The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-10-30
CHANGING THE ISSUES.
Democrats Dropping Silver Talk
All Along the Line.
other Issues Are DeinE Discussed
I'm the Campaigns of the vnri-
Gus states - Increasing
Prosperity.

of the campaign which is now within
three weeks of its close, Is the absolute
disappearance of the silver issue. One
year ago it was the leading feature in
the campaign. Three months ago it
was determined by the silver leaders
that it must be leading issue in the
campaign of 1897 wherever state and
local campaigns were to be made.
In Ohio. in Iowa, in Kentucky
and in sundry other states, it
was made the leading, it may be
said, the chief feature of the demo-
cratic platform in 1897. In Maryland,
the astute German. seeing the turn Of
public sentiment against the issue
which was so popular year ago,
adroitly shelvcd it in the platform
which the state convention framed less
than 90 days ago, In New York it was
adopted by segment of the democ-
racy. In Massachusetts the George
Fred Williams element Of the demo
Gratis adopted il. In Ohio, Virginia,
Kentucky. Iowa, Nebraska and other
states il was made, as already indicat-
ed, the chief, and in many cases. the sole
issue of the state platform.
All his happened within the past
four months. In that period the demo.
cratic conventions in a half-dozen lead
ing 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 he
least. Within 80 days of that action
on their part the republican congress
passed the Dingley protective tariff law,
republican president signed it, and it
becape the law of the land.
What was the result? Factories
started up all over the United States.
Where thousands and hundreds of thou
sands of men were unemployed. where
labor had been without occupation,
suddenly the smoke of factories made
its appearance, the busy hum of indus
try was heard, laboring men by the hun
dreds of thousands and millions found
employment, the demand for the
products of the farm increased. and 10,
prosperity prevailed among not only
the aboring men in the manufacturing
centers, but among the farmers of the
country Prices advanced. Not alone
the price of wheat in which there was
Shortage abroad" but the price of
corn, and rye, and barley, and wool, and
tobacco and everything which the farm
produces.
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 co cents, dropped by
September to 81 cents and did that in
the face of a continuous and vigorous
advance in prices of all farm products.
Everything produced by the farm ad
vanced in those short months of June,
July and August, and while this was
happening, silver dropped Is per cent.
in value.
The result was a paralysis of the sill
yer issue. 1t had been made the leading
feature of state platforms in nearly all
or the leading states in which cam
paigns were TO take place. The plat
forms were made and could not be re-
called. Yet, before the campaign could
open had come fall of Is per cent.
in the price of silver and large advance
in the prices of farm products.
AS a result there was nothing to do
but to dodge-in fact abandon-the
silver issue, although it had been made
leading feature of the platforms. Ad-
vice from all the states in which cam
paigns are in progress show that this
programme has been adopted. AS has
already been indicated, Chairman Jones
and other leading lights in the silver
organization have advised the aban-
Comment of silver as an issue. And that
advise is being adopted. The leading
advocates of the silver cause are riggid-
~ excluded from the states in which
campaigns are in progress. A strict
quarantine has been established
against Mr.. Bryan, Mr.. Towne and the
other statesmen whose voices have
been exclusively devoted to the service
of the silver trust during the past two
years. They are allowed to slosh
around in the few unimportant states
where the democrats have no possible
hope of success, merely by way Of per-
sonal compliment, but in every state in
which the party leaders have any hope
of carrying state, or even legislative
district, the state chairmen have cstab-
lished a well manned picket line on the
state border with instructions to ex-
clude, under all circumstances, every
orator of the free silver stripe. Adj
vices from Ohio, in which state the
democratic party made the free and un-
limited coinage Of silver the chief, and
practically the only feature of its plat
form, show that the silver question is
absolutely eliminated from the dis
cussions of the campaign. Ex-Congress-
man Towne, who entered the state with
a proposition TO canvass II in the inter-
ests of the silver trust, was ignomini-
ously ordered 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..
Bryan and his cola borers in behalf of
the silver cause now sit afar off and
view with dsmay and silence the