The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-03-04
SILVER A LOCAL ISSUE.
Richard Croker Comes Out in An.
other Declaration Against
Sixteen to One.

In recent interview in Tammany
paper Richard Croker says:
1.-The sixteen to one question is a
dead issue. This was proven conclu-
s;vely by the expression of the will of
the people in 1896 when they elected
Mr.. Mckinley president of the United
States.
Now, the democrats Of the west
and other sections of the country are
trying to foist this dead issue upon the
democratic party, and to make the old
dead cry of Sixteen to one the demo-
cratic slogan in 1900.
"Why should we carry dead weight
in that campaign? Tie times of four
years ago are past. To-day the times
are different and the issues are not the
same.
Speaking for this section of the
country, l say that if the sixteen to
one question is again brought before
the people there will be felt again
throughout the nation the same dis
trust that prevailed in 1896. During
the fall of that year, while the cam
paign was in progress, every man with
dollar of surplus, whether he was
millionaire or workingman, boarded
his savings; in fact, locked them up so
securely that there was actually no
money in circulation.
"As natural circumstance, the times
then became well-nigh desperate. Look
back at the winter of 1896, and see what
| the mere rumor of silver coinage at the
| ratio of sixteen to one did to this coun-
| try. You could not get money in the
banks. You could not raise money on
any kind of security, and the result was
the very hardest kind of hard times.
From the south and west there al
ways comes the hue and cry against
| New York. because it is the money cen
ter of the United States. But when
ever there is any great public improve
ment to be made in any section of this
country, the first look for help is to-
ward abused New York. They rush to
our great city to raise the money
They come here for the Means to build
their railroads, to construct their water
works, to erect plants for gas service
and bond their cities for any kind of i'm
provement. Then, no matter how much
benefit is derived from this section of
the country, there is always the same
howl against the great city, because it
is the money center-that very center
without which public improvement
would be an impossibility.
IF this silver question comes again
before the people, and is made fac
tor in the national platform, the mon
eyed men of the east will look for in
vestment outside of this country, and
the banks in other states in the union
will be unable to borrow money in the
east The result will be that the poor
will be the greatest sufferers.
'"rhe free silver issue is merely To-
cal issue. In the sections where free
silver will benefit the residents it is but
natural for them 10 declare for sixteen
to one. However, in my opinion, the
money question should be settled by
congress. But here in New York we
must see to it that the position of our
party on the money question must meet
the requirements not of any one sec.
ton, but of every section of the United
States.
"When in convention assembled the
majority of the delegates demand a
certain standard or certain reform,
New York will, as II ever has, fall faith
fully in line. without moment of OPP
position or a murmur of protest But
the democratic platform of 1900 has
not yet been written" Washington
Star.