Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-10-04
THE SILVER QUESTION WEST
AND SOUTH.


The Chicago Tribune prints several
columns of answers to requests for opin.
ions on the silver question from citizens
of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mich.
igan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Wis
cousin, California, Alabama, Arkansas,
Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, and
Georgia. The general result is that the
bankers and wholesale merchants inter-
rogated are opposed to the further coin.
age Of the silver dollar, while the far
mers and retail merchants favor it. The
Tribune sum up its own conclusions as
follows:
Many who were earnest advocates of
the reconciliation of silver now think it
would be prudent to suspend the coin
age; but it is clear that anything like
the characterization of silver or it's per.
manent withdrawal from circulation
would excite widespread opposition. In
the South and West, at least, the PEG.
pie are well satisfied with the silver
dollars, and while there is a growing
disposition among prudent men to favor
a suspension Of the coinage for a time,
it is plain that no such result can be
brought about by arbitrary measures
enforced without regard to public opin-
ion. The public mind is apparently in
that state where the people may be
persuaded as a measure Of prudence to
consent to a suspension of the coinage,
or by means of a "war on silver" they
may be aroused to resist every change.
The popular sentiment in regard to
the silver dollar results largely from the
fact that it is the only form of money
beyond the control of the banks. The
greenback issued is limited by law to
S346, 600, 900. Bullion holders Tor, in
other words, the banks) control the gold
coinage. The national bank notes are,
OF course. entirely in the hands of the
banks. This leaves the silver dollar as
the only form of money whose issue is
not largely controlled by the banks or
limited by law to a certain amount. If
the coinage of silver should be suspended
there could be no increase in coin or
paper money except as brought about
by the banks. Although there is a
growing belief that such q suspension
would be wise, there exists o strong
popular disinclination to give up the
only form of money whose volume is
not regulated by the banks. The belief
is that if the coinage were once suspended
it would require a desperate effort tc
restore silver, even though the public
interests should urgently demand that
step in the future. The mtheods and
tactics adopted by the monometallists
in the previous war on silver" are no,
forgotten. In this situation only prudent
and moderate measures stand any chance
OF success, and even these cannot be car.
ried by arbitrary measures.
"This confirms" says the New York
Sun, "what we have been saying al
along, that the true missionary field fol
the opponents Of silver is in the South
and the West. and not in this section,
where the banking interests and that Of
merchants engaged in trade with Europe
has overwhelmingly committed the com.
munity to the single gold standard. The
Representatives in Congress from this
State, for example, voted solidly last
Winter, without distinction of party
against silver, and among all the Repre-
sentatives from the States east of the
Alleghanies and north of the Potomac,
only five voted for it. The rawlings Of
our Eastern contemporaries against sill
yer are, therefore. superAuous here, AND
as the Chicago Tribune intimates, only
produce irritation elsewhere"