New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-12
FREE SILVER SENTIMENT.
IT APPEARS TO BE GROWING IN THE WEST,
ESPECIALLY AMONG THE DEMOCRATS.
WHAT CONGRESSMAN HEPBURN SAW ON HIS RE
CENT TRIP-TIE NEW PARTY NOT
GAINING STRENGTH.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Washington. April 1l.-Among the Western Re
publicans in Congress- outside Of those from the
silver States, there is stronger or more active
friend Of silver a money metal than Representa-
tive Hepburn. of Iowa His attitude on the ques-
ton friendly that even the extreme free
silver men regretted that he not appointed as
member of the proposed Monetary Commission
Colonel Hepburn IS and intelligent observer
and what he has TO say in regard to the outlook.
from his point of view, after Western tour. which
included every county I'm his Congress district. is
therefore Of considerable public interest In the
course of conversation to-day he said:
thought saw an increasing feeling in favor OF
the immediate unlimited coinage OF SILVER by tne
sentiment was especially noticeable among Demo,
found the same feeling there and on the railway
trains silver coinage the chief topic OF CONVEX
cast and Il sentiment In favor Of free and unlimited
coinage IS being cultivated everywhere: believe
that it will he likely to control every Democratic
convention Of the Allcghenies this year. un-
less International Conference shall be called
and the people induced to believe that there Is a
reasonable prospect Of an early agreement as TO-
platform IN iowa heretofore mas contained pidhK
advocating free coinage OF silver. but last year
party managers. Something In the nature OF re
volt was thereby Occasioncd among the Democrats
INCREASING the desire Of the people to take further
interest in silver The state Republican platform
regard to silver The Republicans Of the West have
always been in favor Of the free and unlimited
ment. | though, noticed a stronger feeling among
them my last trip IN favor Of such use Of silver
Independently OF such agreement but II the invita-
ton is made by Germany and accepted by the COM
mercial Nations OF the world have no doubt
that Republicans will bc content to stand on the
declarations Of the platform and walt for such joint
action. believe. however that should the Repub-
leans Of the West become satisfied thai there ~
to be no such conference. and that gold mono
metallism Is TO be the policy Of European Nations
and Of our own men Of wealth. they Will prefer
silver monometasm 10 gold As Tor myself,
favor the unlimited coinage OF silver. but | feel
perfectly certain that an Internal lonal agreement
a. to ratio and the opening Of all mntS to silver
will soon be reached With an international agree
ment there can be no question about tho good re-
suits of the free coinage OF silver. With an agree
Inent the market is unlimited and the vau" ~ liked
without the possibility OF fuctuauon so long AZ tho
ratio is marta aimed by law The unlimited coinage
by United States Independently OF agreement Is
coed His belief is but speculation, 40 that
think better not to he percipitate but TO walt
for a certainty that with proper education must
come.
In reply to question az TO whether he thought
that the new silver party was gaining any con-
siderable amount Of strength In the Western States
Colonel Hepburn said:
No do not The Democrats will hardly leave
their organization to Join the movement. and tho
Populists already lighting IL, their leaders
being afraid of being displaced by the htt" junta
Of rich men who consider themselves too r"speCta-
bic to be Popusts, but who want party J ne
bulk Of the educational propaganda is being con
Quoted by the new party. however. and while they
are not going 10 have many voters, their Literature"
will have many readers In THIS respect they are
benefitng the general cause Of free silver NOthin6
being done TO counteract the influence OF ms
free silver literature