The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-18
THE ISSUE IOR 1896.

1t is not our purpose to say that any
one wants Senator David b. Hill to
down." but the naked fact is that the
Senator will not down" The average
American voter thought when the cleo
ton OF last November had been held that
the Senator was "downed" by that event.
and that q grateful country would have
nothing hereafter to think of in connec-
ton with him. exceptHto thank him for
the many good things he had promised.
put not given 10 IL. The Senator, however,
has no Idea of leaving the matter in any
such shape. Z He proposes to go right
along as a person very much in evidence
- and, If he does not hereafter confer upon
the country all the blessings with which
he has heretofore threatened it, 1t will
be because an insensible public fails to
appreciate and rejects blessings which
n generous donor would freely bestow
The publication at this time OF Mr..
HIS letter to Mr.. Howell, written in
July. 1893, is. OF course. notice to the
American people that Senator David b.
race of 1896 And IL Is interesting 10
note, en- PEASANT. how statesmen of Mr..
Hits order always have letter of this
sort. written at time when actual con-
ditions could not, of course. be in mind,
to turn up long after 1t was written to
fit the case that is TO be dealt with. We
are not so much concerned with this
aspect of the case, however, as we. are
with the letter itself What SOFT of fish
is the letter angling for? is the interest
ing question to us, and candor compels
us TO admit that he is fishing for gud-
geons: that his hook is baited for the
South. and that we are. therefore, the
gudgeons that he has thrown his line
into the water for
He tells the people of the South that
he Is In favor of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at ratio TO be deter
mined on by an international agreement;
but, II no such agreement can be reach
ed. then at such ratio as we may in
dependently determine on, and that ratio
he declared in one OF his speeches in the
Senate In the summer of 1898, which we
quoted when he was nominated last fall
for Governor. should be 10 IL for l, so
that his silver dollar would be even cheap
er than it is now.
We had hardly supposed that New
York politician would ever have the hardi-
hood 10 proclaim such a doctrine as this.
If there Ia any one thing which would
make the great State of New York rise
up like one man in madened protest it
is a proposition 10 force into our money
system an unlimited quantity of silver
dollars worth only about forty-five cents
each New York is now the wealthiest
and most prosperous State In the Union.
outside OF the pauper classes in the
cities, and the unemployed laboring men
lin the same cities. there are scarcely any
poor people in the State. The State is
thrifty and prosperous from one end of
Ii to the other Such people know the
value OF sound money and the destruc-
tlveness OF cheap dollars. The man who
should come before them, then, with a
proposition TO debase the money comes
counting the overwhelming defeat that
they would give to him. We take this
letter as evidence. then, that the last
election has taught Senator Hill that
his hold on New York is ended. and that
lac must look elsewhere for such sup
port as he is hereafter 10 receive.
What. then. Is the support that he Is
looking for? He knows the strength OF
his free silver proposition in the South,
In the silver States, and in much of the
West and the Northwest. He is still
master OF the machine in New York.
also. and can control the delegation which
thar State Will send TO the next con-
vtntion. The solid representation Of the
southern States and OF the silver States.
aae such representation as free silver
can send from the West and the North
west. together with It's scattered votes
from the rest Of the country. added TO
the solid vote Of New York. will no doubt
eeatyol thu nAst D.nnnratin CAnvAnftnn.