The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-10
SILVER AND THE ADMINISTRATION.

Director of the Mint LEIGH is out in an
interview explaining, commencing and de-
Tending Secretary WINDOWS silver plan.
Director LEECH's defense is as able and in
genuous as Mr.. WINDOWS plan, and Mr..
WINDOWS plan was so able, so ingenious
and so ingenious that it involuntarily re-
called MONTAGUE Tees most brilliant
shemes of how not to do it. Director
LEIGH says that it is worthy of note that
the plan meets with the condemnation of
the gold men of the east and the silver
men of the west. That such is the fact is
seek and is seen by all same those whose
eyes are clouded by the mystifying
sophistry of Mr.. WINDOWS argument.
The reason is that the plan is
neither pro-gold nor pro-silver, neither
anti-gold nor anti-silver. The plan, stand
ing alone and denuded of its befogging Ian
guage, is an attempt to carry water upon
both shoulders, and neither Director LEIGH
nor another can explain or expound this fact
away.
What the silver men of the west land it
may be remarked in passing that it is a
popular error to suppose that all the friends
of silver are found in the west) ask is not
that silver shall be purchased in certain
quantities by government at a certain
price, but that it shall have the same legis-
lative recognition as money that gold is
given. This is what the silver men,
whether they be producers or consumers,
ask; no more, no less.
Mr.. WINDOWS plan reserves to the sec
rotary of the treasury an option upon the
purchase Of silver. The metal out of which
money is coined can have, must have, no
option placed upon its purchase. To place
an option upon it is to destroy that which
has been created. Silver wants no favors
it merely asks its rights.
The argument of the gold men is that in
the use of a monetary STANDARD we must
take cognizance of the fact that we are a
commercial nation and cannot ignore the
fact that commercial relations with other
nations are maintained in accordance with
the monetary standard governing such ma
tions. This is true, but still it is to look
upon the one side of the shield and not
upon the other. The error lies in this !:
the commerce of the United States is ig-
nored as an important factor in thd prob
lem. If the United States as commercial
nation cannot ignore the monetary stand
ard of England and Germany, with whom
we are most Intimately connected CONNER
cially, can those countries ignore the
monetary standard of the United States ?
Here is the point upon which the whole
argument turns. Secretary WINDOWS
plan and Director LEECH's exposition of it
do not meet it.
Mr.. WINDOW would have silver follow in
the train Of gold, humble attendant The
silver men say that silver is in every way
the peer of gold and that it must be given
its place abreast of gold. And they will
never cease to fight until this fact is rec
ognized by the laws of the country. ALEX
AMBER subdued Bucephalus because he
rode him with his face to the sun and he
thereby lost fear of his shadow, and when
ALEXANDER was confronted with the knot
of Gordon, he cut it without any ifs, ands
or butts. Let Congress do the same with
silver and declare for free coinage and no
favors.