The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-07-09
Work of the Silver Leagues
Sound Money Democratic Conventions
Overwhelmed Without Any
Concert of Action.
"Tarln Is McKInley's Hope
Some of His Supporters Not Aware CT
the Danger; Others Think 1t
Exaggerated"


"Portentous and menacing, political
specter has risen in the rural counties of
this state threatening to overshadow par
ties and conditions and obliterate partisan
lines from the Pennsylvania boundary to
the st. Lawrence and from Lake Erie to
he Hudson. The farmers are worshlplng
the silver calf. In many of the counties
there is no actual organization of the
friends of free silver. An organization and
an active free silver campaign would
make many OF the strongest republican
counties in the state doubtful In Novem-
ber"
Continuing, the Herald says that even
without an organIza ion the free silver
farmers knocked the sound money men
off their feet in many places in the state
IN the recent democratic primaries, and
proceeds to enumerate localities where
this has been done, prominent among
them being such counties as Lewis and
Genesee. The latter Is the home OF Bob"
Maxwell, leader of the Cleveland demo-
cracy in western New York.
| on test vote the silver men knocked
out the friends of p. Flower In the Sec
ond Assembly District of jefferson coun-
| W anu WbulN nave tdIIIeu DOln QlStrlctS
had they been organized. Silver is likely
to con rol both party organizations in St.
Lawrence county, and the free silver
democrats Of Onondaga and Monroe
counties were in control at the Saratoga
convention. Summing up the whole situa
ton, the Herald says that the repor $
of its correspondents show that II Is the
republicans rather than the democrats
Is like noun ain forest in August ready
for the match. The republican leaders
are In ignorance of the actual state of
affairs-it has all come about in three or
four weeks. The county democratic lead
ers, having become acquainted with It in
their caucuses, are secretly anxious for
free silver to triumph in Chicago. They
think they can shift the tariff issue and
carry the farmers almost soldly for free
silver
From st. Lawrence county the herald 5
correspondent telegraphs that that rock
ribbed Gibiaiter OF republicanism is one
enormous debating society, and the only
subject debated Is free silver: the tarlff
has been forgotten. The writer portrays
the deplorable condition OF the farmers OF
that section of he state, and says that
tremendous fan in the prices of farm
products has made the scarcity of money
in the rural districts almost grotesaue
Cheese sells for from 6 to 6lh cents q
pound; butter has been down as low as
10 cen s; potatoes must be fed to the
stock
When the Wilson bill was enacted and
Canadian hay began to come across tn,
line and undersell the New York produ :,
the farmers were inclined to blame tn,
democratic party. Lately they have beer
told that even If hat be true the republl
cans will be powerless to give relief with
In a year or two. and that in the mean
time something must be done.
That something they are beginning I,
believe is free silver. and this belief has
he writer says. become so deep-sea .e,
thai that section of the state has beer
verted to free silver. Three free silve
leagues have been organized in St. Lawr
ence county alone. and others are beinj
I rapidly organized in various counties O
the state. Sena or Malby OF Ogdensbur,
Is quoted as admitting that the free slve
sentiment is unusually strong.
From Watertown comes the word tha
, the spread Of the free silver sentiment 1
astonishing, and bids fair to crystaliz
unless something Is done to counterae
1t. The editor of the Watertown Times
w. d. McKinstry, formerly one of tn
civil service commissioners, went owe
the county. and afterward stated tina
\ what he had learned about free silve
in that part OF the state astounded hin
If the silver men only organized h
n thought the result would be doubtful 70
the republicans. The Heralds CORES
: pondent further said that he dscovere
= the farmers were no longer thinking c
$ the tariff. but of the benefits to be dc
: rived from free silver; one republica
candidate for sheriff and two for trea,
g urer were making a canvass on an ou
and-out free silver platform; the cashit
ol the leading financial institution
y Watertown was for free silver. and r,
publican farmers were pouring in,
e Watertown's book stores for free silv,
=. literature; that the one great topic
u conversation, In fact the only topic.
- the free coinage of silver and the ben
; fetal effect 1t was declared to be sure
Il have on prices.
e AS the correspondent writing from o
l. wego puts 1t. that county has 'goi
daft on the question of free silver. I
gether with the other northern counti
of that state. The movement does n
=, appear to be confined strictly to eth
=. party. A free silver league of 100 mer
bers has been organized and is sprea