Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-01-20
The Duration Of the Free Silver
ISsua

Issue.
1t is pathetic, but amusing to hear
the opponents of free coinage say that
free silver will have passed away as an
issue before 1900. They know little of
what is going on in the Democratic,
Populist and Free Silver Republican
organizations, and know still less of
what is uppermost in the great popu
lar heart. The low fence TO be sur
mounted to carry the next House of
Representatives, is the change of only
tsOenty eight seats. There is not free
coinage man who reads at all, who
doubts that the next House will be of
his way of thinking. But do not let
us talk without the figures. The dis
satisfaction with the McKinley-Gaee
attempt to put the country on a gold
basis, and only use as much bimetal-
lism as Great Britain will allow us, is
shown in every election that has been
held. Pennsylvania only elected three
Democratic congressman in November
1896; in November 1897, at her election
for State Treasurer, fourteen of her
congressional districts gave Democrat.
ic majorities. In 1896, New York State
sent twenty-nine Republicans and five
Democrats to Congress. The election
in that State for Judge of the Court
Of Appeals last November, which was
carried by the Democrats by big
majority, shows that in 1898 that pro
portion will be just about reversed.
Indiana is q Democratic State, but i'll
1896 under pressure of Hanna's money
and methods. cent zine Republicans
and four Democrats. 1t was Hanna's
Presidential year. This year is an off
year, and Indiana will, like New York,
just about reverse her figures. North
Carolina. which under Republican
Populist fusion sent five Republicans
and four Populists. will this year have
no such fusion-no Populist can COM
mand the support Of his party to per-
petuate the gold basis. The result
T will be a Democratic and Populist del
egation from that State. Ohio il a
debatable State, and in 1896 sent fif-
teen Republicans and six Democrats.
In this off year the number of Demo
Gratis elected will be nearly double. 1t
would not be far from the actual re
suit to say that the next House will
show Democratic majority Of fifty,
though the probabilities are that a
landslide will make one of those major
tiles that surprise both parties.
There are enough State legislatures
to be elected next November, to make
it certain that the Senate will have,
proportionately, as strong g free free silver
Ia II a ji0riitty as the House.
| This struggle of all the political Or
CARNATIONS against the Republican
party, is for the free coinage of silver
| by the United States aDithout aDaiti11g
for the co operation Of any other nation.
That is the issue and the Democrats
are not going to nominate men who
stop short of that. No man who is
trying to straddle for gold bug support
by saying that he is strongly in favor
of bimetallism, but not All extreme
free silver man, will get a Democratic
nomination. That sort of man is on
McKinley's platform of today. The
President is playing farce in favor of
bimetallism, but at the same time is
so little of an extreme free silver
man" that he is trying to put the
country On gold basis. The test is:
are you in favor of waiting for the CO.
operation Of some other nation? If
you are. stand aside and let some man
with American ideas and American
courage be nominated. You cannot
be the nominee for this year of 1898.
| There will be no lack of Democratic
candidates for Congressional nomina-
tions this year; the election is such a
sure thing, but they must be real free
silver men, not free silver men with a
j sound money" string tied to them.
! This year the silver Democrats will
! victoriously enter Canaan and in
Nineteen Hundred they will posses s
! the land.