The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-04-01
CAN DEMOCRATS VIM.
A Southern Senator Thinks
They May.
BUT THEY MUST FAVOR SILVER.
A Member Of the Cabinet Says There Must
he = Candidate and a Platform satisfac-
tory to the State of New York-Two OPP
posing Views.


tory to the State of New York-Two OPP
poaing Views.
WASHINGTON. March sl.-[Special. l.
Two radically distinct and opposite views
are taken here of the outlook for the DEM
ocratic party. President Cleveland, as the
leader of the administration, is thoroughly
convinced the party will have a chance to
win the coming elections II 1t declares
against free silver and makes its fight on
that line. A majority of the Democrats
in the senate and house believe, on the
other hand, that the only possibility of
Democratic success this year Is found In
the adoption of an out and out free silver
plank by the Chicago convention and the
nomination of candidate to match. In
speaking of this matter southern senator
told me that, in his opinion, half the DEM
Dcrats of his part of the country would
leave the party If it declared for gold
standard, or even If it declared against the
free and unlimited coinage of silver.
People who live in the north have no con-
ception of the power of that silver idea
among our people, said this senator. II
tell you IL is so deep and strong in the
hearts of our people that there Is no use OF
trying TO get it out by argument. 1t has
become "a settled conviction, and there IL
will remain until legislative experiment
Or something else takes 1t away.
The Free Silver View.
"If the national party declares against
silver, thousands upon thousands of the
Democrats of my state will leave their
party and go to the Populists. No; they
will not go to the Republicans. They do
not have to do that. Even IL the Repub-
licans were for FREQ silver 1t would he al
most impossible for southern Democrats
to go To them. All their lives they have
been fighting the Republican party. OPP
position TO that party has become a part of
them. But they find it very easy matter
to become Populists. Against that party
they have no traditional prejudice or bit
terness. Besides leading members of the
Populist party say: 'Oh, we are Democrats
still, just as we always werei We have
become Populists for the simple purpose
of advocating free silver, which we can do
better in this party than in our own.
When we have achieved that, we shall be
Democrats again. Free silver is the most
important thing now TO us, SO why
shouldn't we be Populists long enough to
vote for that, and, If possible, bring 1t
about?'
This Is the argument that Is taking
thousands of Democrats into the new
party. 1t Is SO in my state, it is SO in all
the states of the south. If President
Cleveland has his way about it and adopts
gold standard platform at Chicago, the
party In the south will go TO pieces. The
Republicans will not carry anything, in
my Judgment, but the Populists will
sweep everything. They will have great
or number of members in the next house
than the Democrats. They will have more
electoral votes than the Democrats too.
All i ask is that northern Democrats stop
and think what we have To contend
against In the south and then ask them
selves If they think it right to cram a gold
platform down our threats at Chicago"
A Way to Win.
This senator evidently knows the people
of his part of the country, and being rea-
sonable man / asked him if there was any
plan by which the Democratic party could
carry the country this year "'rhere isl
ne replied, notwithstanding the Repub-
licans think they have things al their own
way, we can beat them yet, and this is the
way TO do it: Throw New York, New
Jersey and the east To the dogs. Come
out for the free coinage of silver at IS to i
by this country alone without waiting for
the action of any other nation. Nominate
for president man who has been identi-
fed with the silver cause and who Is adj
mired and respected by all the people.
Then what happensY Why, the Populist
party meets in national convention and
indorses our ticket. The free silver Re-
publicans of the western states join our
ranks for the sake of silver. All the ele-
standard become part of our movement.
Practically everything in the country west
of the Mississippi and south of the Ohio
will be carried for silver. In addition we
shall have good chance for Indiana and
Michigan. That Is the way, i'm my opin-
ion, in which the Democratic party can
win this year and the only way
Another View.
TIE substance of this interview 1 re-
peated TO member of the cabinet at is
possibly true, as your senatorial friend
says, that by going after free silver the
party might attain success, +" said he, but
it does not look probable am not will
ing to believe that Iowa and Minnesota
and Nebraska and the Dakotas can Ina car
ried for silver. But even If we could
sweep the country in that way the presi-
dent and his friends would still be unwill-
ing to try it. The end would not justify
the means. Our plan is this: We believe
the enactment of the Raines law i'm New
York has given us n chance TO carry that
state next fall. We believe everything
should be built on New York as basis
If we can carry New York, we may carry
the country, and we certainly cannot carry
the country without 1t. Therefore we
must have a candidate and platform sat
isfactory to New York. This means no
free silver. On the contrary, it means
declaration against free coinage by this
country alone The Republicans will
probably straddle on the currency ques-
ton, and that will be our opportunity.
The Democratic party can come forward
as the only real, sincere, sound money party
In the country"
"But what If you lose southern states
while you are trying To carry New York
with gold Standard"
"That Is all nonsense. We have heard
that talk before. The south Is Democratic,
and Democratic IL will remain. The pres
idential battle will be fought in New York,
Connecticut, New Jersey and Indiana, as