The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24
Decline of the Free silver Craze.

When the advocates of sound money
say that the free silver movement is in
it's decadence they do not make a bald
and baseless assertion and ask people to
accept It without question. There are
tests which may be applied to the ques-
ton of the status of the movement, and
which will show where free silver lis at"
may be applied, however, than a com
parison of the votes in the House directly
upon the silver question at different
times The members of the House are
unquestionably' the representatives of the
people. They are fresh from the people
and reflect their views.
Applying the test of votes in the House,
1t will be seen that within six years silver
has lost fifty-nine votes out of 149. On
March a. 1892, a vote was taken on the
tabling of the Bland free coinage bill.
It was a fair test of strength. The ballot
showed an even division, the vote for and
against the proposition standing a tie
at las. Speaker Crisp cast the deciding
vote in favor of silver, giving the silver
ties 149 votes.
On Aug 2S, 1898, vote was taken on the
proposition TO substitute a free coinage
bill, ratio 1G to l, for the bill to repeal the
purchase clause of the Sherman law. That
vote resulted 226 for sound money and
125 for free silver, showing a loss for free
silver of twenty-four votes since the test
vote of 1892
on Feb. IA, 1885, vote was taken on
the Senate's free silver coinage substitute
for the bond bill. That vote was 226
for sound money and 80 for free silver,
showing a loss 10 the silverites of thirty
five votes since the vote of 1893. and of
ffty-nine votes since the vote of 1892.
In the light of these facts of official
record, in order for the free silverites to
controvert the assertion that their move
ment is on a rapid decline, it would be
necessary for them to prove conclusively
that the House of Representatives is not
composed of representatives of the people,
and that it is fraud upon the constitu-
ton.
A further comparison of the test votes
referred to shows that, whereas six years
ago free silver had lightweight votes
from the south, in the last vote it had only
sixty-seven from the south. In 1892
the total north gave free silver forty-two
votes. This year only six northern repre-
sentatives voted for silver, Michigan,
Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota are in
cluded with the north in this calculation
Six years ago West Virginia gave silver
three votes; this year not one. Six years
ago Kansas was solid for free silver. In
the present House it is equally divided
Six years ago the free slverites had a
majority in the delegations from Ohio and
Indiana. Last week Ohio gave sound
money nineteen votes and free silver two.
and Indiana gave sound money
twelve votes to none for silver
In 1892 the silverites controlled the
delegations from every southern state
Since then they have lost Florida, Louisi-
ana. Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri,
making five sound money state delega-
tions where none existed before. In 1892
the silverites had clear majorities in
twenty-five state delegations, against
nineteen for sound money. This year
they have majority in only seventeen.
counting Utah, while sound money con-
trolls twenty-seven state delegations.
The comparison might be carried still
further. But enough has been shown to
prove which way the silver movement is
! drifting.