Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-04-09
THE FREE COINAGE BILL.

The bill for the free coinage OF silver
was defeated in the House yesterday by
a vote OF 12G to l6l. The result Will be
deplored by the silver men oil the coun-
try and especially by the people OF the
slver-proiucing States and Territories.
1t however was not, or should not have
been, unexpected by any person who has
watched the progress of events since the
convening of Congress. At the com
menccment OF the session the gold bugs
were highly elated and the friends
OF bi-metalsm correspondingly depressed
The former claimed sufficient strength
to repeal the Bland bill, while the latter,
doubtless alarmed ut the unexpected
position assumed by the Administration
upon the question, confined their ondcav-
ors to the retention OF the present law,
not dreaming OF the possibility OF more
favorable legislation. For this reason
much valuable time was lost, and mem
bers who would doubtless have voted in
favor of free coinage committed them
selves to the compromise OF non-lcgisla-
ton upon the subject. y few
weeks, however, demonstrated the
fact that the President could
not carry any considerable portion
of his party with him in his opposition
to what has ever been one OF the cardinal
principles OF Democracy, and antagonism
to which constituted gross violation OF
the financial plank in the Democratic
National Platform OF 1884. 1t soon
became evident that there was no danger
OF any uniriendly legislation, and then
the ardent advocates OF silver assumed
the aggressive by urging the passage
of the bill which was defeated yesterday
But it was too late. Too much strength
had been frittercd away through ground
less fears, and the result was rs might
have been forctold Had they known
their strength at the start, instead of act
ing on the defensive they would have
pursued the opposite course ana ycster-
days result would in all probability,
have been reversed. There is hope,
however, that the experience of the pres
cnt session will prove beneficial at the
next, and that the defeated bill or II sim
liar measure, will then become II law OF
the land The President has lattcrly
evinced less active opposition to the sill
yer interest, and it is not ut all improbable
that in the course OF another year he will
nave withdrawn it altogether. He can
hardly do otherwise. He sees the futility
OF attempting to turn his party from its
course in the past, and he will be likely
to yield to the inevitable, so far at least
rs to interpose no executive influence or
power against the evident policy Of
the Democracy, rs manifested by its
representatives in Congress during the
present session. 1t will be wise in him
to do this, for he can never reconcile his
past position to the platform upon which
he was elected, the financial plank in
which reads as follows:
We believe in honest money, the gold and
Sitrer coinage OF the Constitution, and u
circulating medium convertible into such
money without loss.
This is the only allusion in the platform
to the currency question, and ii it has
any significance it means that there
should be no discrimination between the
coinage OF gold and silver. Indeed, ii
any distinction is made il should be in
favor OF the latter, which is not only con-
verted into money without loss, but its
coinage yields handsome revenue 10 the
Government, while the former is minted
at nearly corresponding loss. The Adj
mnistration OF Mr.. Cleveland has been Il
model one with but this single exception.
Let him have the courage to take the
back track upon this proposition, contin-
uing in other respects in his present
course, and no power on earth can defeat
his election for second time.