The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-20
DAILY, SO A YEAR.
5 CENTS A COPY.
WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-WEEk 81 A YEAhd
SlLVERITES TALK OF A SPLIT.
WHITE METAL PREsIDENTIAL
TICKET POSSIBLE.

Which One of the Old Political Par
ties Would BE the Greater Sufferer
Hard 20 Determine at This Time.
The Democratic Free Silver Men
Very sore over the Defeat of ST.
Louis at the Recent Meeting of the
National Committee.
Washington. Jan. 19-There is some wild
ami injudicious talk among the leading free
silver men here about putting an indepen-
dent ticket in the field. The statement is
boldly made that South Carolina stands
ready 10 bolt the democratic party at any
minute ia the interest OF free silver.
Among the party leaders in that state the
feeling is said TO be in favor OF a new
party, and they express the hope that
there Will be a union Of the silver forces
OF the south and west before the presiden-
tial election comes on. There is a gen.
erai belief among the free silver men who
are interested in the conference to be held
in this city next Wednesday. that their
only salvation viii be TO cut loose from
both Of the great political parties and put
in the field a ticket composed Of tried and
true apostles OF the white metal faith.
There is more or less apprehension by
democratic and republican leaders thax
such a course will be adopted by the free
silver men, for since the recent meeting OF
the democratic committee the free coin
age men have expressed their Indignation
and contempt for the means, they claim,
invoked by the single gold standard men,
70 Keep the democratic convention from
being located in st. Louis.
The talk OF an independent free silver
ticket is not confined to the populsts but
some Of the strongest men in the demo-
cratic and republican parties, from the
a y nn if4arf ffarr
the advsability of taking such a step.
In the event OF break in the party fines
on the silver issue, it Is difficult to esti-
mate which one Of the two great organi-
zaqons would be the greater sufferer
Many or the free silver organizations,
| expected TO be represented at the confer
ence TO take place here during the pres
/ ent week, have been formed secretly and
they nave been at work industriously for
/ more tnan year past. They have not
conhded to their dearest friends except
/ under a solemn obligation of confidence
the strength and influence they may de-
| pehu upon 70 sustain such a desperate
/ move. It will be remembered that Senator
/ Jones of Arkansas, who Is the leading
/ spirit IN the conference to take place, sta
/ ted Just prior to the meeting OF the ma
/ tional committee that he had in his pos
| session numerous appeals from prominent
/ free silver men all over the country, urg-
/ ing him to call a free silver convention,
| Independent OF the democratic or the re-
| publican parties IL the convention was To-
! 1t is now learned that the free silver
men were confident that they could control
enough votes in the breakup to carry tho
/ convention TO st. Louis, and they do not
! hesitate to charge treachery ON the part
! of certain southern and western members
] OF the national committee.
so intense was the feeling between the
! representatives Of free silver and the gold
| standard that an open rupture in the
! committee meeting was only averted by
! the most delicate manipulation by the
/ democratic leaders In attendance. A mem-
! per OF the committee who is recognized
| as one OF the ablest and also one Of the
! shfeWdest members of the democratic
/ party says, in referring 10 the deibera-
| tiona of the committee, that the contend
| ing factions We're on financial volcano
| all day. More than once an eruption was
| threatened, which might have destroyed
| the democratic party. Only those persons
in attendance at the secret meeting of the
committee know how serious the situation
| was on several occasions. The result
| showed how evenly divided were the two
| factions on the money question and the
| vote by which Chicago carried off the
prize represents one of the hardest and
most determined fights that ever occur
| red in meeting Of the organized DEM
| Ocracy The murmurings of the free sill
yer men indicate that they are not satis-
| fled with the outcome and they propose
| the extremity Of bolting both parties In
| their efforts to get what they call fair
| opportunity to measure strength with the
advocates of a sound currency They ap-
| parently want a fight and they seem to be
| determined to have one at any cost.
ard contend that now is good time to
make the issue clear and fight IL to the
/ bitter end. Others recommend a more
pacific policy on the lines of blmetaIllsm.
| The administration Is not disposed to
| listen to any compromise on this subject
for II believes that the practical people OF
| jority Of them, are not ready to imperil
/ the credit Of the government by going to
| a silver basis, Notwithstanding the threats
| of the free silverites.