Evening star., 1895-05-29
IN OLD KENTUCKY
Shrewd Plans Laid by the Sound
Money Democrats.
DETERMINED TO SECURE DELAY
No Free Silver Plank to Be Per-
mitted in the Platform.
\ REVIEW OF INTENTIONS
Special From a Staff Correspondent.

Ihe presence OF Secretary CarnSle IN tnlS
city for several days in the early part of
the week drew to Louisville a number of
the most prominent politicians of the state,
including both silver advocates and sound
money men. The latter class have been in
frequent conference with Mr.. Carlisle, and
the silver men got together and exchanged
ideas and nlatured plans. Among the lead
ers who were present were ex-Gov. Buck
Her, the sound money candidate for United
States Senator to succeed Senator Black
burn, Senator Lindsay, who is sound
money man, and Senator Blackburn, who
is not; Lieut. Gov. Afford, who is sound
money man, but will stick to Blackburn
out OF personal friendship, and who wants
to be governor; Mr.. Proctor Knott, free
silver leader; Representative McCreary.
who wants to go to the Senate on the plat
form most likely to get him there, and, last
to be mentioned, but first in council, Mr..
Henry Watterson. There were other stars
of lesser national magnitude, but of inn
portant local standing.
The presence of these war horses of DEM
ocratic politics in this city has afforded the
newspaper men who are here on special
missions exceptional opportunities for feel
ing the political pulse of the state and for
obtaining reliable information, ex parte of
course, from each side of the double head
ed political contest now waging, the strug
gle for Office and the attempt TO land Ken
lucky into the column of free silver states.
For the purposes of continuity this dis
patch will be devoted to an explanation of
the plans and purposes of the sound money
men. the free silver cause to be set forth
in another chapter.
Against IA Free Silver Plank.
1t is the one purpose and aim of the
sound money men at this time, irrespective
of the senatorial contest and their personal
ambitions or preferences, to prevent the
coming state democratic convention from
placing free silver plank in it's platform.
In a previous dispatch 1t was explained
how Senator Blackburn and the free silver
candidates had gone before the people up
on that issue with declaration of their
intention to raise it in the state nominat-
ing convention The anomaly Of injecting
purely national issue into convention
called for the sole purpose of nominating
state officials was represented to them in
vain, and equally unconvincing was the
argument that by dividing the democracy
of the state upon national issue the re-
publicans might carry off all the state Of
fees.
l. is declared to be the purpose of the
sound money men to confine their efforts
to preventing the adoption of a free silver
plank, and not to attempt to secure decla-
ration for sound money from the conven-
tion. The logic of this position is readily
apparent, for the condemnation of the
attemnt of the free silver men to COM
nit the democracy to the free coinage
of silver would apply equally to a move
in the direction of sound money decla-
ration. The argument which is most fire.
cuartly used to the silver men is that
national issues are controlled by national
conventions, and that a state nominating
convention in an off year has no right to
commit the democracy upon any national
question. After using this argument the
sound money men could not expect the
convention to come out for their views.
Delay VIII Be Beneficial.
The plan of the sound money element in
the convention. therefore. will be to sub
stitute for the free coinage resolutions,
which will be offered. reiteration of the
financial declaration of the last democratic
national convention.
If this is done it will leave the silver
question open, of course, and under dis
cusson until delegates are chosen for the
next national convention. But this is just
what the sound money people want. They
say that six months time, under the cam
paign of education which they will pursue,
will enable them to not only counteract the
silver sentiment throughout the state, but
to practically wipe it out.
The politicians now in Louisville, pro-
Tossing adherence to sound money views,
with whom the writer has talked, claim
that to their knowledge there has been
marked change in the sentiment of the
people of Kentucky within the past ten
days. This statement is in measure con-
and by individual reports from the hench-
men Of the leaders. stationed at different
points. This fact is explained by the
statement that up to a very short time
ago there had been no actual attempt to
meet the free silver question. The free
silver boom in Kentucky was thing of
mushroom growth, anyway, springing up
under the warm rain of eloquence of Sen
ator Blackburn and his associates. In a
few weeks time it had assumed its pres
ent proportions. Nothing had been said on
the other side and the sound money cause
had. in measure, gone by default for
lack of defense.
Buckner's Vigorous Position.
The first plea in demurrer to the free sill
yer case was put forth by ex-Gov. Buckner.
the sound money candidate for Senator.
He came out fair and square against free
coinage, opposing it in vigorous terms. At
the time it was said he had wrecked his
chances for the senatorship, but he replied
he was more interested in the future of his
state as a sound money community than in
his possible election as Senator.
Gen. Buckner is one of the most interest
ing figures in Kentucky politics. He was
one of the few confederate generals who
enjoyed the friendship of Grant. He visit
ed Gen. Grant at Mount MacGregor in the
latter's last days, and was pallbearer at
the funeral. With all this he is fairly idol
lied by the ex-confederate veterans. and
the Union element honors him also. He is
Kentuckian of the old regime, stately,
courteous and punctilious to a degree.
When he left the gubernatorial chair ne
retired to his home in a remote section of
the state and has lived quiet and unos-
tentatious life. He is honored by all par
ties and if he does not get the Senatorship
it is said, it will be because he Is not
enough of politician to match the vete-
rams who will be in the race. Gen. Buck
ner has made a host of friends by his
fearless advocacy of sound money at a
time when he seemed hopelessly in the
minority, for the average Kentuckian ad-
mires man who is politically coura geous,
as well as personally brave.
Gen. Buckners announcement aroused in
terest in the sound money question, for he
put forth arguments to sustain his position,
and for the first time the general public
was apprised of the fact that there was