People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1896 — Noted Silver Recuits. [ARTICLE]

Noted Silver Recuits.

The Hon. James L. Evans of this city, for four years a congressman and a life-long republican, has come out for free silver. Mr. Evans has been engaged in the grain business in Noblesville for forty years and has always voted the republican ticket but he says he will give Bryan his cordial support in the present •campaign. He has the following unique offer posted in the office of his grain elevator: “I will contract to buy all the No. 2 wheat you have raised in 1896 at 60 cents per bushel, provided Bryan is elected, and with him a free coinage congress; or I will sell you all the No. 2 wheat you want at 50 cents per bushel, providing McKinley is elected.” In an interview to.day Mr. Evans said: "I will make money on either proposition. If Bryan and a free coinage congress is elected wheat will go above 70 cents. If McKinley is elected and the gold standard is continued I can buyit for less than 50 cents.” Among .he other things he added “While in congress I served on the committee of Coinage, weigus and measures, and I think I then learned just what free coinage of gold and silver means, and ihe experience of years since then has only strengthened my convictions Free coinage -is the only hope for our farmer friends. We can not have prosperity on constantly falling prices, d’nere must be a restoration of the prices of the products of labor before we can nope for

a revival of business and a return of prosperity.” The long business experience of Mr. Evans has taught him that labor is the basis of all prosperity, and whenever the prices of the products of labor are low, business languishes all along the line in every avenue of our commercial development.—Hamilton Register.

Gen. Weaver is quoteci as saying that lowa will give a majority of 35,000 for Bryan. ******* Hoke Smith, late Secretary of the Interior under Cleveland has taken the stump for Bryan. ******* The republicans have polled Kansas and find they have 55,000 votes —to get, before they can carry the state. ******* Congressman Bell, of Colo rado, will spend the last two weeks of September campaigning in Nebraska. ******* Geo. L. Vance, Populist candidate for congress in the- Twelfth Illinois district, has been endorsed by the democrats. ******* Capt. W. C. Aldredge, one of the best known Populists in Missouri, is the fusion candidate for representative of his county, Moniteau.

******* The Populists of Denver. Colorado, in convention recently, endorsed Senator Teller and Congressman Bell and favored a fusion state ticket. ******* James Allen, republican candidate for treasurer of Cass county, Mo., a wealthy and influential citizen, has bolted Hanna’s man and will support Bryan. ******* Senator Teller spoke at Colorado Springs, Colo., last week for Bryan and free silver. It was his first speech since the opening of the campaign. ******* The recent growth of free silver sentiment ; n the rural districts of New York, make it not only possible, but probable, that I Bryan will carry the state. ******* l The Populists and democrats are uniting in nearly every county in Oklahoma for the overthrow of the gold standard crowd and they will undoubtedly succeed. ******* 1 The Populists and democrats of Idaho got together recently on a state ticket. It is asserted

that the reason Senator Dubois and the free silver republicans were not recognized was because they refused to go into the combination except as regular republicans. 1 ******* New Jersey silver democrats required the gold democrats to take an oath to support Bryan before allowing them to vote for delegates to the state convention. ******* A call has been issued by the “middle of the road” Populists of Illinois for a state convention, to be held at Chicago on Sept. 15, for the nomination of a State ticket. ******* A favorite trick of the goldbug press is to keep repeating the stale story that the free silver sentiment is dying out. There is little danger of anyone being deceived w it. ******* Chairman Bradley, of Texas, has issued an address to the Populist voters, in which he states that he will make the present campaign the warmest ever known in that state.

******* Hundreds of prominent republicans in Nebraska are espousing the cause of free silver, and the friends of Mr. Bryan claim he will carry the state by not less than 15,000 majority. ******* It is postively asserted that a considerable portion of the S2O, 000,000, that Mark Hanna secured from Wall Street has been used to pay dividends on metropolitan goldbug newspapers. ******* The democratic and Populist committees of Indiana have beer trying for some time to arrange a division of electors in that state, without success. The final attempt will be made Sept. 17. ******* Ex-Senator Finn, of lowa, heretofore one of the strongest republicans in that state, will take the stump for the fusion ticket and the Populist nominee for Congress in the Eighth district. ******* The union of the silver forces in California, on presidential e'ectors, has been completed. The democrats get five of the electors and the Populists four. This insures California for Bryan. ******* Quite a large number of facr tories in various sections of the

country are closing their doors and throwing their workmen out of employment. This is a part of the political play adopted by the gold power to intimidate the voters and force them to support the republican nominees. ******* M. W. Wilkins, editor of the New Charter, San Jose, California, refuses to support Bryan and has joined the Socialist Labor party. He is thoroughly consistent and all bolters should follow his example. **** * * * The few Populist papers that refused to support Bryan imme diately after the National Convention have generally fallen into line and are now supporting the regular nominees. Any other course would be suicidal ******* The Bryan Free Silver club of O'Neill, Neb.,' has issued a challenge to the McKinley club for a discussion of the money question between two members of the respective clubs; such discussion to take place every Saturday evening. ******* The Populists of the Third Virginia district have postponed their nominating convention until after the democratic convention is held. In the Fourth district the Populists have nominated Col. J. Tiiomas Good for congress.

******* Clarence D. Kiem, of New Jersey, one of the leading Socialists in this country, has withdrawn from that party and joined the Populists, in order, as he says, ho more speedily secure relief from existing oppressive conditions. *******’ Senator Allen, of Nebraska, Chairman of the committee appointed by the National Populist convention to notify Mr. Bryan of his nomination, announces that he will call the committee together for that purpose at an early date. ******* C. B. Sampson, president of the Topeka. Kansas, Paper Company, one of the oldest business men in that city, and a lifelong republican, in a newspaper article repudiates McKinleyism and announces his intention to vote for Bryan. ******!* , Hon. W. H. Robb, editor of the Daily American, of Creston, lowa, has b»en nominated for ’congress by the Populists of the 1 Eighth district, against W. P.

Hepburn, the silver-tongued railroad, attorney. Mr. Robb is a magnificent man, a splendid campaigner, and his prospects for success are very bright ******* Notwithstanding the strong “middle of the road” ground taken by the Missouri Populists heretofore and especially by the delegation in the National Convention, arrangements for “fusion” have been or are being made with the democrats in almost every,county in the state where the republicans are in power.

A. R.