The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-02-07
THE REPUBLICANS WOULD WIN

HE REfODLfSANo WoOLD wiz
1t is said that the movement upon
the part of few of the extreme silver
ties, in calling a national convention
for the purpose of nominating presi-
Dental ticket has caused few OF the
more nervous among the politicians at
Washington to tremble somewhat, land
they fear that the result will prove
disastrous to the Republicans. Doubt
less that depends good deal on what
the Republicans do. If they are true
to their convictions and their prlncl-
ples there is no reason to fear the re-
suits. True, such movement, should
it reach any strength whatever, will
take with it a few western states,
which have heretofore been Republl-
can, but it would add strength to the
marty elsewhere Wherever the Re
publicans4 have made clear, open
FIGHT against silver monometallism
outside of the silver mining states
they have won One of the great
forces which gave Kentucky to the
Republicans last fall, was the fact
that the Republicans pronounced for
a sound currency and against the
schemes of the silver bugs, and the
people lined up accordingly.
The independent action of the
silver mine owners and other silver
monometallists, would on the whole
help to clear the political atmosphere
of the country, and place men where
they belong. The silverites may at
tempt to sail under the term of BIZ
metallism, but they would not be
able to fool the people by any such
play of words. Chaff of that kind will
no longer deceive the people of this
country.
There is no question but that the
silver men intend to effect some SOr5
of combination with the Populists,
provided the Pops will for the time
being at least, abandon the wild
schemes which they have been advo-
eating, and make the fight solely on
silver, which is somewhat doubtful.
But admitting that they will make
ouch combination, they would not
then be able to elect their ticket
though they carried all of the western
silver states and every Democratic
state in the south. The fight would
doubtless be hot one, but the Re
publicans could win with good mar
gin. The New York Tribune in re-
viewing the situation puts the matter
thus, and close study of the states
shows that the Tribune has sized the
field up about correct. 1t says:
The idea that the result of the presidential |
election may depend on the action of silver men
or silver states is not sustained by any facts at
present within the range of human observation,
Complete separation of the ''silver or nothing
men from the Republican party would only
strengthen that party enormously In all Eastern
and Central states. Between the Atlantic and
the Mississippi, in Northern states every one OF
which carried by the Republicans at the
last election, chosen 2O5 electors, not count
ing Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia,
which were carried last year and choose seven
teen more Beyond the Mississippi, Iowa and
Minnesota would add twenty-five votes, not to
go further. There is not one of these states in
which separation of silver men would even
tend to defeat the Republicans; not one in
which it.would not greatly strengthen Them
If anybody imagines that, with such solid
body of states upholding Republican principles,
every state west or south of these could be car
red in an utterly hopeless fight for free silver,
or for Democracy either, he has not much grasp
of facts.
And in such fight there is not much
doubt but that the electoral vote of
Kentucky would be added to the Re-
publican column, as it already stands
in the doubtful column in presidential
matters anyway. And the RepubJi-
cans would also have good fighting
chance in the Dakotas as against out
and out silver mOnometallism, if not
in one or two other states west of the
Mississippi. All the Republicans have
got to do is to stand true to their prin
siples, and the Dem-Pop. silver mono
metallism opposition will stand no
show OF winning.
cTDONG DDOTHCT