The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-05-02
For AND AGAINST SILVER.

SPEAKER CRISP FOR FREE COINAGE.
Speaker Crisp gives his views Of
the coming presidential campaign
and the politics which will enter into
it. He says.
"From the time of the tariff COM
mission of 1880 down to year ago
tariff reform had it's varying for
tunes, resulting at last in a revision
acceptable to the people. The dis.
position OF the tariff clears the way
for the settlement OF the silver
question. That question is now fully
before us. 1t will be the one issue
before the people next year and in
such way that it must be settled
openly. The fact that progress in
silver rehabilitation is slow should
not be discouraging. This is big
country, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, with probably 10000, 600 Of
the most civilized people in the
world. When, after years of dis
cussion, they made up their minds
for tariff reform, there was no power
on earth strong enough to resist it.
The silver question is going through
the same course of public discussion.
Just as in that fight the silver men
will have their battle royal, when
the American people will award the
victory. The majority of people in
both parties are in favor of the free
coinage OF silver. They are to day
behind the free silver movement,
and they will push IL on to success
and have silver re- established to its
old equality with gold. This great
financial question will be settled by
the democratic party. In the next
campaign the rehabilitation of silver
will be the controlling issue upon
which democracy will appeal to the
people. Party platforms should
always be plain and direct. What
ever reason existed for different
constructions of the platform of
1892 should NO longer exist, and for
this purpose that to be adopted in
1896 should be so plain that even a
school boy can understand it. The
platform should declare for the free
coinage of silver.
'tWe should select some good man
from the west, some man with a
military record, and 60 forth with
confidence to victory which the
people give to those who are brave
enough to fight for 1t. The only
fear I have is, not that the people
are not in favor of free silver, but
that the free silver people, who are
in the majority, may divide into
factions, running two or three can.
didates, in which event the election
would be thrown into the house
where the republican would bt
elected. Such q contest as have
outlined would cause many people tt
make new party alignments. There
are democrats strongly welded tt
the gold theory and many republi
cans just as strongly welded to fret
silver. or course, these men woult
have to choose between their ole
party and their convictions on thi
issue.
"Of course" said Mr.. Crisp
''there is contingency in which tn
people might not be called upon t.
settle the question-that is the prob
able action of an international con
ference. That would be the bes
and easiest method Of re- establishing
silver, and with less of the elemen
of experiment In it. II such a con
ference should be called, and it too
action restoring silver so that tn
people would be satisfied, we woul
have no financial issue for 1895. /
the meantime, however, the peopl
of the United States will be movin
along to that result in their own way
The people want the freedom q
silver. am in favor of its fire.
coinage, as have always been, an
the democratic voters will declar
for 1t next year."