The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1886-01-17
THOUGHTS ON TIP SILVER QUEs-
TON.
TuscARoaA, Jan. 7th, 1886.

~1CSCAhOaA, Jah. aAuI lou.
Enron ISpIPESpxSr:-Siuce the nd
rent of the new year the weather here
has beeu cold, cold ~ Grcenlands icy
/ mountIius, cold as the Presidents mes
sage oil the silver question, but colder
yet will be the situation should adverse
legislation. as recommended 10y Presi-
dent Cleveland, drive silver down below
zero. put q quietus on silver mining,
and leave US minus sS3at one half our
Present gold product. 1t is 10 be re
GREETED that the President, SO far as re-
lItes to the silver Question, il founder
lug along in the errors of his Republican
predecessors, and recommends tue com
plete decentralization of silver. l am
inclined TO think that the people will
not eIcGSs Mr.. Cleveland for any errors
he mGy commit on account OF h;a pre-
deces,ors, nor will they tainely submit
to lie robbed of their birthright by film
So excuses and special plea liugs. II is
quite evident. and goes without saying.
III Il the characterization of silver viii
stop silver mining. and as most all sill
yer ores euntain u large percentage of
gold, onc-third to one hall Of our gold
product will be cut of, and all kinds of
business injured to a great or less ex-
tent, shut down the silver mines,
strike out the principal industry of the
mining States and Territories, swamp
and render imperative millions Of capt.
tai invested in expensive machinery,
which must be left to rot aud rust by
the side Of the idle mines; thousands Of
homes must be abandoned, villages and
cities deserted, and hundreds uf thuus-
ands of worthy men thrown helpless up
on the labor market, and all such wreck
and rain to the people, and the general
prosperity Of the country. to satisfy the
greed OF foreign and domestic bold-bugs.
II must not be. Dvmonetize silver and
the great business sections OF the coun-
try from center to circumference, will
feel the shock. Railroads. the great
arteries of commerce, which now pull
safe through every State and Territory
of the UuitCd States, will be seriously
crippled in the carrying trade. and mau-
u%factures everywhere must suffer in n
large falling of IN demands Of Nil kinds
of mining supplies, und SO Ler. again
great numbers OF employees must be dis.
charged, and thrown upon AN over
stocked Labor market. States admitted
int" the Uriou under the impetus Of
mining enterprises will hrve need to be
rernHndcd back to the territorial cundi.
ton for want OF the proper ways mud
means to support State Government.
and the mountains, now full of life and
activity, will beco Le desolate by reason
OF the enforced absence Of the nctiy.
miner. Under such circumstances wall
Shylock get his bond? think SO. AMI
the President of the United States may
yet be made to realize that the sill
yer mite Of the poor widow is qnite as
precious IN the estimation Of tine people
to-day. AS it WAS some eighteen hundred
years ago. 1t IS fortunate that Mr..
Cleveland, SO far, at least, as silver is
concerned, can only recommends; he
cannot make the laws, but he is required
TO obey and enforce them. And il is TO
be hoped that the Representatives Of the
people i'll Congress assembled, will see
to it Tint the contracts Of the people nre
kept, and the obligations Of the Govern
ment paid according to law, and this il
in gold aud siiVer. I see no good reason
why the President should charge the
people with bad faith. Rs they certainly
have manifested no disposition to shirk
their responsibility or brenkt he legiti.
mate contracts OF their government, but
they do demand aud will have, equal
rights before the law, and laws that pro.
tect alike and with equal justice, the
millionaire in his palace, the man who
delves the mine, and he who plods
aheld. Not special nor class legisIa.
tion, not the multiplication Of National
banks, not the decentralization Of silver
and the imitation OF gold, to facilitate
the stock jobbiug operations Of specu.
lators with the peoples money, but the
coins Of tho United States. consisting Of
'dUt and gold, wrung from the bowels
Of mother Garth by the sturdy arm Of
the honest miner, is what the people
want and must have, the opinions Of
crooked manipulating. con,nct-broat.
ing bondholdets to the contrary Dot
w~ithstanding.
J. II. T.