Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21
SIN Err 4 LOCAL IsSIE.
Richard Croker Ont in Another DccIa-
ration Against 10 to 4.


In an interview in Tammany paper last
evening Richard Croker says:
The JIG to question is a dead issue. This
was proven conclusively by the expression
of the will of the people In Iss6 when they
eletced 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 IL
to L the democratic slogan in 1900
why should We carry dead weight in
that campaign? The times of four years
ago are past. Today the times are differ
ent and the issues are not the same.
Speaking for this section OF the country,
| say that if the l6 to question is again
brought before the people there will bc felt
again throughout the nation the same dis
trust that prevailed in 1886. During the fau
of that year, while the campaign was in
progress. every man with a dollar of sur
Plus, whether he was millionaire work
ingman, boarded his savings; I'm fact. lock-
ed them up so securely thar there was ac-
tually no money in circulation.
As a natural consequence the times
then became well-nigh desperate. Look
back at the winter of 1886. and see what the
mere rumor of silver coinage at the ratio
or III to 1 did TO this country. You could
not get money in the banks. You could not
raise money on any kind Of security. "a
the result was the very hardest kind Of
Prom the south and west there always
comes the hue and cry against New YORK
because ii is the money center of the
United States. But whenever there Is any
great public improvement to be made in
any section Of this country. the FIRST look
for help is toward 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 the plants for gas service. and bond
their cities for any kno OF Improvement
Then, no matter how much benefit is de-
rived from this section Of the country,
there is always the same howl against The
great city, because ii is the money center
that very center without which public i'm
proNement would be an impossbiiity
If this silver question comes again be-
fore the people. and is made a factor in the
national platform, the moneyed men Of the
east Will look for investment outside Of this
country, and the banks in other states in
in the east The result will be that the
poor will be the greatest sufferers
The free silver issue is merely a local
issue. In the sections where free silver w:ll
benefit the residents IL is but natural for
them to declare for Is TO l. However. in
my opinion, the money question should he
settled by Congress. But here i'm New
York We must see TO 1t that the position Of
our 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 ma
torfty of the delegates demand a certain
standard or a certain reform. New York
Will, as il ever has, fall faithfully in line,
without moment of opposition or a MUIR
muir of protest But the democratic plat
form of 1900 has not yet been written