New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-16
ALL EAGER FOR A CHANGE.
THE WEST AND SOUTH TIRED Or FREE
TRADE AND DEMOCRATIC INCOM-
PETENCY.
NO EFFECTIVE SILVER SENTIMENT AMONG RE-
PUBIICANS-DEMOCRATs HOPELESsLY d.
VIDED-MKINLEY THE POPU-

PCBIICANS-DEMOCRATS HOPELESSLf d.
vIDED-MKINLEY THE PoPU-
LAR CHOICE
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: have recently taken a trip through the
States Of Indiana Michigan. Illinois, Wisconsin,
Kentucky. Tennessee Alabama, Georgia ana
Florida. l travelled for the purpose Of giving lee
lures before literary societies. and not in con-
nection with any political or newspaper work
attended no political conventions, but endeavored
to keep my eyes and ears open, and now propose
to give the readers OF The Tribune some OF the
conclusions at which arrived. drawn from what
saw and heard while travelling through the
country and mingling freely with the people
First, l found nowhere any such revival or
business as our Democratic friends assum-
ing has taken place in the country within the
last ten months. Merchants and manufacturers
miners farmers and business men generally all
insist that times hard; that business is dull
and they agree that no relief can be expected
here in the United States until we have a change
of Administration.
A vast majority of the people agree that the
frce-trade legislation Of the last Congress has re-
suited in great injury to the business Of the
country. Go West or South and the same state
ment is everywhere heard. I'VE have had
only. We arc all in favor of returning to the
protective system embodied in the Mckinley
law" | was surprised to find this sentiment so
strong in the South. The Republicans OF Ala
bama Tennessee. Georgia and Florida are as
outsp)ken in favor of protection are those of
Ohio Pennsylvania.
More than that ! met scores Of Democrats
who called themselves Mckinley Democrats
When | suggested that the expression sounded
to me like calling themselves white blackbirds.
they instantly replied: IF the race question were
out of the way would favor a protective tarif
with all our might
REPUBLICANS FOR SOUND MONEY.
In none Of the States which | visited did find
any division Of sentiment among Republicans
upon the money question. In the States ~ I'LL
rois and Michigan was told that there had been
at one time large numbers OF Republicans who
thought they were In favor Of the free coinage or
silver upon the ratio OF l6 to |. Such is not the
case al the present time. The Republicans OF all
the States through which travelled are to-day
practically unit in favor Of sound money. and
will vote solidly against placing this Nation upon
a silver basis.
The platform Of the Kentucky Republicans,
adopted by their State convention, voices the
sentiment Of the Republicans upon that ques-
ton in the entire South and East. ana In the
West. with the exception of a few mountain and
Pacific States or course. those few states VIII
not control the action of the National Convention
TO be held at St Louis in June. There should be
no equivocatlon. and there Will be none. on the
money question at ST Louis.
found the Democratic party In the South
split wide open on that question. Those who
favor the free coinage OF silver seem to me T.
be in the majority to numbers. while IN
influence and Intellect the ssund-Inoney ID mo
Gratis can hold them level The nsht upon this
question between the two factions Will be n
bitter one all over the South and In many OF
the Northern States. Nothing Of the kind will
be found in the ranks OF the Republican party
outside Of a few small mountain States.
Go where you will the Democrats All agree
that the contest in the National d mocratic
Convention Will be a severe one upon tho money
question and they are all fiatering themselves
that the fight In the Republican party VIII be
equally severe In that contention they ar
most certainly mistaken. The Republican party
is overwhelmingly In favor OF sound money
and the declaration to that effect IN their Ma
tional platform will be unambguou' ana clear
cut So overwhelming IL that sentiment that
oppostion will be OF avail; indeed. the OPP
position at St Louis will be small as to make
the South will be practically unit on this
question. and will be in perfect accord with
the sentiment OF the East and North. and win
all the larger States of the West.
Therefore / conclude without fear Of contra
diction that there will be really no effective
sentiment at st. Louis In favor OF the free COIN
age Of silver in the ratio Of IS to J. AT least,
there Will be none Of sufficient size to shape III
the least the deliberations OF the Republican
ton I'M
clare for sound money. with gold as the stand
ard and for the use OF silver only so much as
is possible. at the same time Keeping silver
coins at par with the gold coins
TROUBLE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
1t is impossible 20 state with any degree Of
certainty what will be the utterance OF the
Democratic National Convention upon that
question. The advocates Of the free coinage OF
silver assert that they largely in the ma
1orty To ''claim everything" is one Of the
most marked symptoms OF that disease Yet II
the Democratic Convention were to be held next
week / think that those men would control
the convention But the Administration ~
working with all Its power and energy, espe
cay in the South. to stem the tide; Many Oh
the abest Democrats are laboring necessarily
to save their party from what they CONSIDER
would be a suicidal course. They may sue
ceed but to such success seems doubtful
The fact that the craze, as whole. Is ON the
wane. is in their favor But the JOB they nave
on their hands is in no way similar To that In
the Republican party The Democrats VINO Ia
vor the free coinage OF silver live in every state
of the Union. They will be found as trouble
some in Ohio and Illinois as In Colorado ana
Montana. Many Of them live In Pennsyivan,a
as we'll as in Kansas and Nebraska. Their dele
gates will be In the Chicago Convention from
many States all over the Union.
The State of Kentucky Is fair illustration OF
the attitude Of the two parties In the South. The
Republicans won their victory upon n SOUND
money platform. with sound money candidate
There Is no division among them upon that qucs-
ton The Blackburn and Carlisle Democrats
are at variance with each other and the breach
is a wide and ugly one. Does any Democrat hope
for harmony in the ranks Of his party In Ken
lucky? The fight between the two factions II
just as pronounced in Georgia. with the outlook
at present In favor of Crisp. the champion OF iree
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