Evening star., 1895-06-12
Senator Brice Says They Will Not
Commit the Democracy.
MIR. THURMAN is EQUALLY POSITIVE
Chairman SmalIey on the Latter's
Manifesto.
THE DRIFT OF SENTIMENT

| Special From a Staff Correspondent.
COLUMBUS. Ohio, June 10, 1895
Is the democracy of Ohio to follow the
| lead set by the democrats of Illonois, and
| make declaration for the free coinage Of
| silver? This is a question frequently asked
these days of Ohio politicians.
Senator Brice runs his fingers through his
auburn locks and answers with smile,
| We'll, hardly"
Mr.. Allen W. Thurman, the son of the old
| Roman, and the chief apostle of free silver
| in the state, knits his brows and says with
| determination, 1T will be very strange il
| 1T does not"
| In this connection it might be timely to
state that a movement is now on foot
among the sound money people to beat Mr..
| Thurman in his own home, and prevent his
| being sent as a delegate to the state con-
vention when it meets.
The experience of the last two or three
| weeks has demonstrated that there is good
ground for Senator Brice's idea in this mat
| ter. There has undoubtedly been decided
Weakening of the sentiment in favor of
| silver, many men of prominence who had
Hitherto inclined that way coming out on
the other tack and some radicals modify
ing their views. One of the most notable
| instances was in the case of Col. Kilbourn
| of this city, who was known to be a radi-
| cal. He now deprecates Mr.. Thurman's
| movement and. as he is politician of
prominence his example will have weight,
| it is thought.
Senator Brice is now going through the
| state and is making a thorough and busi-
| nc ss-like attempt to control the party
machinery, to prevent, if possible, the send
| ing of Il free silver majority to the state
convention. More than this, he is using his
| personal influence with prominent men all
| ever the state in the same direction.
Chairman SmaIley Replies to Thur
The chairman of the state central COM
mittee, Mr.. Smalley, replies to Mr.. Thur
| mans recent silver manifesto, under recent
| date, as follows:
''Mr. Thurman's recent proclamation to
! Ohio democrats calls for a brief notice
| from me that all may know the exact re-
| lation he sustains to the Ohio democracy.
| Mr.. Thurman was made chairman of the
| state executive committee last year by the
| action Of the state central committee, of
| which l have the honor to be chairman.
| The duty devolved on him as chairman to
manage the campaign, and, If possible, to
guide the party to victory. He had ex-
| elusive control of the movements of the
democratic troops. and. after putting forth
| votes OF winning the battle. His published
| manifesto suggests that he could increase
| ttese figures to at least $50 900 If he were
again chosen to drill the boys for the en-
suing fight. When the campaign closed in
| disaster last November there remained no
| further duty for Mr.. Thurman as chair
man to perform, except to gracefully drop
| back into the ranks from which the central
| committee had drafted him.
AS MIR. Thurman is In no way connected
with the state central committee il Is diff
| cult to comprehend why multitude of
democrats are embarrassing him with cor
respondence concerning the business which
| belongs solely to a committee with which
| he is not identified. None of these letters
| with which he has been deluged has been
forwarded to me. The Inference he would
nave us draw is that there is popular up
rising Of 100000 indignant democrats de-
nlanding immediate action on the part of
the committee, and that they are harassng
the life out of Mr.. Thurman urging him to
do something. 1t certainly is well known
that am the chairman of the central COM
mittee, for Mr.. Thurman has been en-
phasizing that fact for several weeks This
reported urgent demand that the commit
tee do something, boiled down, amounts to
this: AS chairman 1 have not received
half-a-dozen letters on the subject of the
state convention. OF those received, one
was from Allen W. Thurman and one was
from Col. Taylor"
confer with Senator Brice with Gov
Campbell, with Larry Neal, "and hosts of
other safe, level-headed democrats about
matters affecting the prosperity of the
democratic party" well as with Mr.
Thurman. He suggests that Mr.. Thurman
should be impressed with the importance
OF keeping all his ammunition to use
against the common enemy" and to save
himself for charge on the republicans
Mr.. Smalley closes as follows:
"Dismissng Mr.. Thurman and his procla-
ma ton, will say that the committee will
soon convene. and doubtless harmony will
prevail in all its deliberations"
1t is the belief of many that Mr. Thur
man and his radical free silver followers
will eventually be driven into the ranks of
the populists, or into affiliation with the
new silver party that is to take root in the
central states for the accommoda ton of
those democrats who find themselves op-
posed by their state organization.
The best-posted politicians in Columbus
expressed the opinion to the writer that
the sound money men will be able to con-
troll the state convention so as to prevent
its taking a stand for silver, and that by
the time the next election comes around
the sentiment of the voters will have
changed in the direction of sound money
to the extent of preventing a serious split
In the party.