New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-08
THE DRIFT IN THE WEST.
CHEERING INTELLIGENCE FOR RE-
PUBLICANS.
NIX HoRRs OBSERVATIONS IN THE AGRrCuLT-
tRAL STATES BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI.


INTEREST IN THE TARIFF QUESTION
To the Editor Of The Tribune
sir: find the campaign OF the West quite
singular In some regards While the people
are very much interested in the money question
md them usually very anxious to learn the
exact results of the later tariff legislation. So
FAR as l have noticed in the States which 7
have visited, there is attempt on the part
OF Republican speakers to ignore either oues
ton.
1t Is great campaign for the asking of oues-
tons. and the bulk of the questions are in
reference to some phase Of the silver agitation.
The usual loose talk Of the Populist party upon
this subject seems to furnish the basis for
most of the questions asked. 1t Is the old
GreenDack craze revived in a little different
form, and wheneve- you strike a spot where
that disease ragged during the years from 1873
to lSS1 there you are sure to find the free-coin-
age party strong. Really the foundation for
all the questions thus far asked me by farmers
is as to whether the free coinage of silver would
not give them larger prices for crops and thus
enable them to pay their debts with greater
ease The questions which they ask are en-
tirely different from those which are asked by
the men who work for wages. Farmhands and
mechanics invariably inquire as to how the free
coinage or silver VIII affect the purchasing
power of the money they receive for work.
Incidents are constantly occurring which H.
lustrate the peculiar situation in which the
free silver advocates sometimes find themselves
placed. For instance. Norfolk. Neb., is situated
in the Elkhorn Valley one Of the richest and
most fertile valleys in the eastern portion of
ing in the vicinity of the city of Norfolk sold
his farm about a year ago. 1t quarter
section which he had received from the Gov
eminent. and for many years he had spent his
life in improving and developing it. He sold
his farm at fair price. but, of course not
al very high price, lands by no means
inflated in price at this time anywhere in the
West. He received q small payment down and
took mortgage to secure the balance Of the
purchase money He has been lifelong Demo-
crat. Just before my visit to Norfolk the town
had been invaded by an advocate of free silver
who had been teaching the people as to the
beauties Of free coinage. This German called
upon the teacher to inquire Of him about this
new question Of money OF course the advocate
of free coinage Immediately entered upon
glowing statement Of the manner in which
business would be revived If we could once add
to the circulation of the country the silver
money which could be coined under his method;
vanced. and gave a very vivid picture Of the
advantages which were sure to follow to the
tillers of the soil.
Very WE'LL" said the German, but vat about
mein MORTGAGE"
The free silver man took it for granted that no
one would inquire about a mortgage, except
some poor farmer who owed one. He imme-
dately informed the German that the free sill
Yer business "the sckest thing as to mort
cages Of anything that could be mentioned"
He said: You pay off your mortgage with
these cheap 5O-cent dollars, and the fellow to
whom you owe it cannot help himself. 1t makes
no difference how much he kicks. he will have
to stand it,"
We'll. then" says the German, but the mort
gage is due to me; the money is coming TO me-
How am to be benefited by taking these cheap
dollars which you speak about?"
Perhaps this incident illustrates the reason
why. go where l will. find a great majority of
the Germans in favor of sound money. Whether
it from the fact that in their cases the
mort cages are mostly coming to them or not
cannot say. But here in the State Of Iowa.
where the German vote is very large. men best
informed upon the subject assure me that fully
so per cent of them in the coming election will
vote for Mckinley and sound money. In State
like Iowa. where the German vote is 80 very
large, such fact has very important bearing
upon the final result. 1t is upon that fact
have based the prediction. which make so con-
fdently, that the majority in Iowa for sound
money in the coming election will be something
marvellous.
one other reason which has led the people Of
the East to overestimate the strength OF the
Chicago platform in the West arises from the
fact that they do not have exact knowledge as
tricts in the States Of Nebraska. Minnesota and
Iowa. In the portions Of these States over
which / have travelled, the farmers are by no
means in such a crippled condition as we have
been led to suppose. There are no such number
of mortgages on the farms in those States as
generally reported. and very large NUMBER
Of the farmers in each of those States have been
improving their condition constantly during the
hard times.
here in the West that the well-to-do farmers
have nothing TO do with the Populist party or us
teachings. Here one seldom hears the doctrines
set forth in the Chicago platform CLASSIFIED as
Democratic doctrines. The fact is generally
recognized in common conversation that the
Popust element got possession OF that con
vention, and that the platform which Mr. Bryan
indorses, he tells us, line by line and WORD
for word Is the widest platform that could be
drafted by the free silver a sr',o as cone
demned by the level-headed and business Demo
Gratis. even Of the West, Is something ike az
great il is in any portions of the East.
II is very amusing to see Chairman Jones OF
the Chicago National Committee trying 10 pooh-
pooh this whole sound money movement on
the part of the Democrats of the United states. |
He even states ii is so insignificant as hardly |
to be worth mentioning. l see that yesterday |
Mr. Bryan took a different view OF the subJect, |
and opened his vocabulary against H. ne must
have discovered thing that has escaped MT !
Jones' that is that the movement is one or |
large proportions. and one that embraces. by
all odds the ablest and oldest Democrats all
over the United States My surprise has been |
very great to find this element as strong in |
the West as it is in the East, and when the
vote is taken in the States Of Minnesota and |
Iowa-yes and even Nebraska-the result VIII
sbow how important an element 1t is In the |
campaign | have not visited single precinct |
81 ,cf npmoprqtS