The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-29
CRISP IS FOE SILVER.
Speaker of the House a Powerful Advo-
cate of Free Coinage.

cate of Free Coinage.
ATLANTA, Ga, April 29-Speaker
Crisp, who is at his home in Americus,
in an interview with a respondent,
has declared for the free coinage of sill
yer, and gave it rs his opinion that the
Democrats should nominate a western
man for the presidency.
There should never" said Mr. Crisp
with great show of earnestness, shave
been any doubt as to my position on any
question. | made a speech for free sill
yer ten years ago. before anybody but
politicians had considered it. l stand to
what l then said, and | have never
varied. When silver was demonetized
in 1878 it was not in circulation. and
consequently the question was not as
close To the people as it is now. Never
theless much agitation followed during
the five succeeding years, resulting in
the Bland-AllisOn act of 1878 Years of
prosperity followed along with the in
creased coinage permitted under this act,
the discussion of silver fell back until
! 1890, when, in obedience TO demand for
free coinage, the Sherman makeshift was
resorted to, which, for a season, again
quieted the people. Concurrently the
tariff war was waged, securing the first
place and attention of the people. From
the time of the tariff commission of 1880
! QOWu W d year dROs 1OuEL000 years, Ln0
cry for tariff reform had its varying for
tunes, resulting at last in a revision
which l believe will be so acceptable to
the people that there will be no general
movement upon it for years to come.
The disposition of the tariff clears the
way for the settlement of the silver ques-
ton" That question:" said Mr. Girls D
| emphatically, "is now fully before u.s."
"Will it be the one issue before the
! people next year?"
''It will" said he, 'and in.such way
that it must be settled directly, not by
! subterfuge or evasion, but openly, so that
the people may understand il. II will
not down. The fact that progress in sill
yer rehabilitation has been slow should
not be discOuraging. This is a big couu-
try from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with
probably 70,O00,00O of the most civilized
people in the world. The basis of all
| law with US is the will of the people.
When, after years of discussion and
often contrary action, they made up
their minds for tariff reform, there was
no power on earth strong enough to resist
it. The silver question is going through
the same course of public discussion. 1t
is meeting with defeats and victories
just the same as characterized the tariff
tight Just as in that fight the silver
men will have their battle royal when
the American people viii award the
victory"
"When do you think the question will
be settled?"
"The majority of American people in
both political parties are in favor OF
restoration of free coinage of silver.
They are conservative people, respect
ing all rights and moving slowly that
they may not disturb them. They may
I be repressed once in a while, but once
they take up the question there will be
no cessation until it is brought to q
elimination The American people are
today behind the free silver movement
and they will push it on to success and
have silver re-established to its ole
quality with gold"