Evening star., 1896-07-06
THE CAMPAIGN FUND
Another Money Question Confronts
the Democratic Delegates.
EASTERN CAPITALISTS COUNTED CUT
Conditions Necessary for Western
Financial Support.
JOHN r. M'LEAN'S TERMS

Special From STAFF Correspondent
CHICAGO, July G.-Another money uues-
ton besides free coinage is PLAYING n mart
In the game here. The question IS asked.
WI here is your campaign fund coming
IRON If you nominate any free silver DEM
ocrat?"
1his is serious question. The campaign
cannot be run without some money any
more than they can elect without votes.
Inc campaign could not be kept up three
weeks without money to meet expeasss
There are just two sources from which the
democrats might draw their camnafen
iuhds- On a gold basis they could count
on Now York and the wealthy east gen
crafty for the necessary funds On the
'iiNer OASIS, With any prospect of sue
oess' tfey could court on the western
mining states Tor money. BY adopting the
, Tree silver doctrine and refusing any CON-
cessions to the gold democrats of the east
they have cut off absolutely their hank
account In the east, where they have here
toiofe draWn most Of their campaign
| iuhds. They do this deliberately, spurn-
"s wall street gold But there is a life
preserver attached to this lofty righteous
ness There is plenty of money in the
west 10 be contributed 10 the silver cause.
1t was calculated that they would moi
need great deal of money for a campaign
OF the people. such as CONTEMPLATED and
that what was easily available would ne
| enough.
II now appears that this western money
Is available IL Teller is a candidate. but
eiot othewiSe- The silver mine owners
fLd other rich men of the silver states
are ready TO contribute Handsomely 10 the
campaign fund If they feel that they can
seize victory as a return for their in
Nestment, but they do not want To throv
any Of this good money into a rat hole.
IAey believe that the nomination of Teller
ps 'he democrats and the consolidation Of
The silver vote would have in ii the prom.
ise or success and they are willing 10 con-
tribute freely TO the cause The western
inohsV Is behind Teller just as the east
ein money is behind Whitney or Cleveland.
he mining states capitalists do no, he
iieve. however. that anything can be ac-
ocmpiished if d straight democrat is nom.
Hated and the silver vote divided There
is campaign fund ot four or five mil
non dollars, perhaps much more in sight
iciier Is nominated If he is not there
VIII be practically no money available.
lhis presents striking situation The
democrats have already cut off their east.
ern supplies, with their eastern vote II
they reject Teller they will cut off their
western supplies. well as the silver re-
publican and populist votes.
Inc eastern gold men are beginning to
see THIS and ale trying to take advantage
Vi III. Inc proposition is Presented in its
siH-piest form: You can't do anything
with the Independent silver men unles, Won
nominate Teller. If you are going TO stand
by party principles. rejecting thes,, tnde
/ pendent la
there remains but one of two things .or
You to do. Either make terms with us rbe
eastern gold mem and secure our yof.s
and our money, or Else go TO des: custom.
You are the smallest Of three factions and
have neither votes enough nor money"
In other words, the nomination of any
pronounced silver man alieuates the east
ern vote and viii be without compensation
IN the west unless Teller is the man Sc
lected.
Mclean Declines.
The nomination of John Il. Mclean might
make up in part for the loss of the eastern
campaign fund, but IT wouli hardly pre-
vent an independent silver ticket being put
in the field, and would draw contributors
from the silver states
Ihe Bland people. appreciating the situ-
alton to some extent, vent TO Mclean with
presidency on the ticket with Bland. Nc
Lean declined to entertain the proposition,
for the reason, as some of his friends ex-
plain, that he does not think I;Jand could
be elected and does not want % ally him.
self with defeat and TO play banker In a
losing game. He knows that there are few
besiceS himself who could be dep -nded upon
to contribute to fund for the election of a
Bland-McLean ticket. If the ticket were
to be Teller-Mc1.ean, or McLe in-Teller he
would look at it differently. The fact is too
plain that the silver campaign fund is be-
hind Teller and no one else. The question
is one of cold calcuiation against senti-
ment. The arguments of practical politics
are all against the nomination of a straight
democrat for first place.
Encouraged by this situation and by the
fact that the majority of the convention
are not well organized on anything hut the
adoption of the PLATFORM the gold men are
| talking of making a fight for candidate.
| Some Of them say that they think they
might make a showing for Hill If they
| worked together properly. Hill has not at
| tended any of the gold conferences. and
has managed not to identify himself with
the violent denunciation of silver.
| Sunday morning papers repYblished his
| letter to the Atlanta Constitution, in which
he favored placing silver on the same foot
| ing with gold, and the democrats are being
| reminded that he is moderate bimetallist.
Hill With "a Moderate Platform.
The suggestion is made in furtherance
! of the idea of making him candidate
that a platform declaring simply that the
! same mintage privileges should be extended
| to silver to gold, and the nominati tion of
| Hill on that platform would save the east