The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1896-09-08

Saturday and held an inquest
over the remains of Frank Smith
who was found drowned in Sal
mon river. The jury came to a
verdict that Mr.. Smith came to
his death by accidental drown
ing. 1t is supposed that the un-
fortunate man met his sad fate
on Sunday, Aug. 30, 1896, and he
was taken out of the river on
the following Saturday, Sept. 5.
The Clayton people claim that
they received no reliable news
of the affair until last Friday,
when they sent a man down to
investigate the matter. One
hundred and ninety dollars and
a gold watch and chain was
found on Mr.. Smith. He was
taken to Clayton where he re-
ceived a good burial. Thus old
Salmon river has claimed anoth-
er victim. Her record in this re-
spect shows that her greed has
been terrible.
The MESSENGER is in receipt
of the following political letter
from Washington, d. G. /:
THAT there is much more in
the story of the probable retire
ment of Sewall from the Demo
cratic ticket, after the Main cleo
ton, than those connected with
either the Democratic or Popul-
ist National Committee will ad-
NIT, is generally believed in
Washington. A prominent Dem
ocrat said : II do not wish my
name mentioned as saying SO.
but my own belief is that the
only fault in the story of Sewall's
retirement from the ticket was
that it was prematurely made
public. 1t was, of course, the
intention of those who were en-
gineering the scheme that the
retirement should appear to be
entirely voluntary on Sewall's
part. The publication of the
matter has made that impossible,
and may result in defeating the
scheme altogether Although
the position taken by Tom Wat
son undoubtedly helped along
the scheme to bring about Mr..
Sewall's retirement, it was not
the intention of those engaged
in working up the Washington
end that Tom Watson should get
any benefit out of it. The idea
was that after Sewall retired, the
Democrats on the National COM
mittee were to claim that he had
done so in Difference to Populist
opposition, and to ask that the
Populist National committee
bring about Tom Watson's re-
tirement from their ticket in def
erence to Democratic opposition.
Then with both Watson and Sew
all out of the way, the joint COM
mittees would select new can
didate for Vice President. In
order to get the consent of the
Populists to Watson's withdraw
al, the Democrats were prepared
to agree that the new candidate
should be Populist and that he
should be from the South. Ac-
cording to trustworthy informa-
ton. that was the way the pro-
gramme stood when the story of
Sewall's withdrawal was prema-
turely made public by a Maine
Populist. AS a matter of course
the chairmen of both Popul,sts-
and Democratic national commit
tees decline to admit any knowl-
edge of this scheme.
Republicans are either alarm
ed or skillfully pretending to be
alarmed over the reported large
defactions from that party in the
agricultural sections of the mid
die West. According to story
given out by friends of Mckinley
a canvass just completed shows
that go per cent of the Repub
lican farmers of Iowa have an
nounced their intention to vote
for Bryan and free silver. This
statement would have excited
much more interest if it had not
been given out by the Republi-
cans and accompanied by anoth-
er story detailing the trouble
Chairman Hanna was having in
getting campaign contributions,
because of the belief in the East
that the defeat of silver was al
ready practically accomplished.
The policy of frightening ones
side into harder fighting has
more than once been successful
| ly put through in politics, and
Mr.. Hanna may be trying it
\ again. The silver people are
mot giving figures, but they say
'Republican detection will give
thAm most of the Middle West