The herald., 1895-11-17
NO COMFORT FOR pREE sILvERITEs

The men who have been making very
pfete ntious claims about the great
strength of free silver among the people
are giving some very ingenious reasons
for the results OF the elections in various
localities. They declare that IN Nebrnssa
where late returns show that the free
silver Democrats are Uutnum bered by
sound money Democrats as four to one,
the Inistration influence am ong office
holders was used to the utmost to bring
out the antl-silver vote. The fact is over.
looked that the regular Organization OF
the party and all the party machinery
wa, unoer the control Of the fire. silver
wing while the ADM nistration Democrats
were forced to puid up ar entirely new
organization in order TO make fight.
There was absolutely nothing at stake.
and no possible motive to take Democrats
to the polls except the desire to resister
their beliefs on the money question.
Therefore the Nebraska Democratic vote
was as fair test of the strength OF free
silver as could possibly be made. The
fact that four-ifths Of the Democrats OF
Nebraska are against free silver is proven
beyond doubt and the probabilities are
that a still larger proportion OF the Re-
publicans of that state are for sound
money.
The illinois fres silverites are COM
pletely dazed by the result in the Eight.
zenith congressional district. Even HIN
riohseu and Altgeld are unable to give
any reason FIR the erwhelming defeat
OF the free silver Demoratio conRressi onal
candidate in Dem ocratic district. Many
sound money Democrats supported the
candidate despite his wild declaration on
the money question, but some thousands
refused to indorse the silver craze by
votingfor him. There Is no doubt that
the speeches OF Bland and Bryan in the
district lost the candidate hundreds Of
votes.
Tue free silvsritas make the very ab-
surd claim that Democratic defeat in
Kentucky was a rebuke Of the admins
for free silver there But the defeat OF
Blackburn, through the election of Re.
Iubcan leg islature, cnnot possibly be at
tributed to that cause. Blackburn made
AN independents fight on free silver plat
form, and with most fiery denunciation of
the administration policy. to secure the
election GA majority OF legislators fav-
orablv to himself. His defeat was greater
than Hardin's, and it was due to his ad-
vocacy Of fere silver. There IL no other
possible explanation Of the result Hs is
a popular man and II ne had stood on the
platform WHICH his party made in the
state convention he probably would have
won the fight.
There ia not a crumb OF comfort in
sight anywhere for the free silver,te.
His pretentious claim that great MAORI
ties Of the people everywhere ara in favor
OF opening the .nints to silver have
orumbled into ust. Ii he has modicum
of sense left he will quit claiming that
the gold standard was foisted on the
country against tne wishes OF the p.ople
and as the result Of a wicked conspiracy.
If he is sincere he will doub tless continue
to aeitate and endaavor to convert bis
fellow citizens to his views. But he can
no longer with any sense claim that tn 9
people are with him. aud at successful
politics demands recognition OF the ex.
treme free silver factions In the party
platforms-kausas City Star.