New-York tribune., 1879-05-22
THE RECORD ON SILVER.

Once more the Democrats have put them
selves on record. They insist upon the rob
berry of public and private creditors to the
extent Of fifteen cents on the dollar, and de-
clare that the profits of this theft shall 90,
not to the Goyernment-the whole peo-
ple-but entirely to the spectators in
silver mines and silver bullion. The man
who holds silver now worth S5.07 cents
at yesterdays quotation for bullion, according
to the bill for which nearly all the Demo
cratic members have repeatedly voted, shall
be empowered to take from the United States
Treasury, in exchange for that silver, bill
or token clothed by United States law with
the power Of discharging a debt OF 100 cents.
"If anybody is to profit by so naked
land gross an imposition" said GER
tain members of the House, " let
" the United States pocket the profits, so that
cit cannot be said that we have robbed all
"crcditors, and all depositors in savings
"banbs or other trust funds, and all work
"men who have wages due them, for the
Especial advantage of a little clique OF
"speculators in silver" To only seven
teen Democrats this seemed manilestly
reasonable and just, and they voted
for the amendment. But 10S Democrats and
Assistant Democrats voted for the iniquitous
job, and against the amendment. Ii is a plain
record. The dullcst voter in the land will
understand it before another election comes.
The Republican party has made its record,
also. Every Republican member who voted
at all, except Mr. Kelley, gave his vote for the
amendment Some of them are in favor OF
the honest coinage of honest silver dollars.
But not one Of them-mleSs Mr.. Kelley must
still be clasSed as Republicau-consents 70 a
gigantic Job for the benefit of spectators in
silver. Not one of them-Mr. Kelley excepted
is in favor of measure which plumbers all
creditors and the Government also, for the
profit of few individuals. The line is drawn
so plainly that every voter can see it, Ii
there is any public necessity or good reason
for the unreStrained coinage of silver dollars
the profit of the operation ought TO 20, not
10 spectators, but to the whole people. On
that position every Republican can stand
without the slightest fear that the peOple will
fail to appreciate and sustain his course
Have the Democrats forgotten what became
of the Credit Mobiiier members and the back
pay statesmen? But no other job ever known
IN an American Congress could compare, in
shameless impudcnce, or in magnitude OF
plunder sought, or in wrong to the Nation
and the people as whole, with this job of
the spectators in silver. DO the Democrats
imagine that the robbers and jobbers OF 1879
viii meet no rebuke from the people
1t is no excuse to say that unlimited coin
age of SILVER would be impossible without
this Job That is true. Very little silver
would be coined if the owner could not get
more than its actual value for it. But that is
because the people do not and viii not
use silver dollars If they will not, as
they have proved beyond dispute by their
acts since silver coinage began, what reason
is there for desiring larger or wider coinage
Of the discarded metal There can be only
one. The iobber who has silver worth 50
cents, which he wants 10 force somebody TO
take for 100 cents, can tell what that motive
il.
The Republican party has reason to be
proud of the position of its representatives on
this question. We know well what threats
have been held over them; what an outcry
the people interested in this stupcndous job
have made; and what stories have
been told of the popular demand
for silver coinage. The Republicans
have done the honest thing, and, as usual,
they will find it the best thing in the end.
They trust to the intelligence and honesty of
the people of these United States. And they
will not find that their trust has been mis-
Dlacpd.