The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-05-29
Eighteen states have thus far held
conventions with this outcome;


Washington. Washington,
Wyoming,
lse IL
But South Dakota and Nebraska
both send.contesting delegations, anc
it is certain that Texas and Illinois
will also do.so. 1t is believed that
California will send Is delegates for
sound money, though the Republicans
| from that state are silverites, and
enough more are counted in the sound
money" sure column to raise the nun
| Der to 3;ss. In the states and terrific
ries still to hold conventions l6i more
are conceded to the free silver men,
making their reasonably certain
strength 1872. 1t will require i5i to
make majority of the convection. 80
that the result depends on the contest
ed delegations and the22s delegates yet
to be chosen in doubtful territory. IL
inois. Indiana. Ohio alone have ia of
these. In Ohio four Congressional
districts have so far selected delegates
and the free silver men have won in
two and got one of the delegates in an
other, so that the cote stands to ,.
Eleven county conventions so far
held show some silverite gains In
Indiana the sound money men have
only just walked up to the fight. at the
urging of the administration they
have hitherto been inclined to let il 20
by default. with the idea that the!
would be powerless against the leader
ship OF Senators Voorhees, and Turpie,
who are both ardent silver men In
Illinois the Altgeld machine is carry
ing things with a high hand for free
silver. and the sound money men under
the leadership of Senator Palmer. will
hold separate convention and send
contestine delegation. They claim that
they could win in the regular conyen
ton if honestly conducted but the
action of the machine in shutting them
out of the Chicago primaries. which
they would most unanimously carry,
honesty or fairness.
This ould leave the advantage with
the gold men. for they would probably
have majority OF the uncontested
seats, and would Justly admit the gold
from South Dakota. where !
the contest appears friyilous, and from /
Nebraska where the gold men are in a |
real ma jority as indicated by last !
years vote. What they do with the ,
other contests may depend on what
appears to be necessary to win but if
there is division equally between the
two factions in cases of doubtful
right like Illinois and Texas. it would
still leave them safe work
Ing majority. But ali these complica
tons, it can readily be seen. will offer
excuses enough for bolt, when it is
on anyway.
Another chance for big fight is
offsred by the unit rule. which
,early all the state conventions that
pronounced for silver have adopted
md which Michigan followed in adopt
ng on the other side. In other words ,
he state convention which elects four ,
delegates at large, assumes to give in I
tructions as 20 how all the other del ,
'gates-in Missouri 80 of them ,
Elected by entirely separate and indie +
PENDENT conventions. shall vote The
unit rule" though time honored
ards candidates, has never before a
,een applied, not even in the ante 1
var contests between the North and :
south, as rega rds platforms. in the /
baking of nominations where a two q
birds vote is required TO prevail. d
he unit rule has seldom worked
erious Injustice, but in the decision 1
pon platform where a majority is :
it can readily be seen how il $
!
lissouri has three or four delegates
hat would be for sound money if left !.
rec to vote their honest convictions a
is probably safe to say that in the J
rec silver column already elected
here are 30 similar cases and in the y
invention there will be twice as ms4 "
least, and very likely 100. Without "
le unit rule the silver men would {
ave no c nance whatever of carrying i
lie convention the vote would CORE a
bond very closely to that in Congress c
nd undecisiyely against free coinage.
!, therefore the gold men can win in
' other y ay the temptation will. be
~ 10 forbid the application Of the q