The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-15

the Presidential campaign IS beginning
TO sober the Western Democrats, and
predict that another year OF reelection and
discussion will reduce the rampant free
silver element TO u minority I'm the party,
and will enable the conservatives % con-
troll tho delegations TO the national con-
vention from n number Of the Western
States. An interesting sign OF the change
Of opinion going on among Western
Democrats came the other dag from
Wisconsin. where "A conference Of leaders
was held for the purpose of starting the
work of organizing Democratic clubs. The
question came up as % what name these
clubs should take, and the silver men
were prompt % move that they be called
Bryan clubs or Silver Democratic clubs.
but the conservatives prevailed. and it
was decided 20 call them simply Demo
cratic clubs Another sign comes from
Kentucky. whore the Democratic candi-
date for Governor Mr.. GOcoel is being
antaBOnlzed for the reason that, having
been a Gold Democrat in 1896. he has
since openly espoused the silver heresy.
lie then goes on 10 say thai me eX-
pediency men fear that the farmers are
not willing 20 abandon free silver and
that a boiling movement might be organ
lied with Bryan IN the lead But no one
he adds. Is able 10 present any facts 10
sustain IT, Tho Western farmer i5 not
SLOW and the elections Of the last two
years I'm purely agricultural States dem
onstrated that his recovery from the
free-silver epidemic has been as rapid as
that OF the workingmen in urban COM
munties. only the extreme free-sIlver
cranl,s who filed themselves so fun in
1886 with the crazy rubbish then talked
about the Course OF gold" and the bless
ings OF short-weght silver dollars that
they have not since been able 90 find
room for "a new idea now insist that The
Democratic party win Doe stronger next
year with Bryan and the Chicago plat
form than with a new candidate and a
new platform. The case of these men is
hopeless. and. like the old Greenbackers.
they Will probably be able % keep their
one idea in the field OF politics until only
pltiful remnant survives To viii be Zee
membered that long after the resumption
OF specie payments a handful of Green
hackers used to gather every year m
number of Western States and call them
selves "a State convention. TO denounce
the inlquity Of the resumption act and TO
demand the issue OF unlimited quantities
Of fiat money.
II am the Democratic leaders I'm tho
West who have become convinced that it
will De suicidal 90 make another cam
pa'gn for Bryan and the Bryan ideas had
the courage 10 express their opinions
plainly in public there would be an imme-
date end 10 the silver craze in national
politics. but they are ai afraid Of the
rural voters They talk On each other,
but they will not talk for the newspa-
pers.
BY way Of illustration he mentions the
recent interview with Atgeld in which
Doe was quoted as saying that be did not
consider the Is 10 ratio important. But
Altged soon came ont and denied that
he had made such a statement Smalley
SAYS that most people ont there believe
that Altgeld was correctly quoted. ln
conclusion. De says:
on the whole. the situation Of the
Democratic party On the West in reia-
ton % the money question rs becoming
more and more hopeful every day 20 the
friends OF the gold standard. IF the
movement 20 prevent the nomination or
BRYAN. which was started in the East
IS pushed with vigor during the coming
year. fl will have n large number Of sup
p0rtors among the Western delegates 90
the national convention and Will az least
result I'm substituting for the free-silver
plank in tho Chicago platform mild
declaration in favor OF bimttailism as
nrircipie which ought not TO be aban-
dorod I'm the monetary system Of the
country