Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-09
New York World special.

Senator Gray or DolaWare, clear, calm |
and definite. 1t was he who presided
at the great council OF the gold
standard men at midnight He alone
of all the Eastern leaders seems to
understand that the free.silyer move
tional distraction, but an actual revolu-
tion, an upheaval from tho depths.
He recognizes az no other gold leader
seems to recognize the intense un-
selfishness and martyr spirit of the
great body of free-silver men. His
broao, statesmaulike mind has grasped
the fact that the East is face to face
with mighty popular movement. i
saw the Senator this afternoon in his
private parlor.
81 am now satisfied" he said, "tbat
the e-silyer candidate will be nomi-
mated on free-slver platform. The
silver men have clear majority"
"And suppose Mr.. Cleveland or the
Administration is repudiated in the
platform, Senator, what then?"
"Then we should have another con-
vention and another Democratic party,
or, rather, we should call the real
Demcratic party together and turn our
backs on it's enemies. ~
"You think that would be the certain
result Of a reputation of the Admins
tyation by this convention?"
There could be no other result
Such an expression would absolve every
member Of the organization from his
allegian 20. ("
Gin all sincerity, Senator, do you
believe that the adoption of free silver
would bring irreparable ruin upon the
country"
II think it would be very grave
mistake Yet as an honest man /
must admit that we have no experience
since 1878 upon which we can form an
estimate of the effect which free coin
age might produce upon the price of
q. the raw silver product. Remember.
I do not for a moment recede from the
position that the present money
standard is necessary to our present
prosperity and credit. But it is fact
which it is useless to d my that the
free-silver plan is purely experimental
and that we cannot say in advance
with any certainty what the effect of
it might be. We might as we'll look
tho facts in the face and give our
Democratic opponents what is due to
them. I will also admit that money
which increases in value produces low
prices and Is therefore antagonistic and
W pliDob
But the currency cannot always appre-
ciato. 1t must finally reach it's limit
And when we have fixed point, what
more can the producers of the country
desire? So with depreciating medium
OF exchange which promotes high
prices You cah't have perpetual
boom. The natural state of man is
repose. There must come time when
prices will cease to boom; then you
have another fixed point This financial
heresy is largely duo to the fact that
our farmers have grown accustomed to
rapid values due to the sudden appear
ance of railways in remote agricultural
districts and to other abnormal profits.
They do not seem to appreciate the
fact that these are unearned incre-
ments. They cannot go on forever.
The Western farmers cannot settle down
to the old slow, small, but steady in
comes. They cannot abide anything
like days. wages or weeks wages. And
SO anything which promises boom
that they should be 80 attracted. But,
as said before, boom is an abnormal
transitory condition. The question ia
what will they have when the ultimate
point is reached?
''The trouble now is not lack Of
money but lack of credit due to a
lack OF confidence, and that in turn is
due to this agitation for free silver
which is to boom prices' 1t does not
matter how much money We have, the
world will still continue to do so or 95
per cent of its business on credit purely
for it's own convenience, and tho
moment you disturb or even discuss
( the standard money which lies at the
= base of this whole commercial fabric
of mutual faith you arrest and paralyze
commerce and you lay industry upon
its back in the dust"
''Senator Gray, why is there such a
universal feeiing of hatred towards
President Cleveland in the Democratic
party of the West and SouthY find
it everywhoro-deep, loud, incessant.
How do you explain it?"
"Mr Cleveland has stood in the way
of tho accomplishment of the free-silveI
fanaticism. lie has resisted this
popular frenzy. That is the real and
true explanation.
"You recognizes that there will be q
free silver candidate with free-silvel
platformY'
"There can be no doubt of it.'
"When that has been achieved what
then is the duty OF the voters?'
~ shall advise my fellow Democrats
in Delaware to strive for sound
money Congress- aud to use their in.
diviuual judgment as to the head ol
the TICKET. 1t is purely matter oi
: conscience. There will be some of the
elements of the Greeley campaign
present this year."
81 want to ask you a plain question,
Senator: Will you vote for free silver
IN candidate for President who is other
wise an unoxceptionable Democrat"
,.ri. sLswill; certainly will But an
speaking simply for myself. Th'
lstrouble is that there seems TO be
moveHe ent on foot to make the platform
nf tke party simply an elaborate silve
plank and abandon everything else. |
{haf idea should be carried out i
would be absolutely necessary to sum
mob true Democratic convention ant
4nottinste true Democrat for Presi
aeat."
t5That would mean certain defeat 70