Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-21
CROKER ON SILVER
The Sixteen to One Question
a Dead Issue,
FREE COINAGE MERELY LOCAL
Money Difficulty Should Be Settled
by Congress.
NEXT PLATFORM NOT WRITTEN.
when, in Convention Assembled, Ma
jority Demands Certain Standard or
Certain Reform, New York Will
Fall Into Line.
NEXT PLATFORM NOT WRITTEN

NEW YORK, January 2O.-Richard |
Croker, in an interview tonight, said:
"The 1e to l question is a dead issue.
This was proved conclusively by the ex-
preston of the will of the people in 1896,
when they elected Mr.. Mckinley Presi-
dent 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 Demo-
cratic party, and make the old dead cry
OF 16 TO 1 the Democratic slogan of lsoo
"Why should we carry dead weight In
that campaign? The times of four years
ago are past. To-day the times are dill
ferent and the issues are not the same.
"speaking for this section Of the coun-
try. say that if the l6 to l question Is
again brought before the people, there
will be felt again through the nation the
same distrust that prevailed in 1896 Dur
ing the fall of that year, while the cam
paign was in progress. every man with
n dollar Of surplus, whether he was
millionaire or workingman boarded his
savings: i'm fact, locked them up so Sc
| curely that there was actually no money
in circulation. As a natural consequence,
| the times became well-nigh desperate.
| Look back at the winter of 1895, and see
| what the mere rumor of silver coinage at
| the ratio OF 1G to did TO this country.
| You could not get money in the banks.
| You could not raise money on any KIM
| Of security, and the result was the very
| hardest kind OF times.
"If this silver question comes again
before the people and Is made FACTOR II
the national PLATFORM the moneyed met
of the East will look for Investments
outside of this country, and the banks
i'm other States Of the Union will be un
able to borrow money i'm the East. Th'
| result will be that the poor Will be th'
| greatest sufferers.
EVERYBODY CONTENTED.
"The present winter of 1853 has beer
| free from the scenes of starvation anC
suffering that were so painfully charac
teristic of the time when the financia
strength Of the country was threatened
Everybody seems to be making a living
p and 10 be contented. The reason for th
{ is easily found. The men with none!
o. have loosened their purse-strings, an'
, money is being plentifully spent for pub
lie improvements. Labor is not idle, AM
< money is in circulation. because there
5 a feeling of financial security.
n 1.-THE free-silver issue is merely a loca
issue. In the sections where free silve
: | will benefit the residents it is but natu
raj for them TO declare for IS to ]. How
ever. in my opinion, the money questio
y should be settled by Congress.
u but here i'm New York we must Sc
. 10 it that the position of our party o
p the money question must meet the r.
ourements Of not any one section. bt
= Of every section Of the United States
: when, in convention assembled, n
y majority Of the delegates demand ce
> tain standard or a certain reform, Ne
Il York will, as it ever has, fall faithful
" I'm line. without a moment Of opposite
, or a murmur of protest.
!; put the Democratic platform of 10
= has not yet been written