The times., 1898-10-11
GENERAL POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Hanna Is respectfully invited to recent
| report submitted to the secret service bu-
reau of the Treasury Department by one
OF its most trusted agents. This report
| treats of new infant industry which has
sprang int9 existence within the past
few years-the manufacturing of 'genu-
| Inc counterfeit silver coins" and dis
| closes a truly remarkable state of affairs.
! 1t seems that there is estimated to be
several millions of dollars worth of bo-
gus silver coins in circulation in the Unit
ed States that absolutely defy detection.
! They are of the same weight and fine
ness of the genuine article turned out at
J the United States mints, but they are out
laws, as they were not made under the
supervision of Uncle Sam, although ex-
actly as good as IL they had been.
-
Since the manufactured depression in
the price of silver bullion the coin con-
tanned in a silver dollar has been worth
less than fifty cents, according to the
commercial gold bullion basis; therefore,
II has been possible for a number of
years to exactly duplicate the silver coins
issued by the Government and make d
profit of from forty to fifty per cent
Some enterprising parties out West
caught on TO this fact four or five years
ago, and, according to all accounts, they
have been doing a most lucrative and
thriving business down to the present
time. without running any very great
risk of being detected anu FINISHED. The
secret service men have been very active
IN trying to locate the plant, or plants,
as the case may be, but thus far they
have learned practically nothing beyond
the fact that the counterfeits were in
creasing in number very rapidly. 1t will
be recalled in this connection that Hon.
John Sherman offered a resolution of in
quiry In the Senate on this subject about
three years ago. but nothing ever came
of it, The Treasury Department refused
10 make report on the Sherman resolu-
ton on the ground that IL would not be to
the interests of the public service SO to
do. 1t is said that there Is a syndicate
or trust behind this enterprise. and that
they have their headquarters in some one
OF the remote recesses of the Rocky
Mountains.
The suggestion to Senator Hanna is
this He is known to have very close and
intimate relations with nearly all of the
registered trusts and corporations in the
country. Through this source he GER
tainly ought to be able to get into COM
munication with the silver coinage trust.
Once he has established relations with
the gentlemen composing the syndicate.
Mr.. Hanna can easily strike a bargain
with them to run off, say S5.0o0.0 900 of the
stuff for use In his future campaigns in
behalf of sound money. Then. If his
conscience should trouble him-after he
has had received his portion. he could
quietly give the tip 10 the secret service
people and have the gang run in. Anoth-
er way by which he could win fame and
glory as a patriotic and public-spirted
citizen, without any loss to himself,
would be to give the syndicate warning
and then have the plant seized when no.
body was present The members of the
syndicate would doubtless fall in readily
enough with this arrangement as they
could easily establish their business" In
some other locality.
Mr.. Hanna ought 20 give this matter
thoughtful and prayerful consideration
1t contains many brilliant possibilities for
man of Mr.. Hannas imaginative tenn
permanent, not the least of which perhaps
would be the relieving of Mr.. Hanna of
the necessitytof violating the civil service
law in trying to fry fat out of the hard
working employees Of the Government. I'm
der skillful management the "Silv -
Coinage Trust" could be transformed into
perpetual source of campaign revenue.
Quigg Is in a fair way TO go into re-
tirement after the 18th of March next
Capt. William Astor Chanler. a grandson
of William B. Astor and soldier of San
tiago, has been nominated by the Dem
ocrats in Quiggs district. Then a Re
publican is circulating a petition to run
as an Independent candidate against
Quigg He has obtained a good many
signatures and is confident of getting
the requisite number to entitle him to
have his name placed upon the official
ballot. If he succeeds Mr.. QuiSg's doom
will be sealed almost beyond doubt.
The first day of registration this year
in the Greater New York territory will
be on Friday. and from this some clear
idea can be formed of the interest the
people are taking in the campaign A
light registration in the cities in New
York is always construed as favorable to
stay-at-homes is always larger among
the Republicans than in the opposite
party.
James r. Brown. chairman of the exec
utive committee of the Chicago platform
party of New York, has sent copies of
the following letter to all the members of
the Democratic National Committee,
which is self explanatory:
You Will have probably noticed from
the public prints that a party termed the
Chicago Platform Democracy has been
recently organized in this State and that
a full State ticket has been put in the
field by the above party. We desire to
call your attention to the following facts
leading up to the organization of this
new party. On September 2S last a con-
ference of delegates representing Chica-
go platform Democrats was held at Syra-
cuse This conference was composed of
three delegates from each assembly dis
trict selected by conference of Demo-
Gratis held in the given assembly dis
trict The Democratic State convention
at its session on Thursday, the 29th ult..
at which session the convention adopted
a State platform of the party, utterly re-
fused to in any way recognize the plat
form of the party adopted at Chicago in
July, 1896 This procedure was in direct
violation of Democratic party precedent
followed in this State for the last thirty
years, since every State convention held
during that period except one, which met
just before national convention of the
party, had indorsed and reaffirmed the
platform of the preceding national con-
vention. Referring to the ticket NOM
mated hy the Democratic State coDyen-
ton, / may state that two of the nomi-
nd