New-York tribune., 1885-02-18
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THE SILVER OTENTION.

Mr.. Morgan has offered In the Senate, as an
amendment to the bill reported by the Com
mittee, the proposition which for some time has
been considered in consultations between MT.
Cleveland, Mr.. Tiden and their intimate
friends. Unlike the proposal of the Senate
Committee, it does not defer suspension of the
silver coinage to IA future date, nor make 1t
contingent upon any definite event, but intrlsts
the whole matter to the discretion of the Pres-
dent after the first of March. On the first OF
April, and each month thereafter. the President
may decide whether the coinage shall be wholly
or in part suspended for a month.
This proposition ntrusts n power to the next
President which ought not to be given to any
President of either party. 1t is not the business
of the Executive to decide whcthey law shall
be executed in part, or wholly, or not at allj
whether the country needs little more silver,
or no more. Congress, if in any respect fit for
its duties. is able To decide whether further
coinage of silver is at this time needed and
equally able to decide whether further coinage
of silver will be needed for year to
come If the Democrats in Congress are not
competent TO vote for or against so simple
proposition, they are not competent to make
laws for the country at all
II is not decent to ask that any discretion
Whatever should be intrustcd TO II Democratic
President or Secretary by "A Republican Senate.
after all discretion was refused again and again
by Democratic House to Republican Presl-
dents and Secretaries, at a time when uncer-
tainty in regard to the future operation OF the
Silver Act gave much excuse for the claim hat
the continued coinage, though not dangerous ut
that time, might within n few months become
dangerous. To ask Republicans to intrust such
a power TO Mr.. Cleveland (of whose dis
position the public is rs yet absolutely
ignoIant), merely because he Is Democrat
though the Democrats have persistcntly and
uniformly refused it to Republican Secrc-
taries and Presidents. is simply foolish The
Neir- York Times, which rarely misses an op
portunity TO insult the Republican party If
It can, argues in its childish way that the
repeal ought 10 take this offensive form, and
that Republicans have no business To feel
insultcd If thus blunty called upon TO vote that
Republican Presidents were not worthy Of the
confidence which. they arc told, must at once
be extended to the untred and unknown Mr..
Cleveland That is a natural position for The
Ner- York Times. Ii Is one which will be Us
offensive as The Times itself to those who
are worthy of the name Rcpub lican.
In a memorial to Mr. Cleveland. said to be
signed by more than u hundred Democratic
members of Congress, it is urged that the
silver coinage act was passed over the veto of
Republican President when the House was
controlled by the Democrats and the Senate
was almost in the same position. This is true,
and the Democratic party il entitled to full
responsibility for the coinage act and for all its
consequences Let it now meet that response
bty in decent and manly way. If it chooses
to repeal the coinage act, let 1t do so and we
are sure Republicans will assent and aid. But
the public wants none OF this wrctchei
dodging behind third partics-this trick
cry and hole and corner work. 1t wants,
and has long wanted, silver coinage stopped.
Ii does not want to leave the matter to some
untricd man, some political cOnundrum, who
may stop it if he should take Il fancy to, or If
the people who manage him should tell him
that he must. 1t wants the representatives Of
the people themselves to do their plain duty
stop the silver coinage, and stop it now.