Evening star., 1895-04-11
FOR FREE COINAGE
The Silver Sentiment Increasing in
the West.
REPRESENTATIVE HEPBURNy VIEWS
Influence of Educational Processes
on the People.
NEW PARTY NOT GROWING

Representative Hepburn of Iowa is in the
city today, having just returned from a
trip to the west, where, during the past
month, he has visited every county In his
district. Mr.. Hepburn will be recalled as
being one of the most prominent conserva-
tive western republicans in the House in
terested in the financial question. and his
speeches upon that subject at the last ses-
sion Of Congress attracted considerable at
tenticn. During his western trip Mr.. Hep
burn has paid particular attention to the
feeling Of the people upon the financial
question.
II thought saw an increasing feeling in
favor of the immediate, unlimited coinage
Ct silver by the United States." said Mr..
Hepburn to Star reporter today, which
was very surprising to me. This sentiment
vas especially noticeable among democrats.
1 spent number of days in Chicago, and
found the same conditions there. On the
1aliway trains silver was general topic
OF conversation. Free silver literature was
IN VIDE circulation everywhere.
Influence on the People.
The educational processes being put for
ward in behalf of free silver are having
narked influence upon the people, 1 be-
lieve that this year in every democratic
state convention held west of the Allegany
mountains position in favor of the i'm
mediate, unlimited coinage of silver will
pe taken, unless the international confer
ence Is called and people are induced to
teheVe that there is reasonable prospect
OF an early international agreement as to
ratio and coinage: The state democratic
platform IN Iowa heretofore has contained
plank advocating free coinage of silver.
put last year this plank was omitted
through the action of party managers.
something in the nature of a revolt was
OF the state, and that action has had the
eHect OF increasing the desire of the people
to take further interest in silver. The state
republican platform has followed the ma
silver.
The Western Republican,.
"The republicans CT the west have al
ways been In favor of the free, unlimited
coinage of silver as a result of interna-
uonal agreement. I thought I noticed a
stronger feeling among them on nv last
trip in favor of such use Of silver indepen-
IDENTIFY of such agreement, but if the invi-
tation Is made by Germany and accepted
by the commercial nations of the world
1 nave no doubt that republicans will be
content to stand on the declarations of the
platform and wait for such joint action.
l believe. however, that should the repub-
hcanS of the west become satisfied that
there is to be no such conference and that
gold moncmetallism is to be the policy of
european nations and of our own men
OF wealth they will prefer silver mono
metallism to gold. found that the repub-
licans who voted for an issuance of $780,
100000 of bonds payable, principal and
interest in gold, the proceeds to be used
for the retirement of the greenbacks and
treasury notes of 1890, in order that
place might be made in our circulation for
$500 100000 of national bank notes. met
with but little favor. L heard no express
sions save those of earnest disapproval."
New Party Not Gathering Strength.
DO you think the new silver party is
gathering any practical strength in the
west?" asked The Star reporter.
mo, I do not" replied Mr.. Hepburn.
"The democrats will hardly leave their or
ganization to join the movement and the
populsts are already fighting it, their lead
ers being afraid of being displaced by the
little junta of rich men, who consider them
selves too respectable to be populists, but
who want a party. The bulk of the edu-
cational uganda is being conducted by
the new party, however, and while they
are not going to have many voters their
literature will have many readers. In this
respect they are benefiting the general
cause of free silver. Nothing Is being done
silver literature. Occasionally some pom
derous article from metropolitan news
paper finds its way among the people, but
it is discredited at the outset, for the gen.
eral idea among the people Is that the
banks control the boards of trade and
business organizations and they are in turn
the patrons of the great newspapers and
that therefore their statements are in the
interests cf the banks.
His Own Position.
"As for myself, favor the republican
position of the unlimited coinage of silver,
but l feel perfectly certain that an inter-
agreement as to ratio and the
opening of all mints to silver will soon be
reached.It may be to the interests of few
very rich me1i to limit the money of ulti-
mate redemption to gold, but it is the in
terest of the great mass of the people to
have the greatest possible amount of
money of ultimate redemption. The latter
are rapidly finding out that this is their
and, as they are one thousand to
one of the others, when they do learn this
truth they will prevail in any contest.
rhis interest is the same OH the part of the
the German and the French
nan as the American, so that it Is only
le cessary that the same measure of edu-
,ation should be had in the other countries
IS here to bring about the same results.
With an international agreement there can
De no question about the good results OF
he free coinage of silver. With an agree
nent the market is unlimited and the value
S fixed without the possibility of f1uctua-
ion, so long as the ratio is maintained by
aw. The unlimited coinage by the United
States Independently of agreement is but
an experiment. No man knows that 1t will
succeed His belief is but speculation, so
hat think it is better not to be precipi-
ate, but to wait for certainty that, with
proper education, must come