New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-22
SILVER CAUSE EMBARRASSED
TOPULISTs NOT ENTHUSIASTIC IN SUP
PORT OF DEMOCRATS.
ADVANCE ~ PRICES OF FARM PRODUCTS WEAK
Fms THE FAITH OF FARMERS IN THE Sill
YER IssUE-AN IMPORTANT TABLE
rny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrSE.l

fny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrSE1
Washington March 1.-THE endorsements
which Chairman Jones and his Populist-silver al
lies encounter in their efforts 10 make the silver
cause the chief issue OF the coming campaign null
tiplv as they hear from the various parts or the
country The Populists are receiving the FUSION
proposition with GOODNESS, and In many sectiohs
with absolute disfavor. In Minnesota the patrlo's
who visited that State to urge the Popuiists 10
save the country by helping elect Democrats to Of
fee. found no encoura cement. On the Pacific Coast
the fusion proposition met with bitter opposi-
ton. and unlikely to be accepted In IN
diana the Populists in their State convention not
only rejected the proposition, but went to the eX-
tent OF displacng from the National Committee
one OF the Indiana members who favored fusion'
and eecting a non-fusonist in his place.
This plan of removing fusonists from the Ma
tional Committee has been received with so much
favor by the Populists in other sections OF the
country that a counter movement to prevent the
complete elimination OF fusionsts from the National
Committee has been begun by the presentation OF
a new rule, providing that members OF the Ma
tional Committee cannot be removed without the
approval Of that committee itself Whether this
plan will make it possible to whip the PopulistS
into line for fusion in the interest OF silver re-
mains TO be
Another difficulty. and a serious one, which
the managers Of the silver campaign find before
them is the declining strength OF their issue among
all elements OF the community. especially the farm-
ers When wheat advanced some months ago, IN
the face OF the steady decline OF silver, the eX-
cuse was made that the advance was due simply
to a shortage abroad and that 1t did not AFFECT
the claim that the low prices OF farm products
were due the low price OF silver or the apsence
of the class of currency which they had oeen urg-
ing upon the country. But now that ali classes OF
farm products have. since the enactment OF the
Dingley law and the resumption o. work IN the
factories advanced materially in price. II is impos-
haf a
mere incident due to shortages abroad. TO utilize
further claim tina. the price Of silver in some
mysterious governs the price OF farm products
Even in the case OF cotton It has been shown, as
already indicated in this correspondence. that the
low figure which It has reached is due to the
enormous Increase in production in this country
and In the world, while in other articles or farm
proiIction thers has been markell increase In
price
These advances apply TO practically all articles
produced by farmers. and as II was among the
farmers that the members Of the silver party made
the greatest gains In 1896. they naturally are
alarmed as to their ability to hold. through fusion
in support OF silver the vote when iney cou,r2,!ed
in that election. Not only do the advices received
thus far sho" mat they are h0t soits ~ oiu u. r
Populist vote. but they also show That me SILVER
issue has lost greatly among the farmers VINO are
now only too busy and too prosperous 70 cohsld
or IL seriously but md in the general advance In
low prices which obtained during the existence OF
the low tariff were due 10 the low price OF SILVER
the earlier dscontinuance OF us coinage: o.
That there has been a marked advance In prices
of all articles Of farm production IN the lace OF
tho steady fall of silver since the date at whlch
the democracy officially demanded the restoration
of silver whose decentralization and fall IN price.
il asserted caused "a corresponding fall In the
nrice OF commodities produced by the people, IL
shown by the following table. comparing prices OF
ali farm products on July TO- 1895. the date OF the
adontion II this platform with the price pres
emit 1t is compiled from the columns OF u ne
norninen of that convention. Tn first column gives
the prices quoted in The World Herald OF 10y
lions Of that paper Of March TO- 1898 the figures in
Zach cas- being the highest prices quoted by that
paper Of the articles in question: upon the DAYS
mentioned. $780,. - .o..,
IN THE omaha World Herald, July TO- 1896 date
81 Rrvan's nomination.. compared with its quota
lions ri ufdces March TO- 1898: