National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-07-30
ROOM FOR SILVER.

peCIelaly SHERMAN is persistent man,
and persistence is quality necessary to
the making of statesman. But even
statesman npy be too persistent when it
comes TO riding a hobby, and it seems
to us that in his opposition TO the circula-
ton of the silver dollar our great secretary
has allowed himself to mount n very lame
hobby indeed.
The gravity with which he mounts it
about every fortnight is getting to be
amusing; indeed, it has always been diff
cult to treat it us serious in the form to
which 1t has of necessity been reduced.
About twice a month the Associated Press
sends the news flying over the country that
Mr.. SHERMAN has so many silver dollars
on hand that he cannot find storage in the
country for them. The rural mind is
amazed that Uncle SAM should have such
mass of silver 1t is remembered that
there is n granite treasury building in
Washington which cost $sOO0,0OO. It's
massive exterior is recalled with awe, and
the idea is suggested that from its acres of
vaults are bursting streams of silver dollars.
1t is known also that in every large city
| there has been built q big custom-house
and sub-treasury vaults as in San Fran
cisco, st. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati,
Charleston, Pittsburg, Baltimore, Philadel-
phia, New York and Boston. The vaults Of
| these are all supposed to be full of silver
dollars, and yet Mr.. SHERMAN calls for
more room.
This seems TO be the effect which Mr..
SHERMAN thinks is produced by his APP
pearance on his hobby, and he evidently
expects the rural mind to inquire: "Why
"coin any more silver dollars, if there are so
many on hand ?'
We do not think, in fact we know that
the query propounded by urban and rural
minds, unaffected by pecuniary interests
and unbefogged by the theories of mono
metalists, is not the one expected and
longed for by Mr.. SHERMAN. The truth is
well known that in the great buildings in
this city, and in the fifty fre-proof build
ings, minis, custom-houses and depositaries
scattered over the country there is room
| for the safe storage Of two billions of silver
dollars if necessary, and the query of every
sensible, unprecedented man in the country
is: "Why do you not pay out the silver
dollars if they are trouble to you?" Are
there no debts to pay, no civil and mill
tary employees, no soldiers and sailors, no
river and harbor contractors, to whom silver
can be paid legally?
There is no bugbear in the silver ques-
ton except that which is created by Mr..
SHERNAN's persistent hostility to its circu.
lation. He is determined to make it appear
unpopular. He is too much of practical
business man not to be able to solve the
difficulty if he were so disposed.
Let him say to his discussing officer that
the silver must go, and it will be gone in
three months. Let the government use its
option in making payments in the three
forms of al-tender-gold, silver and
greenbacls. Let each paymaster take half
his funds in silver dollars. They will be n
boon in the far west. Let each quarter
master pay of his employees at least half in
silver and so on through the thousands of
channels by which the government reaches
the general public. 1t is as certain rs the
day that large proportion of the silver
thus placed with the people would be
absorbed permanently in the local crcula-
ton. Another portion of it would entirely
disappear in boards, especially in the south.
OF course much of it would return to the
centres of trade and thence back to the
treasury. Well, then that part oft could
again be sent out, and it is safe to say
that the two millions per month now
coined would certainly be retained in cir
culation, and that with this policy there
would be no further accumulation in the
vaults.