cast their ballots for the party
which is unqualifiedly committed in
favor of sound money. On the other
hand 1t is said by some of the free
silver advocates that should the demo
cratic convention refuse to declare for
free coinage many free silver demo
Gratis will vote with the republicans
from motives of revenge against the
dominant faction of the democratic
party. 1t thus seems probable that in
any event the republicans will draw
from the democrats, so that there is
reason for regarding the outlook for
the success of the republican state
ticket in Kentucky this year as unu-
sually good.
If the Kentucky democratic conven-
ton declares against the free coinage
of silver it will be the hardest blow to
that cause it has yet received for no.
where else is free silver being more
vigorously and aggressively cham
pioned. Senator Blackburn has staked
his political fortunes upon this issue, as
have a number of the other democratic
leaders in the state. A declaration of
Kentucky democrats against free silver
would do much toward reducing the
agitation in behalf of that policy.