New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-12
DFcFyTJON SOMEWHERE.


Either this Administration is honest in
desiring the unconditional suspension of silver
coinage. or it is not. II is not. It's backdown
from the position taken by President Cleveland
is disgraceful, and it implies such weakness as
to destroy all hope that in other matters the
Administration will be strong enough to resist
its party. If it is sincere and firm. on the other
hand some of its friends and organs arc doing
1t great injustice, and have already placed 1t IN
sucn position that its good faith Is doubted
and IT, reputation for straightforward honesty
il in danger. A controversy is going on
between two organs of the Administration
about Secretary Manning's alleged particlpa-
ton i'm Mr.. Warmers schemes of compromise.
If the opposing statements of these journals can
be believed, the Administration is dishonesty
plotting a surrender to the very policy which it
openly opposes. The Nc,c- York Times first
positively stated that a compromise measure WAS
being prepared by the Administration. the
Ecening Post, by way of correction, states that
this is "not technically trlc," but that Mr..
Warmers compromise when first suggested
met with Secretary Manning's qualified
approval; that he agreed in connection with
| Mr.. Jordan "to give the subject of COM
| promise bill careful attention and TO mature
| and formulate their views though only rs
| individuals, and "without involving the Adj
| ministration in any way; and after numerous
| conferences with representatives, OF various
| factions, they have "partly prepared plan OF
| what they regard as possible compromise
! MEASURE Ii states that /" on the main features
" of the plan there is no longer any difference
of opinion, and that settlements of the differ
| ences in the minor details are being reached
| II is to be noted that this statement in itself is
| a tricky evasion, for if it is true, the lang
of The Times was absolutely ipstiii ed. More
over, it is to be noted that the very undertaking
to participate in such a compromise, "without
involving the Administration in any way" is in
itself an attempt to deceive somebody II such
bargaining is going Oh at all, the Adnlnistra-
ton is inevitably involved therein, and 1t is a
mere cheat to pretend that it has nothing to do
with Mr.. Manning's and Mr.. Jordan's action on
| such a question.
But the Washington correspondent of The
Herald declares that L" the Administration is
unequivocally opposed to further coinage of
"the silver dollar and is not iLvcnting or
.proiecting compromise measures and the Sec
"retary has no occasion TO invite op nions from
"anybody on this subject" This is a fiat CON
tradctOn oil me ItH6S, WHICH ndu stated on
Tuesday that "a bill is now being prepared in
"tne Treasury Department under the direction
= of Secretary Manning and Treasurer Jordan,
(which cOntemplales compton, sc on the
abasis of the plan proposed by Congressman
"Waner" The H6raIds correspondent fatty
denies this and asserts |" that no such bill exists
either in perfection preparation or contempla-
ton" Ii is not to be supposed that these
journals have manufactured such statements
without any authority. Their contrary reports
all apparently authorized, give the strongest
reason for believing that the Administration il
trying to play double game in some way.
AS TO the nature of the bill, it is to be reIneIn
, bered that Congressman Warmers plan was il
itself trick. 1t offered to suspend the coinage
! of silver, but at the same time aimed to secure
the unlimited initiation of paper currency
based on silver bullion, and redeemable only in
G silver bullion. Such paper would not have been
| limited in the amount of issue by the American
g production of silver, for there was nothing il
8 the proposed measure to prevent the deposit
the Treasury OF all the silver now in Europe
' and the issue of paper against it. Nor was
t there contemplated any withdrawal of the vas
Y | s.a2tity Of silver dollars already coined Tn.