The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-01
Silver the Great Issue.
Speaker Crisp Expresses Him
self on Coinage.

home in Americus, declared himself to-
day to a staff correspondents Of the Con-
stitution in favor Of the free coinage of
silver. He believes the Democrats
should nominate a Western man with a
military record, and says the party
should not nominate Mr.. Cleveland for
a third term-tbat no man should have
a third term. The Speaker is in fairly
good health, but his physician has
ordered him to spend the summer
quietly and he expects to leave shortly
for Asheville.
The PLATFORM" said Mr.. Crisp OBJ
servantly, "should declare for the free
coinage Of silver direct and with a set
Of principles responding to the de-
mands Of the commoo people; We
should select some good man from the
West-some man with a military re-
cord, identified with the dominant sen
simeut that now controls the party, and
90 forth with confidence to the victory
which the people give those who are
brave enough to fight for it. The
only fear I have, is that the people are
not in favor of free silver. but that the
free silver people, who are 10 the ma
jority. may divide into factions. run
ping two or three candidates, 10 which
event the election would be thrown into
the House, which could elect q Repub.
lican.
.sSuch a contest as l have outlined
would cause mary people to make new
party alignmenss. There are Demo.
Gratis strongly Welded to the gold
theory aud many Republicans just as
strongly welded to free silver. OF
course, these men would have to choose
between their old party and their con-
r~ictions on this issue. The Demo-
Gratis of the East want gold, the Repub-
licans of the West want silver. The
re-alignments will be as interesting as
they will be puzzliug, but to the lot
terry Of politics the whole issue must be
committed.
..Of course" said Mr.. Crisp. ''tbere
is a contingency IN which the people
might not be called upon to settle the
question-that is, the possible action Of
an international conference. That
would be the best anG easiest method
of establishing silver, aud with less
of the element Of experiment in it. If
such a conference should be called and
it took action restoring silver so that
the people would be satisfied, then we
world have the final action for 1896.
In she meantime, however, the people
Of the United States will be moving
along to that result IN their own con-
st;tutioual way. The people want the
free coinage Of silver. | am in favor OF
its free coinage, as l have always been,
and the Democratic voters will declare
for it next year."
<.There is some talk" it was sug-
gested, ''.hat zoe may be a candidate
for the Presidency next year,"
II see." said Mr.. Crisp, smiiiogly,
.'that for waut of a bette: subject many
newspapers are printing editorials 90
that line. Not il the lifetime of the
generation passing of the stage will a
Southern man be elected The question
of residence, for a long time to come,
will be a controlling one, aud 40 MAJ
who was ever 10 the Confederate army
can aspire to that Office. We should
get q next candidate from the West.
The talk of Mr.. Cleveland for a third
term. under any conditions, has no
basis. The people will DOT make that
break in the record. His views on the
financial question are not shared by the
people, aud the conditions will be in
many other ways different from what
they we're 10 1892"
Personally. Mr.. Crisp regrets the
manner in which the silver issue is be-
ing forced to the front. This is an
of year." he said, sand i. is fully six
months before the campaign of 1896
can be intelligeutly entered upon. and
if the discussion is continued. as now
seems to be inevitable; it subjects US to
a compaigu which will cover nearly two
years of political excitement. Per
sonally. I would have preferred that all
discussion sboald have been postponed
until the coming winter, when, under
the conditions that will then exist, we
could enter upon the race which will be
run for the supremacy IN this country.
"From the time of the tariff commits.
sion of 1880 down to a year ago-four-
teen years-tbe cry for tariff reform
had its varying fortunes. resulting at
last in a revision. which | believe will
be so acceptable to the people that
there will be no general move made
upon it for years to come. The dis
position of the tariff clears the way for
the settlements of the silver question.
That question is now fully before US