Evening star., 1895-10-31
COL. BELL CONVERTED.
He Has Left the Ranks of the Free
Silver Men.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
ST. LOUIS, October %. 1898.
Tie latest convert to sound money in Mis-
scrri is Col. Nicholas NJ. Bell, He is excise
commissioner of st. Louis and his office
is the most lucrative one in the state. He
holds it ty virtue of an appointment from
Gov. Stone, and is that free silver extrem-
lists closest personal friend. He is also
known as the most liberal contributor of
money to the demcratic cause in Missouri.
When the Pertle Springs convention was
called it was supposed that delegates would
receive reduced railroad rates. They did
rot, and Col. Bell, to insure the attendance
of the st. Louis contingency, sixty strong,
bought sixty round-trip railroad tickets,
costing $11 each and distributed them
gratis. He was the leading spirit of the
Pertie Springs convention, although he had
never been a howler for free coinage or
anything else. It would be impossible to
imagine Col. Bell bowling. He is a quiet,
dignified gentleman of the old school.
nAi few days ago there was silver club
organized in st. louis, of which two local
members of the new state committee are the
most active members. One of these is Col.
George w. Allen, eX-mayor of the city.
Cob Allen sat down to his typewriter and
clicked off a letter to Col. Bell asking him
to join.
When Col. Bell joins club he usually
does so with his hands in his pocket The
silver club probably took this fact into con-
sderation when they invited him to join,
sack full of the needful on his back
Bells reply to Allen was the first intima-
ton the public had had of Col. Bells
ranks like a bombshell. Again was Col.
Aliens typewriter brought into requistion
and the cement on the rubber letters nearly
melted with the color of the words pounded
out
Col. Allen called Col Bells attention to
the fact that he was state officer through
the grace of a free silver advocate, the
governor of Missouri; that he received his
position by appointment of the governor,
and 1t was hardly becoming of him to re-
fuse to join club formed for the purpose
of advancing the free and unlimited coin
age of silver and to promote the political
| welfare of the governor.
Col Bells second letter to Mr.. Allen was
more specific if less satisfactory. He de-
clared that he was a sound money man;
that impartial investigation had convinced
him that the issuance of any dollar of the
United States that is not Interchangeable
with any other dollar would be blunder
clcse akin to crime. So far as being an ap-
pointea and friend of Gov. Stone he was
profoundly grateful for the first position
and extremely proud of the second relation,
| but his convictions were his own and from
ocyhood he had always had the courage of
them.
| Pigmies, Col. Bell intimated. cling ten
| aciously to fallacies; it takes man to ac-
knowledge that he has been in error. No
| longer in sympathy with the movement, he
would not join the club to force free coin
age on the American people. And with the
| profoundest respect for Col. Allen and his
| misguided followers he had the honor to be,
etc, etc, etc
Col. Bell was superintendent of foreign
mails under MIR. Cleveland's first adminis-
| tration. He is one of the few democrats
| whom Mr.. Harrison was anxious to retain
n office. In an interview on the subject of
| his correspondence with Mr.. Allen he said:
Il am tired of this quarreling and bicker-
| ing over a national affair. / am a democrat
| and propose to abide by the decision of the
| national convention. 1t is all nonsense for
| us to be discussing national instead of local
! issues"