The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-06
would be the strongest man to nomi-

would be the strongest man to nomi-
nate.
Considerable discord is developing
among the silver men over the rivalries
naturally created by their candidates,
and there is also dissension over the
platform. Many of the leaders are
strongly in favor Of a single declara-
tion for free silver, and the practical
ignoring of all other questions. The
tariff question, especially, they desire
to be handled gingerly, lest it drive
from them the free silver Republicans
of the. West who are moderate protec-
tionists. Others, on the other hand,
think there should be regular Demo-
cratic platform, covering all the pend
ing issues Of the day Some even favor
very radical tariff plank. All this
BODIES i'll for the prophets of a short
convention.
The gold men, led by Mr.. Whitney,
profess to be encouraged by the out
look. Their plans seem to be based
on future contingencies. Having failed
to make an impression on the solid
phaIanxes of silver their purpose seems
to be to stir up strife and take advan-
tage of such dissensions as may de-
velop in the opposition. The great ad-
vantage which they possess, always
the strength of a hopeless minority. is
their compactnuess. eve are
WELL ORGANIZED FORCE,
said Don M Dickinson, of Michigan,
who was postmaster general under
Cleyeland's first administration, and
who is here with the prestige Of having
snatched victory for gold from what
/
in Michigan. 1--WE are fighting an un-
organized mob resolved only on one
thing-a declaration for the free coin
age of silver" Such a declaration they
cannot hope to prevent, but they are
now using an ingenious argument to
secure a compromise on platform and
candidate. They tell the silver leaders
that if a Democrat is placed on silver
pla tform the silver Republicans of the
West will abandon them and the East
err Democracy will be destroyed and
they will be left high and dry with
only the silver Democratic support and
without the sineWS Of war either from
the East or West. They tell them,
therefore, that they are confronted
with the alternative Of nominating a
Republican to get the support and aid
of the silver mine-oWners or yielding to
the demand for compromise from the
to keep the Democracy intact and fur
nish all the campaign fund that is
needed. These advances are met with
firm but courteous refusal by some Of
the silver leaders who simply reply that
there can be no compromise of the
issue The more radical however, re-
ceive it sneeringly. In some quarters
the silver men not only meet the Sug-
gestion of a silver bolt with indiffer-
~
that it would strengthen their position
and they would welcome it, The fear
that the gold men with almost, if not
quite one-third Of the delegates could
plump their votes about at random and
cause all sorts Of mischief and the
further difficulty of making a nomina-
tion without the practical unanimous
vote Of all the silver men has revived
the talk of a silver caucus. The secret
fear of Teller has also had it's influence
in favor of a caucus to decide the ques-
tion of candidate. There will be no
attempt to hold such a caucus, how
ever, until the convention has assem-
bled and the difficulty of selecting
nominee in convention has been dem
onstrated. Then it will be argued that
no candidate who is for silver can re-
fuse to submit his claim to those who
are to make the nomination. Today
there was
LESS TALK OF A BOLT
by the gold men and it was openly dis
couraged by Senator Hill, Mr. Whitney
and others. Still it Is plain that a
great many of the gold men will refuse
to support a silver candidate, and some
today quietly canvassed the advisable
ity of placing a gold ticket and gold
candidate In the field The advantage
to be gained by them from this course,
they argue, would be the same which
came to those who refused to support
Greeley in 1872. Those who were dis
satisfied with Greeley nominated
O'Connor, Of New York, and after
Greeley's defeat 1t was by their organi-
zation that the party was reorganized
and placed on a footing again. The
gold men propose to inaugurate the
fight the moment the gavel is dropped
by Chairman Harrity. They are re-
solved upon offering a gold man to the
convention for temporary chairman,
despite the protests of the silver lead
ers, and Senator Hill Is the man upon
whom their choice has fallen. The
silver leaders have the utmost respect
for Hill, but they and their followers
are determined that a silver man shall
assume the gavel and that the first
utterance in the convention shall be
unequivocal1y for silver.
1--WE can neither afford to be injured
by faint praise" said Senator ELECT
Money. of Mississippi, today, nor
actually condemned We must have
the machinery from the start"
Mr.. Hill was today urged by some Of
his silver friends not to consent to the
use Of his name, but 1t was said that
he had resolved to make the fight and
was preparing a gold speech to be de-
livered either from the platform, if he
can succeed In holding it, or from the
ficor II the silverites take things in
their own hands.