The record-union., 1896-06-07
ARTHUR McEWEN TALKS
ON
INTERESTING SUBJECTS.
Free Coinage Of Silver is on Top
Political and Newspaper Gossip

NNiSt&Oil VI SdIllSlC anu OA
the Administration have apparently
banished wavering and carried the
party over to the cause of silver. The
gold men here have thrown up their
hands. They still retain the hope that
they may save something at the State
Convention, that they may prevent a
straight-out 16-to-1 declaration, but
even the most sanguine of them, includ-
Ing Gavin McNab, look for silver plat
form and silver candidate at Chicago.
The silverites claim that they Will nave
things their own way now at Sacra-
mento. The tide that inclined in their
direction has become torrent and
they argue that it would be idiotic in
the Democrats of California to lag in
stead of lead at the National Conven-
ton. So they are bent on radical ac-
ton. The gold men know they are
beaten, yet few of them are resentful.
1T means defeat for the party, this
silver craze" one of their leaders said
to me. But the majority have right
to prevail. We shall not bolt the ticket,
but we can't be expected to work for it.
The party will be beaten by Democrats
who stay away from the polls. Then
the Democracy will come back to the
solid ground of sound money. There
can be no hope of carrying New York
and New Jersey and Connecticut with a
silver candidate, and the great States
of the West, like Illinois, Iowa, Mich
igan and Indiana, can't be captured.
The South will stand in, of course, and
the mining States, but there is no Pres
idency in the silver yell. The Popu-
lists can't be counted on. All their
prominent men are against fusion
Even with a sound money platform and
a sound-money nominee the Democrats
would have a hard row to hoe, but this
whoop for silver Is simply a paroxysm
of despair. The big newspapers Of the
country everywhere are all one way,
and their constant hammering is sure
to tell between now and November.
The party has simply gone mad and is
rushing away from the landmarks. A
thrashing will do it good"
The silver men scoff at such prognos-
tications. They are elated and see a
good prospect of defeating Mckinley.
George w. Baker, President of the BIZ
metallic League of California, has sue
can, but silver man before everything
pectations of the most sanguine, of
course.
IF the Democrats, said Mr.. Baker,
'eone out unreservedly for free coinage
at Chicago they can rely upon the sup
port of the Populists. Many Of the
leaders will oppose fusion, because they
are personally ambitious, but the rank
and file care more for principles than
they do for party names. That's why
they are no longer Republicans or
Democrats. If the Chicago Convention
has sense it will give the second place
On the ticket to a Populist. But any
how, the Populists will not throw away
a chance to vote effectively for silver.
Let there be a silver Democrat, like
Stevenson, for instance, nominated on
a silver platform, and there will be a
landslide for him"
Under such conditions Mr.. Baker
ranges the States as follows: For sill
ver-Alabama, IL electoral votes; Ar
kansas, s; California, o; Colorado, A.;
Florida, 4; Georgia, 13; Idaho, 3; ILL
MOS, "a; Kansas, 10; Kentucky, 10;
Louisiana, 8; Mississippi, 9; Missouri,
II; Montana, 3; Nebraska, s; Nevada,
8; North Carolina, IL; North Dakota,
oOulH 1dIOllld, soOulu l1dhOlc, II
Tennessee, -; Texas, Is; Utah, 3; Vir-
ginia, II; West Virginia, 6; Wyoming,
3-225.
For gold-Connecticut, 6; Delaware,
3; Iowa, 13; Maine, 8; Massachusetts,,
10; Minnesota, 8; New Hampshire, 4;
New Jersey, 10; New York, So; Ohio, 23;
Pennsylvania, 80; Rhode Island, 4; yer-
mont, 4; Wisconsin, 12-177
Doubtful-Indiana, Is; Maryland, s.;
Michigan, IA; Oregon, 4; Washington,
4-45.
Giving the gold men all the doubtful
States of this estimate they would still
be in minority of three. Men who are
not for silver laugh at this figuring, but
they are in general disposed to say that
the silver issue gives the Democracy
what 1t had not before-a fighting
chance.
A Republican of prominence, who is
for Mckinley, protection and sound
money, gave me this view Of the stu
alton:
I'VE are going to have one of the most
interesting and exciting Presidential
campaigns the country ever saw, but
don't think the outcome is at all un-
certain. If all the elements of the oppo-
sition could be united against US we
would be showed under, but human
nature fights for us. The Democrats
are, of course glad of any issue that
will give them the ghost of a show, so
they're beginning to boil over for silver.
The bulk Of the party will stand by
the platform and candidate. That will
be the main body of the enemy, and we
can attend to it easily enough. Then
there is a lot of enthusiasm for silver
scattered through our own party, but
our loss there will be fully offset by the
detection of sound money Democrats. AS
for the Populists, they are an uncertain
quantity. Party spirit will, l think,
hold most of them together for a ticket
of their own, but should 1t be other
wise, danger will threaten. The grea !
chance of the Democrats is, however,
the raising of the proletarian spirit
against us-the masses who are hard
up and suffering, and, having nothing
to lose, are always ready to vote for a
change, and are attracted by whatever
is new. There is ardor behind the sin
cere silver sentiment, and its genuine
spokesmen appeal to the heart and pas
sions and get people to believe that all
that's needed to bring on the millennium
is free silver. Their promises have the
drawing charm of the vague, the un-
known. Whatever is radical, unset
tling, socialistic, will be hostile to US,
and ii is just possible that an anti
Wall street, anti-privilege, anti-monop-
oily crusade may be successfully preach
ed. But the sobernesS, the con-
servatism, the property of the country,