Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-28
The Coming Conference Here Of the
Free Silver Democrats.
DANGER In The PROGRAM
Governor AItged and Senator
TiIIman Are Dreaded.
so ARE THE POPULIST rs

The free silver democrats will probably
make their Ii st stand this year at the
meeting that has been called for this city
in August. Every effort is being put forth
to secure a large and distn guished atten-
dance. The assurance is given that moth
ing beyond an exchange of views Is con-
templated. Nobody is to be committed by
the proceedings further than the express
sion of his opinions may commit him. The
meeting is to be a conference and nothing
more.
One More Effort.
This step was decided upon only after
careful survey of the whole field. The
record up to date was discouraging for
further continuation of the fight by states.
As against the sound money winning in
Kentucky with Blackburn beaten; in Ohio,
with Brice on top; in Missouri and Indiana,
with the declared sentiment in opposition
to the holding of regular party conventions
to consider the question, the free silver
men had only to offer the one winning In
illinois, which, with it's Altgeld flavor, was
scarcely to be considered winning at
all. Something must be done And, tnere-
fore, as between d proposition 10 leS ths
whole matter go over until next year, ana
a proposition to make one more enort TO
stem the rising sound money tide. and TINS
time by means of a national conference
held at the national capital, the latter was
agreed to- and the call was issued
The move. though informal, Is expected
to impress the country. The enect sousns
to be produced attaches to the courage OF
boarding the lion in his den Tue silver
democrats will meet right in the shadow
as 1t were, of the White House itser.
Mr.. Cleveland, 1t is true, will not De at
home at the time, but that, in the language
of the orator on the minstrel stage, Will be
reither here nor there. The silver men OF
the party will have their say within hear
ing distance of both the White House and
the Treasury Department and Will throw
down their gage within easy reach of the
administration leaders.
Danger fn The Program.
But there is danger in the program for
the silver men themselves, and the more
conservative of their number realize 1t.
The case being desperate, and the rally the
final one for the year, the extremists will
all respond and there will be a probability
OF their capturing the conference and i'm
parting to it the tone and color of their
Cwn views. The two men most dreaded
are Gov. Altgeld and Senator Tillman. Both
are for free coinage, but along with their
criticism of the administration on the
money issue gees a torrent of abuse on
other scores. Gov. Altgeld denounces the
President for his action in the matter Of
the Chicago riot last year, and Senator
Tillman invariably regales his audiences
with vigorously emphasized charges that
Wall street owns everything and every
body outside of the silver camp. This sort
as being bad enough indulged in at dis
tance, but If 1t should characterize the sill
meeting here the effect would be dis
astrous to all those evenly remotely asso-
ciated with 1t.
How shall this danger be avoided? The
invitation is general. The extremists seem
to be especially relied upon. If anything
is to be done for silver this year now will
be the time. If this meeting fails of re-
suits then nothing will remain but to wait
Until next year and either bolt for new
party OF surrender to the inevitable.
POpulist and Sibleyite Leaders.
Another source of danger will be the
presence In town Of the populist and the
Sibleyite leaders. They Are not invited,
but they'll re here all the same. When
ever two or three are gathered together in
the name Of silver there they are certain
to be also. Mr.. Stewart, Gen. Warner even
Mr.. Sibley himself will be close at hand
with encouragement and suggestions. And
this Will have a bad effect in certain quar-
ters. Mr.. Stewards appearance on the
stump In Kentucky cost Mr.. Blackburn, in
whose interests he was speaking, many
votes The blue grass democrats were ut
terly unable to assimilate even old-time
doctrine from popuIistic source.