Evening star., 1895-05-28
Interesting Fight For and Against
the White Metal.
SENATOR BLACKBURN'S BOLD COURSE
Position of the Various Senatorial
Candidates.
MR.. CARLISLE'S RECEPTION
spec,al From n stafr corresnondent


| portant 1t is two-sided fight within the
democracy of the state, involving the Uni
| ted States senatorship, state offices and the
| question whether Kentucky shall stand for
| free silver or sound money. An important
| element of the situation is the strong prob
| ability that there may be divided house
| among the democrats and the republicans
| capture the state and possibly the sena tor
| ship.
Senator Blackburn, who wishes to be re-
! elected to the United States Senate, and
several free silver candidates for state Off
| ces, are held largely responsible for in
| jecting the silver question into the present
| campaign Senator Blackburn is making
his canvass upon his personal popularity
and the advocacy of the free and unlimited
| coinage of silver at 1G to l.
The democratic state convention VIII be
held June % to nominate candidates Tor
| state offices, beginning with the governor
| ship, and for the adoption of state plat
| form. 1t is the purpose of the advocates
| of free silver to attempt to commit the de-
| mocracy of the state to free silver at that
| convention and to have a free silver dec
| laration as a wide plank in the platform.
| The sound money democrats will resist
| the effort in this direction on the ground
that 1t threatens a disruption of the party.
Every effort has been made to dissuade the
| free silver leaders from bringing forward
| the question in a state contest with the re-
puDlcanS. Ihey nave been warned Inat
| the republicans will surely adopt sound
| money platform at their convention, and
| that to commit the democracy to free silver
| will be handicap in the outset.
To this the free silver men reply that the
sentiment of the state is for silver, regard
less of politics; that free silver is sure to
win, and that their platform will attract
| votes from the republicans in case the re-
publican party of the state takes stand
| sgainst silver at. its convention.
the democratic convention of June % is
awaited with a great deal of anxiety. 1t is
realized that there Is a strong sentiment
| for silver among the farmers and the peo-
| pie of the small towns, which is being con-
| stantly encoura ged by the free silver sena-
| torial and state office candidates. Senator
| Blackburn in all of his speeches urges the
| people to send free silver delegates to the
| convention Up to the time of Secretary
Carlisle's arrival in the state there had
| been no attempt to counteract the free
I silver tidal wave.
| Representative McCreary, also a candi-
| date for the senatorship, has been trying to
keep an anchor out fore and aft He is
| doing this by bearing down easily on silver,
| using the word ''bimetallism" freely, and,
| while processing his undying affection for
silver, urging its advocates to wait for an
international agreement.
Ex-Governor Buckner, who will be a
candidate, is known to be a sound money
man, but has made no active canvass.
Thus, with Senator Blackburn actively at
work, Mr. McCreary temporizing and the
ly in the field, the free silver boom was
forging ahead.
Secretary Carlfsle's Arrival.
1t was at this juncture that Secretary
Carlisle swooped down on the silver men
like the wolf on the fold. but unlike the
Assyrian of yore. his cohorts were gleam-
ing with gold alone. He quickly set the
pace for the sound money men. and has
laid down the law to those inclined to tenn
porize. He says the time to stop the silver
movement Is at the convention, and not al
low it to enter into the subsequent cam
paign. He has pointed out the danger of
giving free silver the prestige of recogni-
ton by a democratic state convention as
dangerous not only to the party as po-
litical organization, but to the cause of
sound money and good business.
Secretary Carlisle received welcome in
the state which must have been highly
gratifying to him personally, but probably
the most important feature of it was the
enthusiasm with which his sound money
speeches were received by his audiences.
Every speech that he made in Kentucky
has been attended by immense crowds, and
their applause of his sound money senti-
ments has demonstrated the existence of a
| marked anti-silver feeling. Wide circula-
tion is to be given to his speeches, and the
only anxiety of the sound money people Is
whether the campaign of education can be
made effective before the convention dele
gates are chosen.
Secretary Carlisle'S hurried departure for
Washington this morning on account of
Secretary Greshams death has caused
great disappointment in political circles.
He Cancelled his engagement to make q
sound money speech here tomorrow night,
for which extensive arrangements had been
made. 1t is the understanding that he will
return to Kentucky at an early date and
speak at number of points. An informal
sound money organization has been per-
fected for the distribution of his speeches
throughout the state.
Choosing the Legislature.
The election of the legislature which is
to choose a United States Senator will be
held next November at the same time that
the election of state officials occurs. Can
didates for the legislature are already
being nominated, however, and the sena-
| torial fight begins there.
Senator Blackburn ard Mr.. McCreery
have both been laying their pipes with the
candidates for the legislature. shaping
their campaign into those districts where
the nomination of candidates occurred
earliest. 1t is said to be nearly an even
| thing between them up to date, but with
the result also contingent upon the action
Of the convention.
MIR. nlackburn's Course.
Senator Blackburn has staked his last
chance upon free silver. If the conven-
ton declares for the unlimited coinage of
the white metal he will claim to be the
original free silver man, although Governor
Brown will contest that position with him,
as 1t is understood he will be a candidate
On the silver plank. If the convention
declares against silver Senator Blackburn
| will claim that the administration and the
gold bugs controlled the meeting and will
extend an Invitation to all advocates of
| Unlimited coinage to stand up for him as
its true and lively exponent and send him
to the Senate that he may demonstrate
the fact to their satisfaction and his own.
Mr.. Blackburns opponents stand very
| much in awe of him. it is said. Aside from
his catchy free silver position, liable to
bring him considerable following, he is a
| man of marked popularity. One of his op-
| ponents remarked to the writer: 80 Black
| burn has friends everywhere, and they
are friends who will go with him, silver or
no silver"
| While the senatorial contest and the can
| didacy of state officials are interesting
features of the situation in Kentucky the
silver question is the issue which the lead
ers are taking most to heart.
1t is already apparent that Secretary
Carlisles speeches have awakened the ad-
vocates of sound money to the necessity
of preserving Kentuckys position in the
column of sound money states, and that
she shall set the pace for the other south
l r-I1