The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-22
STEWART on SILVER
One Who Did Not Know How the
Act Was Sneaked Through.
GOLD VS.. SILVER DEMOCRATS.
Gold Democrats Will Not Vote For a Silver
Man, But Silver Democrats Will Vote
For Anything "In the Party
THERE WILL BE MOVEMENT WHICH CAN
NOT BE STOPPED"


that silver was demonetized by the
mint act of 1873, the country was
nearly unanimous in favor of rectify-
Ing what was then supposed to be
mistake or au error, but which is now
known to have been the result Of
conspiracy. About the beginning of
1876, France and the Latin Union hav-
Ing suspended coinage, the market for
silver bullion for coinage purposes in
the United States and Europe was
substantially cut off, and for want of
such market the price of silver de-
cllned. This led to an inquiry as to
the cause, and it was found that legis-
lation again st silver had produced the
unfavorable result.
The writer of this article, although
a member of the Senate in 1873, did
not learn of the decentralization of
silver. in the bill codifying the mint
laws, until 1876. He then wrote a
mum Der Of communications to leading
journals, such as the Cincinnati Com
mercial, Chicago Tribune and New
York Herald. These papers, and
nearly all Of the press of the United
States, cOncurred with our views and
strongly advocated the remonetiza-
tlon OF silver. 1t was soon develOped
That the national banks were opposed
TO any legislation in favor of remone-
tization, and one by one the leading
newspapers of the Republican party
became unfavorable to silver. In
Congress the opposition to silver came
principally from the. Republican party
and few eastern Democrats. The
administration of President HAYES.
with Mr.. Sherman at the head of the
Treasury Department., was active in
OppOSing silver. and when a silver bill.
introduced by Mr.. Bland, passed the
House Of Representatives by an over
whelming majority 1T was mutilated
in the Senate by what is known as the
Allison amendment, which made it a
silver purchasing act instead of a free
coinage act. The Democratic party
as whole, was at that time and ever
after, until Mr.. Cleveland;s first elec-
tion. free coinage party. In 1884 the
platform OF the Democratic party uD-
on which Mr.. Cleveland was elected
contained the following declarations:
I'VE believe in honest money, the
gold and silver coinage of the Consti-
tuition, and circulating medium
convertible into such money without
loss.''
But Mr.. Cleveland after his election
turned out to be most violent Oppo-
nent or silver and Staunch friend of
the money powers. In 1888 the Demo-
cratic convention was silent on the
silver question, and the Republican
National Convention adopted the fol-
lowing plank with regard to silver:
The Republican party is in favor
of the use Of both gold and silver as
money, and condemns the policy of
the Democratic administration in its
efforts to demonetze silver"
But President HarriSOnS admins
tration was as hostile to silver as that
OF his immediate predecessor In 1892
both parties straddled, and Mr. Cleve-
land was elected because Mr.. Harrison
was an object lesson of the gold
standard in the White House and at
tracted more attention on that ac-
count than his opponent, who was
then in private life. 1t was a slow
race. A million voted for Weaver.
and another million or two STAYED
away IIOH UiIC pulls. DuU
succeeded in disgusting more men
than Cleveland, because his miscon-
duct was more recent and fresh in the
minds Of the voters. Mr.. Cleveland
had succeeded in organizing in the
Democratic party strong. aggressive
gold party. The banks are with him,
the commercial press is with him, the
Northeastern Democrats are with
him, and he has divided the Demo-
cratic party and secured so far as the
government of the party is con-
cerned, more than one half Of
H.. In the last expression of
opinion OF the Democrats north of
the Ohio and east Of the Mississippi.
as manifested by convention, gives
the gold men nearly one-half of the
Electoral College. With Kentucky
and Alabama and the Western States.
such as Kansas and Nebraska. the |
Dakotas and Oregon, where there is
no Democratic party, but simply an
admiration pie-eating party, that |
Cleveland Democracy can easily have
the delegates to the convention.
With the thousands of banks, the |
commercial press, and the leading |
politicians of the North in the
Democratic party there would be no
difficulty in controlling the next
Democratic convention. Besides the |
Eold wing of the Democratic party |
has great advantage over the silver |
wing in its aggressive and uncompro-
nising attitude. The Cleveland !
Democrats openly declare that under |
no circumstances will they support !
silver men, and on every possible oc-
casion they vote against silver men in |
the Democratic party. The refusal |
of gold Democrats to vote for silver |
Democrats gave Kentucky to the Re-
publicans and has driven out of power |