Show CAMPBELLS PLAN ExGovernor James E Campbell of Ohio has given his views on the silver question in a telegram to the San Francisco Examiner He says the free silver sentiment will undoubtedly control at the Chicago convention that the main purpose of all good party men who gather there should be o avoid a split and keep the party peace Ii the sentiment of the majority Is for free silver and he thinks that all signs show this then he would have the Democratic party declare for free silver But let us llave it he says without insult or offense to those members of the honest hon-est minority who may believe the other way Surely that is a most reasonable request For a majority to insult a minority would simply be for it to degrade de-grade itself ExGovernor Campbell says that stated crudely his own idea of a free silver plank would be this Declare for free silver Demand that the government gov-ernment through the president and congress Issue a call to the commercial commer-cial nations of both hemispheres to meet in conference with us at Washington Wash-ington for the one purpose specified in the call of devising a method of putting silver on a par with gold as a money of the world He then explains ex-plains his position at length as follows fol-lows V The conference occurring we would agree with such nations as we could If England or some other nation turned turn-ed her back on the conference let her go her way To such as agreed with us on finance we would offer special tariff favors on the principle of reciprocity reci-procity To such as did not England for example we could turn a tariff I cold shoulder We are every nations t j best customer and all would at last J be made to agreeSthrdugh trade losses which flow d daily from nonagree mont V V Should none agree with us I would have this nation declare for free silver on its sole responsibility and fix a date es for instance January 1 1899 when silver and gold would meet at our mints for coinage on equal terms This would leave an open time of two years in which trade would adjust itself to the conditions about to change just as was the ease when specie payments were resumed after the war Put in a few words the exgovernors position on the silver question is this Declare in favor of calling an international inter-national congress for the purpose of seeing what if any agreement can be entered into regarding the free coinage coin-age of silver The suggestion if nothing noth-ing come of this congress that this country fix a date i e January 1 1899 when silver and gold would meet at our mints for coinage on equal terms is a mere makeshift and does not meet the issue at all It is little if any better than a straddle Does exGovernor Campbell seriously believe that the Democratic party would be willing to take up that Republican Re-publican shibboleth the principle of reciprocity It never would in the 1 I world It has very fixed views upon the tariff question and has neVer accepted ac-cepted the doctrine that it was a thing with which to make trades at home or abroad If there be the merit in the principle of reciprocity that Mr Campbell believes he should urge its I adoption by the party regardles of the financial question I To us it looks as though he dreaded to meet the financial question fairly I and squarely and was seeking to it dodge it without seeming to dodge I It must be met this year and without V waiting for an international agreement V I or the advent of the year 1899 |