The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-16

here I'D the East VIC ofo "~''"~~ W
view the free silver strength i'm the West
as far more sweeping movement than
II actually is. We have way OF consid-
ering the West as free silver section as
opposed to the East as gold standard
section
That this is general, IL vague, impres-
sion I'm the East is due to the activity and
aggressiyeness of the little handful OF
free silver leaders. AS matter OF fact.
however, the prevailing public sentiment
in the West is by no means for free silver.
On the contrary the Western States are
themselves suh-divided into free silver
and anti-free silver states. In word,
the free silver sentiment, so far as 1t Is
predominant in the respective states, Is
confined almost entirely to Colorado,
Montana, Nevada and Idaho To be sure
there is free silver sentiment in greater
or less abundance in many Cf the other
States, just as there is even here in Rhode
Island. But only in the four States
named does IL control the great majority
OF the citizens irrespective OF politics
In the great coast states OF California,
Oregon and Washington the sound money
sentiment prevails with far more Of sin
cerity than IL does in some of the Demo
cratic organizations, for instance, In the
so-calleo "gold-bug" States OF the East.
Nebraska, Kansas, the Dakotas, to soy
nothing of tie nearer Northwestern
States, are sll against f,es silver.
II is clear then, when we understand
this situation, that the silver question is
by no means the sectional issue that
many OF us here in the East have been
moved to believe by reason OF the agita-
tion OF such aggressive free silver men as
WALcorT, TELLER, CARTER and DUBOIS.
On the other hand despite the protests of
the Democratic press OF the East, the
silver question is far more OF party issue
than sectional issue. The Republca
party everywhere, except In the four
States cited, where party lines go down
before the silver issue, is today sound
money party. On the other hand
the Democratic party everywhere,
L.. kanV AtotA
where it could not survive the taint, is
inclined to take the free silver side of the
issue And in the great West, in those
States that are Republican and where the
predominant sentiment is against free
silver, we are likely to find this year the
Democratic party standing on free silver
platforms.
That this is likely to be the case is indi-
Gated again by two Democratic State con-
ventions held yesterday. In the Repub.
lican and sound money State OF Missouri,
the Democratic platform demands the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver at
a le to I rstio. And up in the mighty
State of Washington State that Is set
tied largely from Pennsylvania, New
York, Ohio and Illinois, that is as sound
ON the money question as is Rhode Island
itself. we find the Democratic conven-
tion, representing only an inconspicuous
minority Of the people OF this big Repub-
lican State. instrncting It's delegates to
Chicago to work for q free coinage plank
In the national platform and for candi-
dates known to be In favor OF free coin
age.
There Is no question where the Repub-
loan party stands on the silver question.
Only in that handful of States where the
almost unanimous sentiment OF the COM
mupities IL for free silver is free silver
endorsed In the Republican party. Else
where II Is not only not endorsed but the
question Is not even serious issue In
Republican councils, On the other hand,
wherever there IL free silver senti-
ment the Democratic party will be found
to be its sponsor, or, as in many OF the
Eastern States, split up and its organiza-
tion threatened by the issue.