Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-17
PRESIDENTIAL CHOICE.
The West Clearly Leads with Steven
son Its ChOice-COmmitteeman H.
B. Ferguss0n's. Views.

A New York dispatch of the 18th in
stant says the Evening Daily Telegram
has polled the members of the Demo
cratic and Republican national commit
tees on three important questions bear
ing on the presidential contest in 1896.
The Telegram sent circular letter to
each Dem ocratic and Republican national
committeeman and to the chairman oi
the state and territorial committees, re.
questing answers to the questions as to
what city they favored in which to hold
the conventions, whom they considered
the most available candidate in 1896 and
what would be the issues.
The answers cover wide range of ter
rtory and contain the views of leading
men in both parties. 1t is established ID
beyond reasonable doubt that the Repub-
licans will make their fight in 1896 on
the tariff question. There will be other
issues from the Republican point of view
but the tariff will lead
The leading Democrats of the country
favor continuance of the fight for tariff
reform, but great stress is laid on the
currency question and the preponderance
of opinion would seem to, indicate that
the currency will lead the issue of the
Democratic campaign. 1t is the same
old story of the south and west against
the north on this question. The Demo
cratic committeeman from the west CRY
loudly FOR the recognition of silver in the
currency, and the southern men are
scarcely less vehement.
AS to the convention cities to be se-
lected by the respective parties, there are
great differences of opinion. OF the
Democratic chairmen of state commit
tees and memb bers of the national COM
mittee, there are ten in favor of holding
the convention in Chicago, five for St.
Louis, four for New York, three for San
Francisco, one each for Denver, Kansas
City, Omaha, Washington and Louisville.
Of those who answer the question as to
the Democratic candidate nine are In
favor of Adlai Il. Stevenson, of Illinois;
two for Governor Boise, of Iowa; one
for Governor Matthews, of Irdiana: one
for William G. Whitney, one for G. S.
Thomas, of Denver, and one for Post
master General William l.. Wilson. The
west clearly leads.
Those who express the opinion that
the chief issue will be that of finance
number twenty Friends of tariff
revision as the predominant issue are
found to the number of eight.
A rather peculiar feature of the Demo-
cratic canvass is the fact that not one
national committeeman or chairman of a
Democratic state committee has re-
corded himself as favoring the selection
of Mr.. Cleveland as the next candidate
of the party.
From Albuquerque H. 8. Ferguson,
Democratic national committeeman for
New Mexico, writes that he considers
Gen. Stevenson of Illinois, the most avail
able candidates; st. Louis the proper
place for holding the convention, and
adds: "The clutch of the creditor classes
on legislation, which means confscation,
must be broken; the schemes of the fiat
money inflationists, which mean repudia-
tion, must be thwarted. The proper is
sue is the unrestricted coinage of both
gold and silver at the old ratio, without
foreign consent; paper money issued only
by the government, based on gold and sill
yer and redeemable in either at the op-
tion OF the government"
Chas. NJ. Shannon, Arizona's Democratic
National committeeman, briefly sums up
his views as follows: "Denver; Steven
son; silver"
As a whole the Republican national COM
mitteemen and the chairmen of Repub-
lican state and territorial committees
favor Mckinley as the presidential can
didate in 1896. The figures are: Nc
KinleY, 13 (the unlucky 13); Harrison, 4;
Reed, 4; Allison, 2; Morton, /; Senator
Sherman, 1; Henry M. Teller, l.
The Republican leaders divide as fol-
lows on the convention city: Chicago, 81;
New York, 4; st. Louis, 4; San Francisco,
8; Denver, 3; Cincinnati, 2; Philadelphia,
Tacoma, Nashville, New Orleans, Mil
Yankee and Salt Lake City, each.