The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-23
POLITICAL PERPLExITY AHEAD.

4
Thousands of men are afoat, politi-
cally, with their anchors up and hope
lessly drifting, uncertain of their final
harbors or of any sure anchorage. Re
publican silver men and Republican
goldbugs are threatening to represent,
with tEeir vote, what they conceive TO
be the interest Of their pockets. So
the east is threatening Mckinley and
| the national convention upon the one
hand and the west upon the other.
In the meantime the DemOcrat tic
| party is not without its troubles. The
s;Iverites claim that they will have
the convention, will make the plat
| form, and nominate the candidate. The
pivotal states are Illinois, Iowa, Ken
| lucky, Indiana and Ohio. There is no
doubt from present indications that
the delegates-at-large from Iowa viii
be for silver coinage and also a ma
jority, if not all, those elected from
| districts. Illinois is under the control
Of the silver men and that state will
send delegation with clear majority
for silver. even though it should not
be unanimous. 1t is probable that the
same will be the case with Kentucky
and Indiana Mr.. Thurman, son of
the old senator of that name, is a
strong advocate of silver coinage in
Ohio, and he is reported to have said
that the Ohio delegation will consist of
thirty silver men and sixteen oddities.
If the silver representation from the
states named shall be as strong as these
estimates indicate, the Chicago cOnyen-
ton wifi almost to certainty be for
silver coinage. OF course there re-
mains possibility that the administra-
ton will control enough delegates in
states surely counted for silver to give
it a majority, but this Is improbable. !
by Mr.. Cleveland to capture the con-
ventiOn, but the course of events in |
Michigan has aroused the silver men |
to an appreciation of the importance |
Of leaving no stone unturned 10 defeat |
the administration plan, and this will |
have an effect upon the selection of /
delegates from some of the states in
which conventions have not yet been
held.
The silver men will make the plat
form if they have majority Of the
5aIaUotao bu+ +bo + mill ,o.t ono I,lo tIo,,
to nominate a candidate if the two
thirds rule is enforced, unless the gold
ties bolt. Having a majority the BIZ
will be able to hold the con-
vention and throw the odium of bolt
upon their opponents This may be
the course of events. 1t would be
great advantage TO the silver cause if
the silver men should control, for there
are many Democrats in the east who
would vote a silver ticket if regularly
and that might be sufficient
doubtful states.
What the result of the nomination of
a bimetallist upon a bimetallic plat
form at Chicago would be is difficult
to estimate, for there is no telling how
strong the silver vote is in the east.
1t probably is much stronger than gold
admit, and there might
be a great upheaval of parties if such
a ticket were put into the field in oppo-
sition to a pronounced gold-Standard
ticket nominated at St Louis. 1t
should be remembered that the labor
ng class is very weary of the condi-
ions under which business has Strug- |
yled for the last four years, and that !
here are many farmers in PennsyI- :
TaDia and New York who are firmly ,
convinced that there will be no relief
Until the gold standard is abandoned.
This vote may be strong enough to {
rive the silver cause one or two states
which are now confidently counted for (
he gold candidates