Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-15
THE COMING FIGHT
The Presidents Letter Believed to
Sound the Keynote.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS POSITION
Senator CockreIps Views Upon An
International Conference.
HOT TINES IN ILLINOIS


money sounds the key note Of the coming
and the conservatives in that party. One
sentence especially in the Presidents letter
Is causing considerable comment in this
connection, that portion of his communica-
tion wherein he uses the following Ian
guage:
Disguise it as we may, the line of bat
tie is drawn between the forces of safe
currency and those Of silver monometal-
lism.''
The opinion was freely expressed in po-
litical circles today that no sop will be
thrown to the silver men in the way of an
international monetary conference. but
that the people will be called upon to make
their choice between existing conditions
and a line of action which would throw
the United States upon going it alone on
silver basis. Under present circumstances
the President is well intrenched in excuses
for not aiding in bringing about a monetary
conference.
Senator COclxrclrs Views.
Senator Cockrell of Missouri, In a talk
with a Star: reporter today, said he had
never entertained any hope of an interna-
tional agreement upon silver, and he had
been trying since 1893 to convince the peo-
pie that such thing is impossible. He ex-
presses his belief that the leading nations
of Europe. England in particular, will not
agree to an arrangement for the complete
rehabilitation of silver This fact, he said,
was demonstrated at the BRUSSELS confer
ence by the statements of De Rothschild
and his colleagues. Their desire. said
Senator Cockrell, is to make silver merely
subsidiary currency, redeemable in gold.
In fact they want everything under the sun
redeemable in gold. The gold of the world
Is held by syndicate of bankers and the
elevation of the gold standard will make
fnr hn Of hn
than any other employment to which that
metal can be placed.
They regard silver as currency, and even
the President, in his letter today, speaks
of it as such, he said.
Senator Cockrell said he had not par
ticularly examined the status of the laws
upon the subject to ascertain what existing
power there is for the calling of a confer
ence by the United States, for the very
reason that he thinks the conference, if
held, would prove fruitless. and therefore
he has no interest in the matter. He had
no share, he said, in the framing of the
clause in the sundry civil appropriation
bill authorizing this government to send
delegates to conference called by an
irg in that act would warrant the Presi-
dent of the United States in taking the
initiative in the assembling of confer
ence.
The Administrations Position.
Many people interested in the situation
1.-The administration" in fact, think that
large proportion of the Inhabitants of this
country are gravitating toward the idea
that the United States can undertake free
coinage single-handed, and that those peo-
pie may soon announce their ideas through
the ballot In this contingency 1t is
thought to be the opinion of the admin
istration that the best policy to be pur-
sued is to lay aside all talk of interna-
tional agreements and meet the people
upon the plain ground of sound currency
against unsafe silver imitation and light
it out on this line.
The interest the administration takes in
the campaign against the free silver move
ment is undisguised. Secretary Carlisle
will deliver two speeches on the subject of
currency, but largely devoted to silver. He
will probably speak once in Kentucky and
once in Tennessee early In May. His Ken
lucky speech may be delivered in Louis
vile, altough there have been requests
from his old home in Covington to talk to
the people there. In Tennessee he will
speak at Memphis or Nashville. Other
members of the cabinet will also speak on
the silver question, although times and
places have not been fixed. They believe
that campaign of education on the money
question will have the effect Of checking
the movement toward free silver, which
they believe has become serious menace
to the integrity of the democratic party.
The Reform Clubs Work.
Mr.. John De Witt Warner of New York,
one of the moving factors in the Reform
Club, was in Washington Saturday ahd
talked with several members of the admin
istration. The object of this club is to dis
seminate literature upon sound currency
questions and to Offset, If possible the
propaganda of the free silver boomers. EX-
Secretary Charles S. Fairchild is chairman
of the committee on sound currency of
this club, and its membership includes
sucn men as William L. Trenholm, Horace
White and Everett P. Wheeler. Mr.. War
ner reported that the efforts of the cit b in
the direction of fostering sound money
sentiment have been well received through
cut the country, and that good results are
expected
Hot Times Expected.
There will be hot times in Chicago and
other parts of Illinois, according to the
sound-money democrats here, before the
program of the free silver element in the
democratic state committee is carried out,
to have the Illinois democracy committed
to free silver by special convention on
the 5th of June. The sound money element
in the state Is already being canvaSSad,
and consultations are being held among the
leaders to prevent the wrecking of the
party on the rock of free silver coinage.
The movement is regarded by many as h
scheme of Governor Altgelds to secure .ne
silver nomination for the presidency or
destroy his party in the state if he cannot
accomplish it. 1t is not believed that Vice
actively to the effort to disrupt the parry
for this is not in accordance with his usual
political methods.
The Sound Money Element.
The sound money element believe that
they can send a solid delegation from Chi
cago to the proposed state convention
pledged to sound money and the defeat OF
the silver element The only doubt on the
subject arises from the possible machina-
tions of Governor Altgeld and the state
office holders whom he can control.
The men of means and brains who give
character to the party in Chicago propose
to make themselves felt in the primaries
and to make it plain to the silver element
and the local politicians that declaration
for free coinage means the destruction of
the party in Chicago and it's retirement to
the position of permanent minority in
Illinois. They believe that as Chicago gave
SO, 900 majority for President Cleveland in
1892 and the state gave only 27,OOO, Chicago
has right to be heard in the shaping of
democratic policies. One of the plans
which have been suggested is to have the
county committee of Cook county, in which
Chicago is located, refuse to call any pri-