The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-15
silver Must Come to the Front.


More than two months of the
session of the 51st Congress have
elapsed, and as yet nothing has
been accomplished in the way OF
legislation upon the silver question,
although this is subject of more
interest and Importance to the peo-
pie of this country than any other
that could be submitted for the de-
Liberation of the American Con-
gress. 1t is true that several bills
pertaining to this matter, with some
promise of action, have been intro
duced in both branches of Congress
and referred to the appropriate
committees, but there the measures
apparently go to sleep and are al
lowed to rest undisturbed. The
people are getting very impatient
about the slowness with which
things are moving. They want to
see little more earnestness mani
tested in regard to the pledges and
promises formulated by the national
convention of the party now in
power. They want to see the repeal
of the unjust act-the Ubiquitous
fraud of 1873-which struck silver
from the lawful coin of the coun-
try. They want plain and con-
vincing proof that their representa-
tives are using their best endeavors
to thwart the powerful influence
and schemes of the money grabbers
and bloated bond-holders of Wall
street, who, encouraged by some
of the heads of the department,
are trying to retain this unjust
and indefensible law. Below we
quote extracts from a rafting COM
on the reconciliation
of silver to the Washington Post of
a late date by the Hon. Frank NJ.
Pixley, of the San Francisco Argo-
naut. Mr.. Pixley is member of
an active committee now in Wash
ington advocating the repeal of the
demonstration act passed by Con-
gress in 1873. He says:
The demonstration of silver by the
American Congress has been denounced
by one of the forcible writer's of our sill
yer literature as ''the browning economic
blunder of the ages" 1t has certainly
caused great depression of values in all
landed property, it has interfered most
with all pre- existing con-
tracts, provoked antagonisms between
labor and capital, reduced the price OF
labor, encouraged idleness, and introduced
privation in the midst of plenty. 1t has
given opportunity of dishonest gain to
men of wealth and deprived the honest
man of toll of legitimate avenues of en-
ployment.
That the law will be repealed no one
doubts, for no President will dare to veto
it; no administration dares to make it the
issue of political campaign. Free and
plentiful silver currency is demanded as
\ necessity of labor, end is essential to in
crease the value of all productions and
Indispensable to give value to all farming
lands in every State Of the Union. Cot
on in the South. grain in the North, and
produced from prairie, mine, ).
,r valley in the West, whether gold aud
silver, wine or fruit or cattle, demand
his legislation.
To delay the passage of bill opening
he minis to the free and unlimited coin
age of silver is but question of days,
and not all the subtility or intrigue of all
The combined usurers and guerrilas of
Wall street, nor all the spectators of the
nation, can do more than to hinder the
enactment of law restoring silver as
coin and placing it upon an equality with
gold. When the rOll-call IS heard in Con-
yress the question will be settled, unless
the administration will have the courage
20 plant itself upon the wrong side of an
ssue which will not be endorsd by the
intelligence or self-interest Of the voting
masses.
Upon~the issue Of mono metalism nei-
her the republican nor democratic party
lare go to the contrary, for there is not
Jog enough in the tariff or race question
Or any or all the less important side issues
10 becloud the silver question as it will
De and is being presented to day.
The president, cabinet official, senator,
or representative who is so mentally blind
or morally Obtuse as not to perceive that
The issue between the industrial laboring
poor and the idle, worthless, luxurious,
Itch is approaching the point Of danger
must be more than dull--he must have
reached the point of Indifference.
The representative in Congress who for
:oin or political favor will consent to the
of the legislative wrong,
which denies to the industrial and eco
aomical poor of the nation their right to
lse sound currency, based upon silver
bullion, to pay their debts and find mar
ket value for their productions or fair
wages for their daily labor-any man,
banker, tradesman, mechanic, or
merchant, who says that too much good
md safe and plentiful money is dangerous
8 fool. No country is too rich, no PEG
pie are too prosperous, and SO long as
money is plentiful enough to he attain
lble to all who are willing to toll and
wise enough to economize there will be
10 possible danger to the working class.
1t is not in good taste, it is not becom-
ng or decent, for the man with fortune
acquired to deny equal privileges to the
oiler. 1t is not in good form for million
'lres in public life, nor for national bank
RS, nor for plutocrats in any position to
to monopolize the use of money
n order that it may have usurious value
q their employment; and if this class of
ich, speculative, enterprising men at the