Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-30
sILvER's TIDE TURNED.
Lessening Worship Of the White
Metal God of the West.

Lessentn9 Worship Of the White
Metal God of the West.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, September %, 1895.
The one feature to q very dull season. po-
litically. in Illinois is the generally admit
ted fact that the so-called silver question:
no longer cuts any figure.
OF all the little scraps of political news
that reach the world. the one thing never
seriously mentioned now is the 16 to l prop
osition. 1t seems absolutely dead in ILL
Iois. without hope Of redemption. That
this should be so is most surprising to the
free silver people themselves, perhaps, when
they think of the uproarious welcome that
was extended to this white metal god Of
the west a little over a year ago.
The climax came in the democratic state
silver convention, wherein that political
menage was divided against itself, and the
awaiting the occasion when the American
citizen shall next exercise the highest
rights of his manhood.
The convention adjourned with the silver
ties triumphant and the delegates scat
tered to their respective districts to spread
the gospel. Glorious tidings of their good
work were sent broadcast for a time, and
then the silverites dropped from view, and
months after the convention, the free Fill
yer heresy is no longer regarded as a po-
Htical boyle man in Illinois
The cause for this quick passing Of a pop
ular idol would be hard to find, perhaps
were it not for the delusive nature of the
belief that was professed. 1t can therefore
be attributable to the education of the peo-
pie away from their god and the fallacies
Of the free silver doctrines having been
shown to them.
Canvass of the Honest Money League.
That they have seen the folly of their
holt nd To hat.
identity as erstwkile followers Of the white
metal banner is to lie gathered from a
careful canvass of the state on the silver
question by the Honest Money League of
Illinois. When the league had completed
its work comparatively SO few avowad dis
ciples of free silver had been found that the
opinion was at first expressed that the
wsve Of free silver enthusiasm that swept
across the state in the winter and early
spring was nothing but foam after all. A
more careful consideration of the matter.
however, clearly shows it to be a case Of
" holeSale apoStacy.
With the collapse Of the silver boom the
democrats in the sound money wing Of the
least in opposition to the faIlacy. The Hon
est Money League of Illinois is carefully
formulating plans to bring the few remain
ing silverites into the fold and outline the
make sound money the strong plank in the
platforms adopted at the county and state
conventions next spring, and eventually in
the national platform.
The activity of the league is shown in a
statement by the president at recent
meeting.
Mr.. Robbins said the league had sent
through the state several thousand CORES
of the books published in answer to COINS
Financial School, and $500 copies Of Sec
rotary Carllsle's Memphis speech. He ex-
pressed the opinion that every nook and
corner of the state had been reached. for
A Lat ha1 haay, xryv.itt md
sent out.
The sentiment, CLEANED from trustworthy
sources In various parts of the state, shows
that what little silver preference there is
left is fast dying out.
The annual meeting of the Honest Money
League took place on the 18th instant, and
it is thought a still more aggressive CAM
paign will be inaugurated.
Silver Sentiment I'm the West.
The leaders still look at the states west
of here askance, and 1t is for the purpose
of weaving Illinois SO far away from her
recent idol that the active reopening of the
question in the Forthcoming campaign will
not cause waver in the ranks. In view
of the precautionary policy of the league,
summary of the situation, as viewed by the
silver people, in the free silver strongholds
of the Eeighboring states is of interest.
They maintain that the silver sentiment in
Missouri and Mississippi is irrepressible.
and point to the course Of the campaign in
Kentucky as an evidence Of the strength
OF the sentiment in the blue grass state.
In Iowa the situation is practically the
same as 1t is in Illinois. with the silverites
hopelessly in the minority, as is the case in
Ohio also.
In the far west the sentiment is claimed
to be a deep-seated conviction that cannot
be shaken, but nearly all travellers from
these very strongholds of the silver people
claim the belief Is subsiding.
On the other hand, the silver oracles
claim the belief is mot dead, but sleeping"
and that before the next national conven-
tons the people Of the country Will be
brought to a realization of the true eondi-
lions in regard to the matter. Neverthe-
less. the one feature Of the silver question
today. as discernible from Chicago is the
strong and growing belief among all classes
that the free silver tide is turned back.