The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-10
Cleveland and the Banded Rings

BnudueIpnla 1lneS.
Let no intelligent citizen misunder-
stand the significance of the decisive
vote by which the extortionate silver
ring scored its triumph in the House on
Thursday. By combination of 118
democrats and 80 republicans against "a
democrats and 81 republicans, with 81
absentees or dodgers. the House struck
from the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill
the clause authorizing the suspension of
the silver coinage that is mockery Of
honest money, and that threatens to
disturb our whole monetary system in
the near future.
This declaration OF the House was
made defiantly as the answer of that
body to the unofficial appeal of Presi-
dent-elect Cleveland, in response to a
private address from certain members of
congress, in which he admonished hls
friends of the peril to business tranquil
ty and confidence by the continued coin
age of silver; and it was a last grand
rally of the banded rings to declare their
omnipotence on the threshold Of Mr..
Clevelands administration.
These banded rings are the whisky
ring, the silver ring and the extreme
free trade ring. Let the vote on the
silver issue be carefully scanned and the
banded whisky, silver and radical free
trade wings are all to the fore, to an
swer roll call when one of their joint
jobbing schemes was assailed. They
united, they stood in solid phalanx and
they faunt their victory in the face of
the new President.
1t is well that the issue has been thus
presented. These banded rings had lit
tie to expect and much to fear from an
honest Executive and business admin
istration of the government, and they
have come boldly into line to test Mr..
CIeveland's courage, hoping that he may
bow before their apparent mastery; but
they seem to have forgotten two impor-
tant considerations-that Grover Cleve-
land has never yet been intimidated by
ringsters, however powerful, and that
the new Congress will be honored by the
absence of many of the banded ring
sters who will strut their few remaining
days of authority in the present House.
1t is we'll that the banded rings who
are trembling at the advent of Mr.. Cleve-
land have thus broadly and boldly shown
their hand, If it shall make the new
Executive any the less resolute in main
tanning honest money and business
safety, the gravest misfortune of his life
will date his election to the Presidency.
If he shall accept the challenge of the
banded rings and declare that honest
government demands their overthrow,
he will have a less desperate battle than
Jackson had for honest money, and
must achieve a much more beneficial
triumph.
The extreme free traders want the
whisky ring sustained in high taxes
which it refuses to pay; the whisky ring
wants free trade to make it an indispen-
sable monopoly; the silver ring is in the
same trade of swindling the government
and the banded rings make common
cause to halt the new administration in
honest money, honest government and
honest industry and trade. They have
publicly challenged the integrity of the
new President, and his answer will come
before many days. Let it be so plain
that the wayfarer will understand it, and
so incisive that banded ringsters will
quail before an honest ruler of an hon
est people.