The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-04

%. /
Men OF wide experience In gauging pub
lie opinion say there is no better place In
which to Judge what the people are talk
ing about and thinking than In the smok-
ing rooms Of sleeping cars. l talked re-
Gently with a Chicago man named Bates.
business man, and not politician at
ALL who had Just returned from two
weeks tour through the west and south,
In which he had slept every night but one
In a railway car. Having lived so long on
the road and met all sorts and conditions
of men from every walk OF life and hailing |
from perhaps half the states OF the union, /
he was able to form a very good idea OF the /
state of public opinion on questions which |
are now agitating the country.
It's Amazing Force.
"The result of my observation" said |
| this gentleman, sis that all through the |
country the people are talking about the |
| financial question. They are much more |
| interested In that than In the tariff, which
comes second in their hearts In the
south and west the strength Of the silver
sentiment Is something amazing. had
never realized 1t till took this trip. Like
most other men, had supposed the talk
| of a sweeping silver craze was the work OF
politicians, and that they were magnifying
| the matter to suit their own ends. But
after talking with hundreds OF merchants,
railroad men. travelling statesmen and 9TH
| ers who every day OF their lives mix with
| the people am forced to admit that south
| of the Ohio river and west OF the Missis.
sippi the silver idea has the call
| "While the tariff Is considerably talked
| about" continued the traveller, land the
prevalent idea seems TO be that we shall
never have good times again till the old
tariff schedules are restored, 1t Is almost
universally the opinion that free silver Is
| what the country most needs. The people
have had hard times. Ifyou want to gain
an idea of just how hard the times have
been, leave the big cities and go out into
what the English call the provinces. Get
down close to the people and hear their
stories of reduced wages, of lower prices
for crops, of closed factories, of smaller
sales of all merchandise, of slow collec'
tions, of stoppage and economy, OF III
| bill being as hard to get hold OF as SlO
note used to be- and you will gain some
what of an idea of the sort of condition
which has forced upon the masses the con-
viction that something Is wrong In our
system Of government.
Right here let me say that IL 1t were
not for the protection idea, II 1t were not
for the widespread belief that the Wilson
German bill imposed too low duties and
| failed to protect the industries OF this
country from foreign competition, thus
contributing to the hard times, the silver
idea would sweep the country with such
force that nothing could stop It, III IL
were not for the contrast between the TWO
tariffs. all the unrest, all the discomfort.
oil the demand for change OF system,
would be concentrated upon the currency,
and It would be impossible for either party
, to stand out against it, have no opinion
: | TO offer as to the relative merits OF the two
tariffs, that being "a subject of discussion
| into which do not care to enter. But IL
| Il was not for this difference of opinion
| am firmly convinced the people would send
= ND such demand for the free coinage OF
a | silver as could not he resisted, and within
: two years this country would be upon a
silver basis
The Tariff In Second Place.
"But the tariff argument which Is going
on all through the country serves to tenn
per the violence of the silver craze Many
q men who are satisfied there is something
y wrong In our system of government, ano
j under other circumstances would attribute
= the whole defect to tho currency, now
blame It on tho tariff, according to Their
views, interests or prejudiccs, and this Il
|
the gold standard stricken down ana th'
e silver standard put in Its place"
n / feel sure my readers will agree will
- me that this is view of public sentiment
:, which comes from an impartial and intel
ligent source and that 1t Is worth muci
IL more as evidence than any OF the claim
J. made by mere politicians.
l. At the same time there Is little doub
J. that the Republican national convention
s. to meet In about six weeks at st. Loui
"a will declare In favor of maintenance o
- the existing standard of monetary valu
until such time as bimetallism can be ar
~ ranged by an international agreement
e' This declaration is foreshadowed by tn
% platforms adopted in a majority of the Re
OF publican state conventions already held
III States representing between 200 ana 3o
IL delegates at st. Louis have declared 10
j. the present standard until such time q
!. the chief commercial nations Of the worl
:, | may be brought into an agreement TO Oh
vs. tablish bimetallism. Many other state
ar have taken position which substantial
amounts to the same thing. For these rsa
sons the shrewtest observers here conciut
that maintenance of the existing standar
mt will be favored In the currency plank to ]
he adopted at ST. Louis. Talk of remoneti
n ing silver by international agreement WI
not have much meaning, except as poll
va ical play.
A Momentous Campaign.
~ II the Republicans take this positio
~ they will Of course endeavor to satisfy q
ne free silver elements of their own party
VI saving to them; "You see we are not !
ae imioal to silver. We are ready to remon
tie that money metal as soon as we CT
ma induce the other nations to join US, al
If from this time forward we shall maj
a., efforts to bring the other nations into c
operation with our own to that end Is
20 II the Democratic national conventi'
ye which is to meet ut Chicago shall decla
openly for the free coinage of silver by ti
MS country alone, without waiting for
action of any other nation, the battle
tra the standards will he precipitated. L
,rk great question of whether we are to ha
gold or silver as our measure OF value W
have to be fought to finish and the tar
and all other questions will for the TIL
-. being have to 60 to tho rear
III Considering onances as they prese
ars themselves at this writing to the mere II
ON martial observer, this Is the sort Of nation
lily struggle which we seem to be approachin
in, IL threatens more or less to break up {
or. old marty lines and to bring on one OF
inc most interesting and momentous pre-
he Dental campaigns the country has e'
y, had WALTER wkLLMAN'
ior VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
sed eur, ,undings Over which Conductor n
Is Passenger Had Control.