The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-01
WON'T FORCE HIM
Teller's Backers at Chicago
Waiting For an Opportunity
But viii Not Push Their Cam
didate Forward.
SHAFROTH EXPLAINS.
No Democrat Can Carry the
Western States.
The Party Disbanded West of
the Missouri River.

Chicago, July delegates to the
convention who have arrived generally
appear averse to discussing the prob
ability that Senator Teller will cut any
figure in the Democratic convention.
The senator has a number of personal
friends among the silver delegates who
have already arrived, and among them
are some who would not be averse to
his nomination for president.
They feel, however, that the condi-
tions are not yet ripe for the springing
of his name and say that it would be
opposed to the interests of both Sen
ator Teller and the silver cause to
bring him 10 the front at this time,
if at all.
There are also a number of Senator
Teller's silver Republican and PopuIist
friends in the city who are devoting
themselves more to watching the course
of events than to any active work. The
Populists who are here say openly that
Senator Teller is the only man the
Democrats can name that they will in
dorse- The silver Republicans are not
so pronounced.
They put the matter less pointedIy by
saying that Teller is the only man
whose nomination would insure the
western states to the Democratic ticket.
It is not now the purpose of the sen
atOr's friends to have him placed in
nomination as the others will be. This
course, they consider, will be in bad
wishes Their plan is not to make an
aggressive campaign, but simply to be
on the ground to answer questions and
to take advantage of any opportunity
that may offer.
Congressman Shafroth of Colorado
was asked today to define the claims of
the Teller men, and replied: Senator
Teller is not a candidate in the sense
OF seeking the nomination as could a
member of the Democratic party. The
friends of Senator Teller are simply
trying to impress upon the Democrats
the enormous advantage there would be
in uniting upon Teller, who could solid
1ty all the bimetailic forces.
There is no question Mr. Shafroth
continued, that the one man above all
others whose name is a synonym for BIZ
metallism is Teller. His speeches upOn
the silver question constitute a series
OF tfeauSeS upon political economy
which have given him the rank of the
ablest statesman in the United States
upon that subject. The southern states
are sure to cast their votes for any fair
nominee OF the Democratic party. They
never have failed in a presidential wear
and it is not likely they will fail this
| time. 1t is from the great western and
middle states that there must be a gain
in order to bring success and that gain
must come from the Republican party
In the states west of the Missouri
river the Democratic party has been
almost disbanded, receiving in some of
those states less than 10 per cent of the
I total vote cast. In some of these
states there were not even Democratic
electoral tlcKetS IN the field in 1892. and
two years ago all of those states went
overwhelmingly Republican. It is very
doubtful whether a free silver Demo-
crat having free trade views could be
/ erected AT this time, when oriental
| competition is threatening the exter-
minatiOn of our American nanufactS1r-
| ing industries it will not be easy to get
Z = of Of D D. III
/ pronounced free trade candidate.
I'VE believe that bimetalIisn is the
! paramount issue, and we believe this
! convention will so declare but it ought
/ to be willing to make some concessions.
| Senator Teller is the one man that
| could sOlidify all these elements and
| produce victory for the bimetallic
! cause"
When reminded of the failure of the
| Greeley campaign, Mr.. Shafroth said:
| L know that the Greeley Endorsement
! by the Democratic party is often re-
Iefred 10 as a mistake But it was not
/ a mistake, and the fact that the Dem
/ Ocrat1c party gained such enormous
! strength in 1876 shows that it was not.
| No man on earth a that time had a
/ possibility of a chance against General
| Grant, and had a Democrat been de-
! feated at that time by the same vote if
! might have worked a dissolution of the
| party"
Continuing. Mr.. Shafroth said: "Sen-
ator Teller ought to be a very accept
! able person to the south It was he
| who openly defied the party whip when
| the force bill was being considered in
the United States senate and who said
| in his speech that it was the most in
famous measure that had ever been at
tempted to be crystalized into legisla-
! ton. The chances of Senator Teller
being Endorsed ought to be, and are in
! my judgment. good. I believe that ii
| Teller is Endorsed by all the biretalIic
| forces he will be elected by an over
Whelming majority
A TREE PLANTING COrFETv