Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-12
B USIN.ESS M E N
They Are Preparing to Take a More
Active Part in Politics.
EFFECT OF THE FINANCIAL QUESTION
The Movement is Rapidly Spread
ing in All the States.
REP q BLICAN COMFORT

preparing to take deeper and more active
interest in politics within the next two
years than ever before in the history OF
this country. The movement is widespread,
and already shows signs of a trained and
an aggressive direction. The banker, the
manufacturer and the merchant are all in
| correspondence on the subject, and are ap-
parenty agreed among themselves as to
what they shall do and how they shall go
about it. They have evidently studied the
methods of the regular politicians. and re-
solved to make use Of them in carrying out
their program. They have discovered the
value of controlling the primaries, and OF
attending to the more important commits
sicns in person. They are going to the con-
yentions themselves, instead of permitting
delegations to be made up IN the old way
of everyday ward workers, and Will claim
a voice not only in the construction of plat
ferns, but in the nomination OF candidates.
The promise, indeed is that beginning
with this years state campaigns and con-
tinuing through next years national CAM
paign, there viii be a pronounced demon
straton of just how potent the business in
terests are when brought TO bear in a
practical way on the shaping Of local and
national legislation.
The First Movement.
The first movement this new line is
ton for state officers will be held there
next fall, and at the same time legisla-
ture chosen, which will select successor
to Mr.. Blackburn in the Senate. Mr.. Black
burn is in the field to succeed himself, and
will make his race an advocate or the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver He
has expressed himself without reserve on
the subject, and his views have awakened
much interest throughout the state He
starts on an eXterded campaigning tour
soon after the adjournment of Congress,
and before the time for the holding of the
nominating convention for state officers,
likely to be held in May, he viii have oe-
liver ed many speeches. The democrauo
state platform must contain some express
sion as to silver, and this makes it neces.
sary for those who take the other side OF
the question to prepare at once for the
ensa cement. Mr.. Blackburn will be on
hand, ready for the fray.
The business Interests Heard Froms
Although there are several other as
pirants for the Senate, Mr.. Blackburn, SO
far, has heard only from the business in
terests in the cities and towns throughout
the commonwealth. Meetings are being
held resolutions adopted and a very free
epression of opinion INDUCED in through
the newspapers. The politicians are not
to be permitted to have undisputed sway
this time. The question being one OF
finances and affecting SO vitality the affairs
OF trade, the men who are the most prom
irent in business circles are coming to the
front In. defense, or rather in energetic
championship, of the generally accepted
business view of the subject. They are
anxious to be heard. and are preparing to
make themselves heard. They will be at
the primaries, and will endeavor to go as
delegates to the state convention, where
their influence, whether great or small,
may be put to the very best account.
They are as yet proposing no candidates.
either for the state offices or for the Sem
ate keeping their eyes for the present
only on the paramount question of the
party platform. But when that is set
tled.~ the question of candidates will then
engage them. and they win, of course,
SUI port the men who may be in closest
accord with their policy and the best pre-
pared to give it successful Interpretation
before the people on the stump.
In All the States.
There are assurances that this procedure
is as rapidly as necessary to be applied in
all OF the states. The argument is that the
issue being at last a business issue. must
engage business men in the most effective
way. The men with everything at stake
cannot afford to content themselves longer
with mere formal expressions of opinion.
Memorializing Congress, or signing SOL
emnly worded communications to Senators
and Representatives already elected, is pro-
nounced out of date and Improbable. The
thing for business men to do is to go into
the fight in an everyday fashion, take q
full part in all of the work in hand, and
thus having helped to carry the issue
through the early stages, have all the
stronger claims to be heard when the time
comes for conclusive legislative action.
This demonstration is accepted as dis
tinctly anti-slyer. The silver men them
selves SO regard 1t. They do not UNDER
value 1t, although they do not believe it
can be made in the end to turn the scale
against them. The influence will he great
est, and probably very great, in the cities
and towns and in those eastern states
thickly settled and where the people ars
dependent upon and consequently much
under the control of the manufacturers.
But in the west, the northwest and the
south, in the planting and the grazing and
the mining belts, where aggregate capital
is not so powerful, the silver men expect to
be able to convince the people that this Is
but another form of the manipulation Of
Wall street, and that the interest being
manifested by the local business men is at
the command of their eastern correspond
ents, and therefore unindividual and wholly
unrepresentatiye. Moreover, the assertion
Is made that in many OF the western cities
and towns this local influence is not to be
directed by eastern interests. ard will not
lend itself TO the furtherance OF the move
meut West of st. Louis, the silver men
declare, there are very few chambers OF
commerce or boards OF trade or business
organizations of any class or credit willing
to unite with their eastern correspondents
in any scheme for rernla nently committing
the government to gold policy
Comfort to the Republicans.
The republican leaders, however, take q
yery different view OF the matter. They
do not hesitate to pronounce the move
ment one Of the most important OF recent
wears. 1t gives them great comfort. They
realize that their task is going to be 4 DIFF
fcult ore in the next Congress, but they
do not see how they can POSSIBLY fail, with
the business INTERESTS everywhere aroused
and in support Of the republican policy OF
sound money. Their belief is that the bus
mess influence, whcn thus organized and
exerte9 will prove to be Irresistible IN
man. localities and 20 hold the balance of
mower in many others. Some OF the most
famous of old democratic stroGgh5lds even
NAV give way before IT. The present re-
rublic;u shihholeth h, therefore. is: business
is business, and business always wins"
ReyiSfur- Church CanonS.