Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-08
Passage Of the Silver Bill.

With an indecent haste almost without
parallel 10 the recent legislative history Of
the country, and with what was little less
than deliberate insult to the President of
the United States, in refusing moments
thought or attention to his mature and
thoughtful opinion on r subject Of trar-
scendent importance to the material interests
Of the country, Congress has passed over the
President veto the sc-called Bland silver
bill, by the decisiSe-yot of 1876 to 70 in the
House and 80 to 10 in the Senate. The first
step has been taken towards distinct repu
diation the National honor has been stair
ed; its credit has been deeply impaired.
We are not of the Number who believe that
the matter is one of less Importance since the
more Immediately dangerous features of the
bill have been removed and since ,probably,its
present effect upon the finances of the coun-
try will be slight. Even if the bill were
entirely harmless, in its practical work
ings, it is not the less to be condemned. 1t
is the first move in an enormous swindie.
The ultimate question is one of honesty
against dishonesty and the first manifesto
tions Of wrong should be unspsringly de
nonnced and condemned. The magnitude of
q wrong is no criterion by which to Judge it.
The mere fact that the present bill limits
the issue Of silver to four millions Of dollars
a month and therefore swindles the nations
creditors to that comparatively small amount
only, is no reason why it should not have
the utter clnd .muatiOn Of honest men every
where. There can be no compromise, no
half way measures, no Janusfaced opinions
on such measure-for right knows no CON-
promise with wrong, nor integrity with dis
honor. There is something almost appalling
in the fact, as shown by the final vote, that
there are only % Congressman who are upon
the side of National honor, while 242 are
willing to close their eyes to the inevitable
stain on our honor and impairment of our
credit With such division and under the
existing relations of President and party,
the enactment of more sweeping laws is
probably Only question Of time.
President Hayes veto message is sound,
clear, srccinct, business ike document,
which does him infinite credit; but its
summary fate in Congress shows but too
conyincing'y how the course of the President
and Of his more intimate advisers has |
alienated from his administration those who |
shouli be its friends and supporters. We
can not help recalling the time, only few
years ago, when, as now, one man stood |
between the country and the enemies of its |
credit, and By his exercise of the veto power
saved the nation from the evils that threat
ened it. The man was Ulysses S. Grant,
and the measure the iGfation bill. The dar-
ger Of to-day il even greater. The finances
Of the county have, apparently, passed final
iy under lite control Of the demagogues ard
idiots and saunders and sentmentalists.
The outlook, we confess, is somewhat
disoouraging one. Bat after all there il at
least one consolation, and that is to be found
10 the greatness Of our country. This has
more than once saved Us, and it will be our
salvation COW. Oar industries are so vast
and our resources 50 gigantic that enormous
indeed mus: be the legislative fOlles and
blunders which would permanently depress
labor aud paralyzs business. Through the
stress and strain of to-lay, we may coz
fdently look to A brighter future. The good
times are coming, III spite of all the Cor
crosses in the world. TIE nation will ul.i-
mately rise triumphant over her present il
sidiors foes, as she did over her hardly more
dangerous ones, armed and uniformed, in the
days Of the past.
1t is but just TO add, that our yermont
Senators and Representatives have given
the silver bill! their active, uncomprOmis-
ing, and consistent opposition, from begin
ninE to end, in all its forms and phases