Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-29
(By Telegraph to vIrginian-pilot.)

Wy ItltSltpu 10 DISCRIMINATORY
New York, March 2S.-The Central
Council OF the National Sound Money
League. consisting OF the Vice Presi-
dents OF the League, met to- day in this
city. reelected the officers of the
league. listened to the reports of Off
GERS ana exchanged Views as to the vi
taIity OF NE silver movement. The
Western men reported that the free
coinage agitation was declining, but by
no means dead. and there was general
concurrence in the view OF Secretary
Gage. expressed in a letter, that lit will
be wise for the sound money forces to
hold themselves in line to oppose cny
fresh attack of the kind which was so
successfully resisted in the fall of 1896"
Some of the delegates pointed out
that though free silver had been defeat
ed the currency system had not been
perfected. The work OF the league will
continue.
GENERAL SMALLEY'S REPORT.
MIR. l.. V. Smalley. General Score
t"ry, presented 10 the Central Council
his annual report. in which he said:
IN presenting 10 the governing body
81 TINS league my report on the opera
uo!s OF tEe past year l desire first to
congratulate the members OF tha Gem
trail Council ana OF The Executive Com
mittee on the very encouraging results
mat nave been accomplished in COM
batting the dangerous free silver delu-
SION and in spreading sound ideas of
NATIONAL nanance. The formidable
movement for opening the mint 10 the
iree coinage of silver at the obsolete
ratio of sixteen To one with gold has
been steadily declining since its defeat
AZ The Presidential election OF 1896 The
state elections of last fall showed enor-
nous changes on this question in the
states where the movement for lower
Ing the money standard had been most
active and sue ssrul
Inc states of Oregon. WaShinGton.
California. Wyoming, South Dakota.
Nabraska and Kansas were captured
by the Sound Money forces and changes
We're effected in the political complex
ion of the Legislatures OF those and
other states which give the control OF
the United States Senate for at least
SIN years 10 come 10 the opponents of
all forms Of cheap money legislation
and Of all schemes for the rcpudiati don
or public or private debts
The new Congress Is for the gold
standard in both its branches and the
evident impossibility of securing any
ieEislation to make silver instead OF
gold the standard money metal has
produced new discOurag cmcnt thar
has resulted III fresh assertions from
the silver ranks. only few politicians
who committed themselves so fully to
me cheap silver dollar deluslon In 1896
that there is no line of retreat oren to
them now insist upon the re-adoption
OF the Chicago platform by the National
Democra tic Convention of 1900.
The masses of voters who gave an
enthusiastic support to the Chicago
platform only three wears ago now show
no interest in the silver o,estio, 81
only in the South is there at present
any demand in the public press that IL
be revived as a leading issue in the
next Presidential campaign. The pres
ent indications are that ii there is any
mention of the free coinage of silver
IN the next Democratic national plat
form there Will he nothing said about
the ratio Of sixteen TO ono. and the
question will he made secondary to new
issues that are now taking shane in
the public mind
The National Sound Money League
may talrly claim some credit for the re-
inarkaolc change Of opinion on the
money question shown by the returns
of the elections Of last year in tba
Western States. Our publications wera
widely distributed by local committees
III all those states and they furnished
iacts and arguments which were used
oy Inc Sound Money speakers. Our
monthly paper, Sound Money" was
h'aiied regularly to all the weekly news
n"PeTS N the south and the West and
the editors OF those papers found in its
columns fresh topics for their own writ.
ing and statements and arruments
which they often copied entire. rba
paper mas proven 10 be Il very effsctiva
means Tor disseminating; sound monev
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