The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-25
NEW SILVER PARTY.
Republicans Who Hold the silver
Question to He Paramount

New York Jan. 23,(Special to Repub-
lie. )--Senator Lee Mantle Of Montana. who
is in the city. announced to-day that In
1900 new free silver party, composed ex-
clusively Of republicans. will be in the
field. regular national convention viii
be held and declaration OF principles VIII
be made. Unless fusion OF all the silver
forces shall be effected in the meantime,
the republican silver men will nominate
independent candidates and enter upon a
vigorous campaign.
There are Two kinds Of free silver re-
publicans in the senate" MIR. Mantle said
and they cannot consistently, in my opin-
ion. operate together. There is the BIZ
metallst, who believes III the republican
party first and free silver atterward and
the one who places silver ahead OF party III
Importance. l belong to the latter class
oil republicans. because | believe that the
question of bimetallism is paramount to
party or any issue that 1t can raise, 1t is
true that ! am a republican, and believe
( in protection, but l think that we must
have bimetallism IL We would cuJoy pros
perity in this country.
The silver republicans In the senate
who believe as ! do cannot consistently
caucus with the republicans. As a ma =
| jority Of the caucus would be against sill
| yer. 1t would antagonize us al once against
the white metal. The silver republican
who goes into the caucus as | sand. pre-
iers his party to bimetallism.
| will the free silver republicans oppose
tariff legislation" was asked.
There has been no agreement 20 that
| effect and no concert oil action mapped
cut Personally, my idea is that we
should permit the republicans to put
through their tariff bill. They say that a
protective tariff measure will bring pros
perity. | think that it should be tried
do not think that protection Will BRING
OF free silver will be dead. II remains tt
be seen. and in the meantime the advocates
of free silver in the republican party &c
not intend to remain idle"
What will you do?"
"Thc chances are that in short while
we shall begin Systematically to organize q
free silver republican party. We will or
ganize in every county in every State, anc
get ready for the conflict in 1900. which
now seems inevitable. Free silver is nc
dead, and can be killed only by prosperity
as | have said, and that We do not autic!-
, pate. We do not anticipate 1t, because WI
do not believe that prosperity can oxis
with the single gold standard. Therefor,
a free silver republican party Is necessary
You see. we cannot affiliate with the popu
lists, owing to a good many things tha
they advocate, and we are not democrats
Besides. we hold that the republican part,
is he party that should advocate bmctal
lism.
"In 1900 We Will hold our convention an,
nominate presidential candidate. 1t ma,
be that all the free silver men will get TO
gether on the one platform. In four years
time can build up large organization
and when we take the field we will not u
uuprepared. If times are bad the peopl,
in tho East will not be able to pour out TIL,
money as they did in the last campaign
and the free silver forces will sweep The
rouptrv