Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1896-06-05
* TALK,

1t is encouraging to the advocate Of
free coinage to note the change of senti.
ment upon the subject that is rapidly
taking place. The masses nave at last
begun to realize that the only hope for
the country lies in the adoption of BIZ
metallism, and now that this fact has
dawned upon the gold standard advo.
Gates, they have become thoroughly
alarmed. Only a few weeks ago the
Wall street men of both parties were
treating the silver movement with con-
tempt. 1t was referred to as the Solver
craze" and the single standard press day
after day announced that it was dying
out or dead. But it was unaccommo.
dating enough not to die. The next
tack was the silly attempt to brighten
and threaten the silver men. That
didn't work, and now they are begging
for quarter and urging a compromise,
The editors and Washington correspond.
ents have been given the cue, and they
are obeying instructions to the letter.
A compromise platform is the theme all
along the line ard here Is a sample from
the pen of Walter Wellman. one of the
most prominent. He first discusses the
probability of the gold men making con.
cessions to the silver men at st. Louis
and then, turning his attention to Chi.
cago, says:
"On the democratic side the situation
is somewhat similar. Between the two
coterias of extremists, the one represent
ing President Cleveland and the admin.
istration people generally, and the othey
such men as Tillmap, Bland and Black.
burn, there is a great mass of democrat
who are anxious to avoid a split in the
party. The voice of Mr.. Cleveland is
against compromise, of course. He is
not one of the compromising sort. He
wants the battle fought to a finish. But
such democrats as Brice, Whitney, Hill,
Matthews, Campbell, Morrison, Steven
son and others are consulting together
with the hope of finding some way in
which to avert the threatened split in
the party. Like the conservative repub-
~licans, many democrats think Il promise
to so shape our national policy rs to
bring about international bimetallism
might prove TO be the charm with which
the threatened bot can be averted.'
This reads well and ia just what tn
gold men desire-and all they desire. +
is a thirly disguised effort to rob IT,
silver men Of their cause. The ante
convention campaign for the election II
delegates to the national convention Wa
fought on clearly drawn lines. At the
conventions, thus far held, the majori-,
of democrats have spoken in no uncer
tain tones, and it is conceded that tho.
yet to speak will be Of the same mimi.
The declarations have been for free coin
age at the ratio Of lG to !, without tn,
Intervention Of any other nation. Dur
ing the contest there has been no mon
ton Of a middle ground. The issue wa
genuine bimetaIlism against the singt
gold standard, and, 10y d large maJotlIJ
the democracy have declared for til,
former. They have announced their be-
lief that the restoration Of silver is the
only means by which prosperity will
CONE, and that this country Is able anG
ready TO undertake the task. They be.
Iieye that the question rises far q I'VE
any other and that it should be settle.
ut the polls. The proposition is to .-
ter the campaign with d positive and uu
e4uiyocal declaration on the subject.
7 hey will be satisfied with nothing less
The time for evasion and ambiguity am
coated words has passed. The tall |
about lodging the vital issue TO accom- |
MEDIATE asmall minority and secure their |
votes will not work. If the minority
submit to the majority rule anC
vote the democratic ticket and platform.
they can vote a ticket that suits then
better, 1t does n0t seem possible that
to placate this eIement the majority wi.
surrender its convictions and sell out tho
people, for that is what a promise
will be. Anything short Of a positive
free coinage ticket will be an abjeCt anG
infamous betrayal Of trust. Wore the
gold men in the majority, they would
offer no CONCESSIONS, nor would any ba
asked or accepted. Az it is, having beer
defeated at the primaries and conven
tions, they are seeking to accomplish by
~underhanded methods and sneaking
,l.. xnr+, I--,,1., .t.I A..
could not accomplish at the polls. The
indications are That they will not succeed.
BY his conduct in the African bust
nose, the young Emperor William has
caused the English statesmen some IN
e~aeinees and alarm and they are not
quite sure whore he stands in the pres.
emf mixed up condition of affairs in Eu-
rope. In fact, he keeps them guessing.