Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-21
CROKER TAKES ANOTHER wHAcK
AT THE SILVER ISSUE.
EMlTs A PLAINTIvE Wall
SAYS NEW YORK IS ALWAYS BEING
UNJUSTLY ABUSED.
Denounces Free Coinage ms Iniquit.
Gus. but Says Tnmmany VIII In
dOrsc 1t In 1900 II IL Is In
cIuded in the National
Platform.

NEW YORK, Jan. 20.-RIchard Croker.
in an interview tonight, said:
'The IL to l question Is a dead issue.
This was proven conclusively by the ex-
preston 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 coun-
try are trying to foist this dead issue upon
the Democratic party and to make the old
dead cry of Ii to L the Democratic slogan
in 1900.
why should We carry a dead weight in
that campaign? The times of four years
ago are past. To-day the times are diff
ferent. and the issues are not the same.
Speaking for this section of the country.
1 say that if the Is to l question is
again brought before the people there will
be felt again throughout the nation the
same distrust that prevailed in 1886. Dur
ing the fall of that year. while the cam
paign was in progress. every man with
dollar of surplus, whether he was a mill
ionaire or a workingman boarded his saw
ings; in fact, locked them up so securely
that there was actually no money in circu-
lation. AS natural consequence, 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 16 to did to this country. You
could not get money in the banks; you could
mot raise money on any kind of security,
and. the result was the very hardest kind
of hard times.
From the South and West there always
comes the hue and cry against New York
because it is the money center of the Unit
ed States. But whenever there is any great
public improvement to be made in any sec
ton of this country. the first look for help
tc, fnyr I'd ok,
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 schemes for any kind of i'm
Drovement. 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 be-
fore the people and is made a factor in
of the East will look for investment out
side of this country, and the banks in other
states in the union will be unable to bor-
row money IN the East. The result will
be that the poor will be the greatest SUI
ferers.
The present winter of 1s9S-s9 has been
free from the scenes of starvation and
suffering that We're so painfully charac-
teristic of the time when the financial
strength of the country was threatened.
Everybody seems to be making a living
and to be contented. The reason for this
is easily found. The men with money have
ioosened their purse strings and money is
being plentifully spent for public improve
ments. Labor is not, idfs and money is in
circulation because there is a feeling Of
financial security.-
THE free silver. issue is merely local
issue. In the sections where free silver
will benefit the residents. it Is but natural
for them to declare for 16 to /. However in
my opinion. the money question should be
but here in New York we must see to
it that the position of our party on the
money question must meet the require
ments. not of any one section, but of every
section of the United States.
when. in convention assembled. the ma
jcrty of the delegates demand certain
standard or a certain reform, New York
will, as she ever has. fall faithfully in line
without a moment Of opposition or a mur-
mur of protest"
But the Democratic platform for 1900
has not yet been written