Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-16
FIGHT FOR SILVER
It is Now Inaugurated Within the
Democratic Party.
-
4 CHANGE IN THE SITUATION
Gold Men Expected in the Ma
tional Convention.
A SECTIONAL QUESTION

The fight for silver within the democratic
party has now been fairly inaugurated. The
LEGAL committees authorized by this WASH
irgton conference will be appointed at once.
and energetic and concerted action enJoined
upon all.
Change In Party Situation.
The leaders of this movement do not un-
dervalue the difficulties that confront them.
They frankly confess that an astounding
change has come over the party situation
within the past six months. Up to that
time the democratic party had been known
ss the free silver party. Its platforms and
stump deliverances and votes i'll Congress
had all been in silver's interests. No other
expression had ever been seriously attempt
ed. Probably not more than corporal s
guard of gold democrats could have been
mustered throughout the whole of the
southern and western and middle states.
The silver men, serene and confident in
their strength, were simply biding the time
when they would rise up In convention and
rebuke the action taken under Mr. CleFe-
lands direction, whereby silver, in the re-
peal of the purchasing clause Of the Sher-
man act, had received a staggering blow at
the hands of a coalition composed OF more
republicans than democrats. But what six
months ago seemed to- be no difficult mat
ter presents today an entirely different
appearance. Silver is challenged to fight
to finish In its own corner. Gold dem D
Gratis have suddenly multiplied, and states
that were then classe1 as dead easy" for
free coinage are now on the doubtful list
All OF this the free coinage democrats con-
oede, and. conceding it, are putting them
selves in shape for the battle.
Gold Men fn the Convention.
1t Is likewise conceded that the gold
men will come to the next national con-
vention in formidable numbers. They are
1&~I - I.f-- c.-.-
New England, New York, New Jersey,
consin and Minnesota Ohio is now In the
balance II Mr.. Brice wins next week
that state will be found in the gold column
next year. But with or without Ohio the
number OF gold votes in the convention
will be large, and they will come from
states where the financial interests will
demand and encourage the most stubborn
contest for supremacy. The national ad-
ministration. with its enormous power, will
be behind them.
A Sectional Question.
The silver forces will come from the
south and west, with assistance from In
diana, Illinois, Iowa and probably Michi-
gan. Expert calculators are expecting the
two factions to be evenly divided, and the
tug of war to come over the effort of each
side to secure the additional votes neces-
sary to comply with the two-thirds rule
But it is said to be highly probable that
at this point the silver men will raise an
interesting question. 1t bears a close
analogy to a point long in controversy
between the northern and the southern
republicans over the naming Of the pres.-
dental candidates of that party.
The northern republicans always insist
that the nomination on their side shall not
be made by their southern brethren. Con-
sideration, they insist, both in the selection
of the candidate and In the writing of the
platform, must be given to those sections
which furnish the votes necessary to sue
cess in the electoral college. Why permit
the south to name the man and shape the
issues when she is certain not to be able
to contribute a single vote in the college
toward the seating of the candidate in the
White House?
And so after this fashion will the silver
democrats argue next year. They will OBJ
ject to the naming of the candidate or the
writing of the platform by any combna-
ton in convention made up in its majority
by votes from those states which are GER
tain not to have a single vote to give to
the democratic candidate in the cleo
toral college. Why, they will ask should
New England, with her solid republican
front, Pennsylvania, with her quarter of
million republican majority, and Ohio Wis
consin and Minnesota, with their unshaka-
BILE republican leanings, be permitted to
impose their views or their favoriteS ON
the south, which is expected 10 furnish,
and will furnish, nine-tenths of the demo-
cratic votes necessary to success at the
polls?