New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-03
THE SILVER HERESY.
IT'S REAL STRENGTH IN THE WEST.

IFS REAL STRENGTH IN THE WEST.
GREAT POPULAR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF The
WESTERN PREss-THE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNEl
CLEVELAND, Ohio Dec 30..-I doubt ifthe strength
Of the silver movement is fully appreciated at the
East There seems to be still an idea prevalent in
that section that it is confined largely to political
demagOgues and takes no very deep root among the
people. This is serious mistake. The movement
has assumed the proportions of a great popular
fanaticisD. Ii is more widespread even than was
the greenbacl folly, of which it is the direct and
legitimate successor. Large numbers of people who
were COO. !eaded enough to resist that delusiOn
have been swept completely off their feet by this
new mania for the short-weight silver dollar. The
fact that silver il money, and not promise
pay, and the bigness and tangibIlity of q silver
dollar fascinate these They attribute to silver
all the wonderful curative powers for the ills of the
business world which the rag-mOney quacks used
to assert for their nostrum. When man once gets
the silver madness lie is past argument. He will
even dispute the multiplication table if necessary to
sustain his point, and the facts of history make not
the slightest impression upon him.
The silver delusion has some curious geographical
pecuarties. 1t appears to have swept over the en-
tire South In the North it begins in the far West,
and rolls in broad unbrOken wave straight across
the country until it strikes against the Allegheny
Mountains, which act as a breakwater to stay its
career. IL throws some spray them upon tho
East, but practically the mountains effective
barrier. The wave runs deepest and strongest
through the central and southern portions of Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio. Theregion lying north Of this belt
Is not much affected, judging from the newspapers
which see. Michigan seems TO have escaped, and
Wisconsin and Minnesota are not much affected.
Chicago lies the northern boundary of the belt
swept by this extraordinary popular deusion.
There the press is divided. The Tribune and The
Inter Ocodn being advocates of the. silver folly,
and The Times and Journal taking sensible views Of
the question. Coming East, we find that the two
principal Toledo papers have gone over to the cheap
money side, under the influence as it would seem,
Of Stanley Matthews who is their favogite political
idol. In Cincinnati Tie Gazette alone makes man
ly stand against the mania. Both the Republican
papers in Cleveland opposed to the Bland bill,
and the Democratic paper supports it. The
country Democratic press of Ohio is unan-
inous in advocating this mischievOus meas
ure, and more than half Of the Republican
papers either support it openly give it assent by
silence.
How much stronger this new financial heresy
is than the old gTeenback movement, Will be
understood when ii is remembered that the solid
Republican party in Ohio opposed the latter two
years ago, aud when say that all the indications
make it seem probable that the majority of Ohio
Republicans to-day favor the passage Of the Bland
bill. at is an i'll wind that blows good" The
silver craze has measuraby superseded the agita-
ticn for the repeal of the Resumption Act. One
hears very little about this latter topic of late
Most silver advocates believe that resumption will
be practically accomplished as soon remonetiza-
ton takes place. 1t is hard to ride two hobbies at
orce, and the mass of anti-resumptionists are now
cantcring along upon the back of the cheap silver
horsc.
Can nothing be done to stay the course of this
extraordinary madness before It crops cut in fatal
blow to the National credit and to business pros
peiilyE II the Presidents veto eau be sustained,
50 that We have years time before the measure is
revived in another session of Congress, the mania
will probably subsido gradually All such move
merits run their course and the course is usually
short ore. By next Autumn, if there is wise action
on tie part Of the Republican leaders at Washing
ton we hope to be able TO bring the Republican
party of Ohio upon the right ground to
identity the cheap Silver Bill with the DEM
ocratic party where it originated and to
VII Oh it properly belongs, and to make tho
fight against ii in our Iext campaign as a Demo-
cratic measure ct partial reputation. Wo shall
then have no fears for the result. For matters to
take this turn the President must be firm and
Courageous, and must be sustained by the promi-
nent Republican leaders i'll the Senate and tho
House. All quagrcls over patronage must he stopped
at orce. and there must be full realization of the
danger which menaccs the country from Democratic
sci eIaes OF repIdiation. E.y.s.