Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-01-28
SILVER is DEAD,
CRIES Mr.. CROKER.
Says That II 1t Is Injected rs an Is
sue Hard Times WIN Come
Again.
HE SOUNDS GRAVE WARNING.

HE SOUNDS GRAVE WARNING.
| NEW York, Jan. ao.--R ichard
Croker, in an interview tonight, said
The sixteen to one question Is dead
issue. This was proven conclusiveIy
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 toist this dead issue upon
the Democratic party and to make the
old dead cry OF sixteen to one the
Democratic slogan OF 1900. Why
should we carry dead weight in that
campaign?
The times of four years ago are
past. Today the times are different,
and the issues are not the same.
Speaking for this section OF the
country, say that If the sixteen to
one question Is again brought before
the people there will be felt again,
throughout the Nation. the same
distrust that prevailed in 1896. Dur
ing the fall OF that year, while the
campaign was in progress. every man
with dollar of surplus, whether he was
millionaire or workingman, hoard
ed his savings; in fact, locked them
up SO securely that there was actually
no money in circulation. AS natural
consequence, the times then became
wellnigh 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 country. You could not
get money in the banks. You could
not raise money on any kind of secur-
ity, and the result was the very hard
est kind of hard times.
From the S nth and West there
always comes the hue and cry against
New York, because it is the money
centre of the United States. But,
whenever there is any great public
improvement to be made in any sec
ton of this country, the first look for
help is towards abused New York.
They rush to our great city to raise
the money. They come here for the
means to build their railroads, to con-
struct their water works, to erect the
plants for gas service and bond their
cities for and kind of improvement.
Then, no matter how much benefit is
derived from this section OF the coun.
try, there is always the same howl
against the great city, because it is
the money centre--that very centre
without which public improvement
would be an impossibility.
'If this silver question comes again
before the people aud is made factor
in the National platform. the moneyed
men of the East will look for invest.
ment 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.
1.-The present winter of ISoS-oo has
been free from the scenes Of starvation
and suffering that were So plainly
characteristic of the time when the
financial strength Of the country was
threatened. Everybody seems to be
making living and to be contented.
The reason for this is easily found.
The men with money have loosened
their purse strings, and money is be-
ing plentifully spedt for public inn
provements. Labor is not idle, and
money is in circulation, because there
is a feeling of financial security.
"The free silver issue is merely a
local issue. In the sections where
free silver will benefit the residents it
is but natural for them to declare for
sixteen to one. However, in my
opinion, the money question should
be settled in Congress.
"But here in New York, we must
see to it that the position ofour party
on the money question must meet the
requirements, not of any one section,
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 it ever has, fall
faithfully in line without a r,,or,av.t