Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-10-28
SILVER ISSUE is DEAD
QUESTION IS ELIMINATED FROM
STATE CAMPAIGNS
Chairman Jones and Other Leading
Lishts Have Advised the Abandon
ment Of Silver as an Issue Quaran-
cline Against White Metal Orators.



chief, and practically the only, feature
OF Its platform three months ago, show
that the silver question Is absolutely
eliminated from the discussions Of the
campaign. Ex-Congressman Towne,
who entered the State with a PROPOSE
ton TO canvass 1t In the interests OF
the Silver Trust, was ANONYMOUSLY or
dered off the stump and out of the
State by the self-appointed manager of
the campaign, Allen o. Meyers, and his
action was sustained by the men who
stand behind the management Of the
State campaign. Mr.. Towne, Mr.. Bry-
an and his co-laborers in behalf Of the
silver cause now sit afar Off and view
with dismay and silence the abandon
ment of the cause of free silver, which
one year ago was the leading feature
OF the national campaign, not alone in
Ohio, but in every State where the
Democratic party is making any real
effort at success.
Reports from all the States in which
campaigns are in progress show that
this program has been generally
adopted. Chairman Jones and other
leading lights in the silver organiza-
tion have advised the abandonment of
silver as an issue, and that advice is
being adopted. The leading advocates
of the silver cause are rigidly excluded
from the States in which campaigns
are in progress. A strict quarantine
has been established against Mr.. Bry-
.e.f.. fms.
whose voices have been exclusively de-
voted to the service of the Silver Trust
during the past two years. They are
allowed to slosh around in the few I'M
important States where the Democrats
haveno possible hope OF success, merely
by way of personal compliment, but
In every State in which the party lead
ers have any hope of carrying State.
or even n Legislative district, the State
chairmen have established a wellman-
ned picket line on the State border,
with instructions to exclude, under all
circumstances, every orator OF the free
silver stripe.
Wonderful Transformation Scene.
This Is one OF the most interesting
developments of the campaign which
is now within three weeks of its close.
One year ago the free coinage of silver
was the leading feature i'm the cam
paign. Three months ago ii was deter
mined by the silver leaders that 1t must
be a leading issue in the campaign of
1897 wherever State and local cam
paigns were to be made. In Ohio, in
I'm, ND in 1txy fl..Ar
States 1t was made the leading, 1t may
he said, the chief, feature of the DEM
Ocratic platform in 1897. In Maryland
the astute German, seeing the turn of
public sentiment against the issue
which was so popular year ago,
adroitly shelved it in the platform
which the State convention framed less
than ninety days ago. In New York
it was adopted by segment of the
Democracy. In Massachusetts the
George Fred Williams element OF the
Democrats adopted it. In Ohio, Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Iowa, Nebraska anil
other States it was made, as already
indicated. the chief, and, in many
cases, the sole issue of the State plat
form. Democratic conventions in half
dozen leading cities in the Union made
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
the chief feature of their platforms,
and in every State adopted declarations
which squinted in that direction, to say
the least.
DingIey Law Did the Business.
Within thirty days Of that action on
their part the Republican Congress
passed the Dingley protective tariff
law. Republican President signed it,
and it became the law of the land.
Whas was the result? Factories start
ed up all over the United States. Where
thousands and hundreds of mcr were
unemployed, where labor had been
without occupation, suddenly the
smoke of factories made its appear
anee, the busy hum of industry was
heard, labOrlng men by the hundreds
of thousands and millions found en-
ployment, the demand for the products
OF the farm increased, and 10. prosperi-
ty prevailed among not only the labor
ing men in the manufacturing centers,
but among the farmers of the country.
Prices advanced. Not alone the price
of wheat, in which there was short
age abroad" but the price of corn and
rye and barley and wool and tobacco
and everything which the farm pro-
duces.
simultaneously with this advance In
farm prices, silver went down. An
ounce of silver, which in June, when
Democratic conventions were assem-
bling, was worth sixty cents, dropped
by September 1st to fifty-one cents and
did that In the face of continuous and
vigorous advance in prices of all farm
products. Everything produced by the
farm advanced In those short months
OF June, July and August, and while
this was happening, silver dropped fif-
teen (15) per cent. in value. The re-
suit was paralysis of the silver issue.
1t had been made the leading feature
of State platforms In nearly all of the
leading States in which campaigns
were to take place. The platforms
were made and could not be recalled.
Yet. before the campaign could open
had come a fall of fifteen rs per cent.
In the price. of silver, and a large ad-
vance In the prices of farm products.
fNf What Next?
n As result there was nothing to do
but to dodge2in fact, abandon-the sill
yer. issue. although it had been a lead
ing feature of the campaign. Single
fax fIa contamination and 1eha Scnent