The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-05-12
CHANCE ON A FREE SILVER
PLATFORM.
PRINCIPLE is INVOLVED.
ANY ATTEMPT TO AROUSE PASSION
is A CONFESSION OF WEAK
NESSS.
GROVER CLEVELAND is OUT OF IT.
In the Opinion of EckeIs He Is Not
Candidate and Would Not
Accept.

CHICAGO, May 11.-James H. Eckeis, the
comptroller Of the treasury, who has come
to Illinois to look after the sound money
interests of the Democratic party in this state,
said tonight when asked what line Of action
he intended to pursue: 81 am free to confess
that Democrats in Washington, especially
these from Illinois, were disappointed and
! chagrined at the action of the Cook county
committee in refusing to call primaries under
the law They cannot understand why, If a
large majority of Democrats here, as is claim
| ed by the silver men, are for silver, they
| should not have fair test at the polls free
! frcm any suspicion of fraud. In advising and
aiding in preventing such primary elections
Gov. AltgeId cannot but have driven from
him many who have heretofore held that
whatever may be his views on the question
he honestly entertained them and honestly
believed a majority of the Democrats of the
state supported him therein. The question is
one. that ought to be decided on principle,
and the attempt to make it one whether Gov
Altgeld will run again for governor, or not
| introduces element that gives many the
opportunity to shirk the real ISSUE So, too
does the making of continual attacks upon
the federal administration. The principle in
volved and the wisdom or unwsdom of free
coinage of silver remains the same irrespective
of the attitude Of either President Cleveland
or Gov. Algeld towards it, and the attempt
to arouse passion and prejudice as determining
factors is a confession of weakness on the
part Of those who resort thereto.
1fu1t.-.
every one who disagrees with the state ad-
ministration on this purely national question,
and the charges of corrupt methods employed
are, to say the least, in very bad taste. do
not know whether those who are engineer
ing the free silver movement in Illinois con-
slider the course they are pursuing is win
ming politics. but if SO l am certain they will
be disappointed in the results on election
day.
Such stand means at the outset the COM
plete abandonment Of important states like
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. 1t
involves the loss of Maryland, Delaware and
Kentucky. 1t could not save Indiana, To
make this loss good, enough thoroughly sill
yer states would have to be won to give
Montana, Utah, Nevada and Idaho would
probably go Democratic, but when those are
named the whole gain is enuaferated. The
electoral vote of all would not equal New
York. Mr.. Boies could not carry Iowa, Kan
sas or Nebraska and Mr.. Bland could not
win in Missouri. / do not know that any
Democrat could be elected on any platform
but 1 am certain there is an opportunity on
a sound money platform while there is abso-
lutely none on free silver one. The result
in Illinois would be simply disastrous. If Mr..
Altgeld compels a free silver platform and
runs for governor, strength of his Estate is
sue campaign cannot save him. 1t will not
do for candidates for county places to fatter
themselves with assurances that the COVER
nor's candidacy will save them. He cannot
carry his views to the extremes he does, and
tionists, and not find many self-respecting
Democrats to resent such treatment If DEM
ocrats are given fair opportunity to express
their convictions, unawed by threats and free
from machine abuses, they can have little
ground Of complaint If beaten. But, if threat
ened on the one hand and denied rights on
the other, they are justified in going to very
great extremes in Furnishing those who COM
NIT, authorize or approve such wrong"
What is said at Washington concerning
Mr.. Cleveland and the third term?"
81 hear but little of it. 1 do not belive Mr..
Cleveland will be a candidate or take a nom
ination, and 1 don't believe those in Illinois
who are making the statement that he will,
know anything about it, or state it because
thew themselves believe 1t,