Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Waning silver Cause--Prospectiye
Legislation Regarding Currency and
immigration.

That the silver cause Is not command
ing the strength and unanimity of sup
port that IL did in the campaign o.
1896, The New York Journal, which
was Mr.. Bryan's organ in the east, has
deliberately abandoned him, as was
long ago anticipated. This means
more than the mere action OF this
journal, for change of that kind
would not have been made unless those
, debating it had seen that the plan
, would be popular one. The fact is,
there is a strong rebellion against
Bryan and Organism in the east and
certain parts of the south. Word
comes from the middle west that this
sentiment is also being felt there. The
silver proposition is losing its hold
upon large class OF the communities
which in the last national campaign
supported it, which is in view of the
fact that prosperity has come without
a return TO free coinage, and they have
begun to realize that the issues upon
which the campaign of 1896 was made
were false ones. The assertion was
very frequently made during all that
campaign that prosperity could not
come to the people of the United States
without an enormous increase of the
currency of the country, and that this
could only be done by the free coinage
OF silver. Now that the pr prosperity has
come in the face OF the refusal to ac-
cept the silver proposition, it is appar-
ent that the campaign of 1896 was
waged upon false assumptions and false
statements. The apparent determine
tion OF Mr.. Bryan to make silver, and
silver only, his hobby so long as he
remains before the public in the atti-
tude of the spokesman of the Demo-
cratic party, has led a good many
Democrats all over the country to the
conclusion that some broader man, and
one who will not confne himself exclu-
sively to the subject of Is to l, is likely
TO be more successful party candidate
in 1900.
Now that Senator Hanna is elected,
and assurance given that his vote and
voice AID cooperation will be at the
service Of the Republican forces in the
senate, the effort to pass currency
bill will be again resumed. The senate
is still closely divided, especially in
view Of the fact that the Oregon seat
has not yet been filed, but there is
good good reason to hope that a com
bination Of the Republicans vote with
that of the few Democrats who refuse
to cooperate with the silver forces will
be sufficient to carry through the SEN
ate some legislation along the lines
recommended by the president in his
message. 1t is not expected that ex-
treme legislation upon this subject can
be had during the present congress,
but the simple plan outlined by the
president in his message, proposing to
retain in the treasury the greenbacks
and the Sherman notes redeemed in
gold, and permit national banks TO in
crease their circulation up to the par
value OF their bonds, appeals so strong
ly TO all classes, except those who are
determined to make the money OF the
country OF the fiat character, that
there is good deal of hope that
measure framed along these lines can
yet be passed by this congress.
The discussion and the vote in the |
senate on the Immigration bill shows
very clearly where the Republican
party stands in the matter OF intelli- |
gence and law and order. The leading
men OF the party have spoken out
clearly and vigorously in favor of
law which shall exclude from the
United States the ignorant, the de-
praved and the unsatisfactory classes
which have, during the past few years,
made up such large proportion OF the
immigration. The Republican party,
it will be remembered, passed meas
ure Of this kind during the closing
months of President Cleveland S term,
and it was vetoed by him. Now that
there is Republican president in the
White House, there is little doubt but
that the measure will become a law
and that the world will be given to
understand that the party in control of
affairs in the United States does not
desire to recruit the citizenship Of this
nation with ignorant and degraded
men, and is not willing to permit this
class to come into competition with in
telligent American citizens. or assist
in controlling national affairs.
The very considerable increase in
the consumption OF sugar in the United
States during the past twelve months
points to the field which the sugar beet
enterprise in this country has to fill.
The sugar consumed during the year
1897 was 2, ,096, 260 tons against $3.50, ,0S6
tons in 1896, an increase OF 1876, III tons.
There were last year only 4l,347 tons
of beet sugar produced in the United
States, 2S9, 600 tons of cane sugar, 5000 |