The times., 1899-07-28

The reported determination of some Re-
publican leaders to force the single gold
standard unqualifiedly upon the peo-
pie of the United States has awak-
ened the open hostility of many
prominent Republican leaders through
out the country. Senator Thurston
lead of two weeks ago in an interview
In which he deprecated with characteristic
oandor the secretly prepared propositions
made recently by the gold clique of Re
publican magnates at Newport. The bold
declarations OF the senior Senator from
Nebraska attracted wide attention gener-
call TO hundreds of thousands of Republi-
cans, from New York to California and
from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.
The tide of popular protest has since
appeared to have grown in every section
of the Union outside OF the money centres
of the East, and there are now not wanting
keen political observers TO predict that the
Republican party will commit an act of
swift political suicide if it persists in fol-
lowing the counsel of a few selfish and
segregated political leaders.
1t is pointed out that the Newport star
chamber" of finance has for the moment
forgotten that the great majority of Re
publicans west OF the Ohio River are en-
phaticaily opposed to the permanent legal
enactment of the single gold standard In
deed, it is said that legislation at this time
in favor of the propositions offered by the
Republican manipulators at Newport
would cost the Republican party the elect
oral vote of every State west of the Mis-
souri, and would seriously endanger
party chances in the great political bat
tie grounds of Iowa, Illinois. Ohio, Wiscon-
sin. and Indiana 1t is said by conservative
critics that each Of these States might to-
day vote against the Republican party il
a free expression of opinion, uninfluenced
by the money power could be obtained.
II is said that the friends of bimetalIism
are more determined today than ever be-
fore in the Middle West, and that they
view with alarm any disposition on the
part of the Republican party to discourage
the use of silver as money as well as gold
thousands OF voters remained within the
Republican party at the last election be-
cause they thought they could obtain ia
vorable legislation as easily inside the
party as out of it. They were assured
that the Republican party would never do
anything hostile to the cause of bimetal-
ism, but on the contrary would use all
practicable means to advance and to pro-
mote the speedy enactment of laws friend
'ly TO both gold and silver as circulating
medium.
Whether reasonably or not. these men
now believe that they have been deceived.
They think this latest move of the Rapub-
lican party is essentially an act of bad
faith; and not few of the more out
spoken do not hesitate to declare that any
affirmative legislation at this time which
would tend 10 strengthen the position of
gold in the monetary system to the ex-
clusion of silver, would be regarded as
reasonable in intent and iniquitous in
effect How such a party can expect in
dependent conservative men like Thurston
of Nebraska Wolcott of Colorado, Clark
and Warren of Wyoming, Carter of Mon
tana, and Baker of Kansas and others to
receive this insidious attack from the enc
mics of bimetallism and not attempt to
resist it, seems to be incredible to the
rank and file of Western Republicans
They do not believe that even the wonted
loyalty of the more radical Republicans of
that section will read the propositions of
the Newport conference with complacency.
They point to the fact that the revolt
in the St. Louis convention in 1896 should
indicate the temper OF Western bimetallists,
be wise to keep that incident in mind It
is thought that If Eastern Republicans in
sist upon stabbing himetallsm in the back,
Western Republicans will only be forced
to retaliate with the most practicable
means which keen sense of self protec-
tion may suggest. That the Western men
Will not hesitate to strike swift and hard
at the proper time is readily conceded by
politicians competent to form an opinion.
IL - I1nr-a IN eFaaa alyaW g,f
the question yesterday, said: Our Eastern
friends viii find that there are blows to
take as well as blows to give in political
warfare like that which they have begun
to wage against us on the money ques-
ton They will learn that We will Iermit
no man or set of men to use us only for
their selfish purposes, ana then to throw
us away like empty bottles after they have
perverted our generous intentions and our
credulity into material for their iniquitous
and injurious schemes"
The proposition OF the Newport confer
ence seems to be regarded as encouraging
from a Democratic point OF view 1t is
thought that in a straight fight between
gold momometallism on the one side and
bimetallism on the other, a great many
States which voted for Mckinley In 1896
would vote differently today. 1t is claimed
that Ohio Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin,
minnesota, heutEChy, maryland, West klr-
ginia, and the Dakotas would on the
sharply defined issue of the currency. re-
pudiate the Republican party. TIE South
ern States, it is said, would unquestioaably
remain loyal to the Democratic party in
such contest. while the States west OF
the Rocky Mountains would not be inclined
to alter their votes of three Yeas ago In
summing up therefore, it is claimed by
those in opposition to the legal enactment
the far West, and supported by many Re
publicans would enter the next campaign
with many elements of strength against
them; that they would have the solid
South, re-enforced by the silver States of
the far West. an dsupported by many Re-
publicans in the middle West; that Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois would be made eK-
ceedingly doubtful, and that even States
like Minnesota, Wisconsin. and Michigan
might not be relied upon with certainty,
especially when peculiar local conditions
are taken into consideration. In return FOR
this threatened loss of strength, Republic
an bimetallists claim that there can be no
compensating gain, and that the only COM
forting reflection they Will have will be the
thought that by their lamblike weakness
and docility they have enabled a lite
clique of Eastern capitalists 10 tie the
money of the United States, up in their
handkerchiefs and snap their fingers in
solently in the face.of anyone who attempts
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