Evening star., 1902-08-08
The South and Free Silver.
The Baltimore Sun says:

''Since the free silver sentiment took pos
session of the democratic machinery in
1896 the party has almost disappeared from
the northern states, except as an unrep-
resented minority. Upon the south, there
fore, has devolved the responsibility OF
sustaining party prestige and standing
Twenty-Five years ago we had such repre-
sentatives from the south as Alex ID ste
phens, Judge Crisp and Benjamin H. Hill
OF Georgia Proctor Knott and John G. Car
Isle of Kentucky, Vance of North Carolina
Wade Hampton of South Carolina, j. H.
Reagan and r. Q. Mills of Texas. John
Goode of Virginia, VIM l.. Wilson of West
Virginia, VIM. Pinkney White, Robert Nc
Lane and William T. Hamilton of Mary
land, L. Q. c. Lamar of Mississippi. From
the north there were Thurman and Pendle-
ton of Ohio and Bayard and Salisbury OF
Delaware, and other men of distinguished
ability to represent the party. There are In
the party, both north and south. as good
men as there were a quarter OF century
ago. That the south does not do as well
as it did may be due to local political con-
ditions or it may be due to some extent to
the revival of business in that section which
keeps many of the active men at home
There is no reason for the growing disin-
clination of leading men to enter the House
OF Representatives"
The men whose names are mentioned in
the above paragraph deservedly commanded
while in Congress very great respect Their
high personal character as we'll as their dis
tirguished ability reflected credit the
country. 1t is but the simple truth to say,
however. that the majority of them while
in Congress both spoke and voted for free
silver coinage. and contributed no little to-
ward bringing about the condition of things
which made the national democracy the
champion of free silver in 1896. They
helped create the sentiment which foWered
in Mr. Bryan's nomination at Chicago
Judge Crisp was always an advocate of
free silver Mr.. Carlisle in 1878 made
free silver speech in the House from which
the Bryanites have been quoting copiously
for the past six years; and as late as 1890
he gave assurances of friendship for silver
in seeking an election to the Senate. Judge
Reagan and Mr.. Mills were aggressively
for silver while in Congress. The last
speech that Mr.. Vance made in the Senate
was in favor of free silver coinage and 1t
closed in these words: The money-changers
are in the temple To your tents, o Israeli"
Had he lived the brilliant North Carolinian
would have been one of Mr.. Bryan's most
enthusiastic supporters.
AS for Judge Thurman and Mr. Pendleton
they stood at one time in the fore front of
the fight for rag money. They led the hosts
that clamored for setting the government $
printing presses In motion and turning out
reams of greenbacks. No populist of later
date ever went further on the currency
question than they went.
The splendid exception to what was al
most a rule was Mr.. Lamar. The courage
and the clear-headedness exhibited by him
when so many other public men We're bend
ing before the cheap money storm will al
ways surround his name with the highest
order of credit. In serving the cause of
sound money he took his political life in his
hands; but, like many another brave man
after performing a brave act, he survived
the temporary displeasure of those whom he
had defied. The state of Mississippi re-
mained proud of him, and was fully justified
In the feeling