Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-08-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

From onr Regular Correspondent.
Washington, ID. .. Aug. g.
II universal discussion Will ena.
bic the people to vote intelIigentlS
on the money question, they will
certainly do so this year. Never
daring your correspondence twenty
years experience in Washington
newspaper work have the people
shown such intense Interest IN any
question IA they are now showing
10 silver. Ordinarily 1t is only tie
politicians who generally discuss
the issues OF the National campaign
bat now literally every body Is
discussing silver and if the num-
her t people who are still in Doubt
as to whether they oppose or favor
the free coinage Of silver and are
SO, king Information on the 50 beet
is prOpOrtiOnately as large all over
the country as IN Washington, 1t
is perfectly clear that the decision
Is at the present time hanging ID
the balance, as it were, and that
the msjMlty is yet 10 be convinced
one way or the other. Tue C'm
mIttee headquarters of hi the
parties are constantly thronged
with people who want copies of al!
the documents issued both for and
against free coinage: All the local
papers are conducting open dis
cussiOns on the subj set, and even
the bOotblacks are asking their
patrons the meaning OF free cOin-
age OF silver at ratio OF 10 to l.
In qnlet family gatherings the
same question is asked and dis
cdssed and one is constantly Sur
prised to learn how much the
women have read on the subject.
The reason for this great interest
is not hard to get at. Other M.
tiOnsl q estlons, however impor
tant they may be, do not personal
ly appeal to the average q an or
woman, but when 1t comes TO
motley every body is at once In
lerested, not only in how they are
to get 1t, but in its purchasing
power after they get 1t. The
term campaign of education" has
become somewhat hsckneyrd OF
late years, but il Is certain that 1t
ls the only correct name for the
present condition of affairs. Both
gold and silver men profess to be-
leve that this education of the
IN IsSes on the money question is
going to result in their winning :.
1t viii Gel tainIy result ia the peo-
PIE knowing more on the sui ct
than they ever knew before.
Acting Secretary Turner, who Is
" temporary charge of the Nation
al Popnllst headq quarters saws the
democratic and pOpulist n ttiOnAl
Committees will settle the Watson
, Sewsll business, and that 1t Will
be decided IN the interest OF the
parties ratl. or than of either OF tie
men. He also said: "a divisl, n
Of the electors, leaving both Wa :
sou and Sewall on their respective
tickets will be a yerv easy matter
in all the Southern States where
the election laws are not so string
ent as IN some of the other states.
No state IN the s nth requires that
tue name of a candidate shall ap
pear but once on the ticket, hence
It will not create any confusion or
Ii j4re Bryan II the electors be
divided aud half of them present
ed under the caption OF Bryan and
Sowall and the other half stand
lug Tor Bryan and Watson. The
vote i'm each instance wOnld be
lcounled for Bryan Secretary
| Mercer, OF the Republican Con-
gressioEal committee, takes a
so neWbat different visS of the
matter. He said: THE silver
men are gong to experience their
ftst serious set hack when they
attempt to form their fusion with
the pOpulists, especially in the
South. do not believe the pOpu-
lists III that section will consent TO
vote for democratic electors unless
they are promised share IN the
state Offices, aud this the demo
Gratis will not feel dlsp sed tC
republican wajorIties, and thai
tue pcpulists will assist In bring.
lirg about that result" Others
are expressing the very positive
IopinIon that the "middle.of the