The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-05-30
JUDGE WORTHINGTON A RED
HOT FREE SILVER MAN.
The Very Able and Slick Politicians at
the State Capital Have Urged the
Matter Along-The Usual Bright
16 to 1 Silver Picture Drawn.

proportion of the inhabitants belonging
to the industrial class. The immense
distilleries located here, the glucose fac
tories, the manufacturing concerns of all
kinds and the 10 railroads entering the
city furnish this population. All classes
are well-to-do, and there is more wealth
in proportion to the size of the place than
in probably any other city of the State.
During the business depression of 1898
there was not a bank failure here. The
surrounding country is rich agricul-
tural region, a garden spot, and the
farmers are unusually prosperous.
Peoria is a hot bed for free silver sentl-
ment. The Democratic leader Of this sec
ton is Judge N. L. Worthington, eX-con-
gresham, the man who nominated Adlal
e. Stevenson, and now on the bench. He
is an out and out free silver man, and VIII
play an important part in the coming CON
vention. Judge Worthington said to the
writer that not more than 10 per cent OF
the Democrats of Peoria and the county
are opposed to silver and even this Inquire
would be liberal allowance. AT the meet
ing of the county committee to act upon
the call lOE Il COuNChllOll "
for primaries there was only one vote
opposing a free silver convention.
The writer talked with the sound money
Democrats of the city, who admitted
Judge WOrthington's estimate to be cor
rect. They confessed they were so
greatly outnumbered that it was useless
to hope for anything. Peoria's Is dele
gates to the convention will undoubtedly
wear silver buttons.
IL han ri nF
trade people the only anti-silver senti-
ment exists among the Germans, and it
is said that their opposition is more a
matter of sentiment and tradition than
absolute conviction. A strong effort will
be made to stiffen them up before next
year. The editor of the German paper
is banker and a sound money man, and
is making a vigorous fight
The explanation of the existence of free
silver ideas in this section is the same
from all sources. 1t is said that to begin
with there was a substratum of silver
sentiment which underlies all Illinois.
This was increased rapidly after the fail
ure of congress to take a definite stand
upon financial policy and especially
after the national administration began
its dallying with the gold standard idea
and the idea of issuing of gold bonds. 1T
is said the people resented the effort of
the president to bend the Democracy
away from silver and in the direction of
gold recommendation. With Democrats
out here veneration for silver coinage is
a matter of party tradition; they feel it
has been Democratic idea all along, and
they looked upon the administration as
trying to ALLEVIATE the party from this
principle.
Skillful politicians at the State capital
l, h. 'lNnTr
have charged the administration with
pandering TO ROthschilds, with yielding
to Wall street, the great bug-a-boo used
or frightening timid Westeners. Presi-
dent Cleveland has been held up as a
renegade Democrat or no Democrat at
all. The idea has been promulgated that
the interests of capital and the rest of
humanity are irrecOncilably separate.
All of the gold is to be cornered by the
money barons and the price of money viii
go up.
But a bright picture is drawn of what
is to follow the adoption of rec coinage
at 16 to 1. Here is part of a manifesto
issued by the chairman of the State
central committee:
"Ths movement will spread from Hi
nois to every State in the Union, and long
before the election comes around it will
be evident that the congress to be chosen
in 1896 will pass a 16 to 1 free coinage
act. Now, when capitalists realize that
on the LIST day of July, 1897, the govern
ment will begin giving a legal tender
dollar for every 412 10 grains of stand
ard silver presented at the mint, they
will begin ITO purchase silver bullion,
which can now be bought for, say 30
cents for 412 IL grains. The sure
profit of As cents on each 412 - grains
will bring out all the gold from the bank
vaults and hiding places. The result will
be that the price of silver will rise stead
lily, and when the law goes into effect
the question of the parity will be settled.
1.-The bankers do not control all the
money in the country, and the profits on
silver speculation will be sure, and the
chance of loss so minute, that they will
tumble over each other in order to buy.
Gold will roll in from Europe to purchase
silver, bullion certificates will be in de-
mand and trade stimulated by the letting
loose of boarded millions, and the GER
tainty of the currency question will bring
on most prosperous period, without the
danger of following panics.
1.-The attempt to organize a separate
silver party begins at the wrong end of
the question. A few men at Washing
ton can not control 100000 voters.
The county movement, grated into a
strong party organization, is the only
way in which such political results can
be produced. The extreme gold men
in our party will go over to the Republ-
cans. The free silver men of all parties
must come to the Democracy, and with
our Objectionable statesmen eliminated,
the confidence of the people in the Dem
ocratic party will be strengthened and
confirmed"
This is the kind of doctrine that is
being preached by the leaders of the
free coinage convention. 1t won't do to
say that it is accepted by every Democrat
who leans toward free coinage, but it
is accepted by many, and at any rate
serves purpose. There is no one to
controvert it, Possibly no heed would
be given to controversion, and, the sound
money people realizing it, hold their
peace. The man who takes the opposite
ground is booted at as a gold bug and
is discredited from the start.
In the meantime, the little band OF
sound money men are keeping up a brave
front, with their eyes on the future and
their hearts throbbing with the hope that
a year from now will show an abate-
ment of the silver fever.