Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-05
A SCHEME TO SELL OUT
What Southern Silver Congressman Says
of the Democratic Party.
The Only Hope is for Men to Unite on
Common Grounds for an Ameri-
can System of Finance.

In these days of political ill-feeling, i'm
putations of treachery on the part of men
in the same party are by no means infre-
quent. The rabid silver men no longer trust
another of the same party unless his record
on the question is such as to preclude the
possibility of his making a change. All
this arises from the approaching meetings
of the national conventions, where the sill
yer men hope to accomplish something for
their side of the house without being i'm
posed upon by shrewder politicians. An in
dication of this feeling will be found in the
following statement, made to Star re-
porter by silver Congressman, who does
not care to have his name divulged at this
time. The statement speaks for itself, and
is exactly as spoken by the member:
There is undoubtedly a well-concocted
scheme on the part of some of the free
silver democrats to sell the party out TO the
gold bugs and deceive the people again. 1t
IS recognized on all sides that the south is
the key to the situation, and that union
OF the south and west on the lines laid
down by the recent silver conference in this
city means the triumph Of the silver cause,
because 1t is well-recognized fact that II
the single issue of bimetallism is presented
free from all other issues, and the people
given a chance, that 80 per cent of the
various states Of the Union will declare III
When the silver conference put up the
silver question as the paramount issue,
they gave a common ground where, with
out sacrifice of party loyalty, the silver
men of all creedS can unite. The gold bugs
have been accustomed to rely upon the
solid south to stay in line with the demo-
cratic party and tamely accept gold bug
platform, dictated by republican states like
Pennsylvania, which never go democratic.
Lately, however, they see break in the
solid south, and there is cause for alarm.
With their usual astuteness, the gold bugs
have gone to work, and as well as 1 can
changed before the Chicago convention
meets. They will get Harris and Crisp and
other supposed leaders to draw in Tillman
and a few other kickers by pledging that
the national democratic convention will de-
clare for free silver and nominate William
K. Morrison, Richard p. Bland or Adlai E.
Stevenson, who will accept the nomina ton,
well knowing that he cannot be elected
But every purpose will be answered. These
free silver democrats will go home, whoop
up the boys, talk free silver, hold together
make straddle on the question, and west
ern republicans, seeing the cause of silver
hopeless, by reason of the south being held
in line as indicated, will become diSheart-
ened, stick to their party, and again the
people will be made the dupes in this same
old game of hide and seek.
There Is but one hope. Let men have
the courage of their convictions and, for
once, more patriotism than party; unite on
common grounds for more money, higher
prices and an American system of finance.
such men as Teller and Hatch, or Jones
and Sihley or Cameron and Tillman"