Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1898 — PASSING AWAY. [ARTICLE]

PASSING AWAY.

Business Men Are Boring War Bonds and Forgetting All About Free Silver. There are many Indications that the free coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen to one, as a political issue, is passing. With Mr. Cable and obiter gold democrats on, the democratic state committee in Illinois, by a vote of the convention,.it is evident that a decided change has taken place. The report that a large majority of the state committee of Illinois is opposed to making sixteen to one an issue in 1900, but favors free coinage without any reference to the rations entitled to credence. That is the common ground upon which-the democracy of the country can get together in 1900. Those who call themselves democratic leaders in Indiana may not see it now, but they have never had the reputation of leading the procession. There are‘other indications. The representative of an industrial paper published in Baltimore has recently been through the south to ascertain the sentiment of business men in reference to free silver and the ratio of sixteen to one. He reports that while those who make politics a business are professing undying devotion to Bryan and sixteen to one, the business men of the south, who represent its trade and industries, are opposed to the silver issue and are using their influence to repress the agitation of the question. The fact that a million people, including an element naturally timid, subscribed for five times as many bonds “payable in coin” as the government lias called for without a question as to the meaning of the word is another evidence of popular feeling. If there had been any general fear that by the free coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen to one the United States would pass to a silver basis there would have been no rush to subscribe for three per cent, bonds. Four years ago there was such a doubt that the government had to issue a four per cent, bond where it could have floated a three per cent, gold bond. Gold is no longer hoarded. Two years ago less than ten per cent, of the revenues were paid in gold. During the part few months from 7Jj to 73 per cent, of the customs duties were paid in gold. For months the treasury has been paving out nearly n million dollars a day in excess of the revenues, but even before the passage of the ! revenue and bond act that fact caused no uneasiness lest the gold in the treasury bo drawn out by an “endless chain." During the past three months several financial papers, in analyzing the causes of general business activity, have declared that the genera] conviction in business circles that the coinage issue of Bryanism is , dead and can never be galvanized into the appearance of life is the leading cause of the present generally improved business conditions. Tn this state and some others the democrats will insist that sixteen to one is an issue now and will be in 1900, but leaders of discernment will have as little to say in advocacy of it as possible, knowing that in 1900 the silver issue with a sixteen to one proviso will not be emphasized in the national democratic platform. The electoral vote of New York, which Tammapy will promise, and which the democrats must have in order to win,is of more importance than the electoral votes of the silver-producing states twice over. Besides, the silent conviction of the country agalns* sixteen to one is much more positive now than it was in November. 1896. —fndianapolis Journal.