Fergus County argus., 1890-10-02

In the Congressional Record Of Aug.
"a is contained speech OF Senator
Sanders upon tho question OF admit
ting Mexican silver-,ead ores free OF
duty. Let every miner read it and de-
termine for himself who are his friends
in congress. The speech, though short,
is gem and credit to the brilliant
Montanian who made it. Mr.. Sanders
said:
The miners of the United States full
ill in our social and political economy
a mission rs complete and perfect and
isolated and courageous in itself as do
the soldiers who fight your battles, Or
as do the sailors who carry your COM
merce on every sea. They do it under
circumstances OF greater discourage
ment than either of these two ella sses
have named. lam satisfied it Is no
eXaggerai lon-it has been put down in
figures as true-that "a hundred cents
OF the precious metals have cost on an
average throughout the United States
at least "a dollar and "a quarter.
have not a particle OF doubt but
that that is an underestimate of it's
value. The perils that surround this
industry, the disappointments that
characterize its pursuit, the courage
with which it is followed, all entitle
these men to respectful to careful con-
sideration whenever it comes to legis-
lating in their behalf. 1t is easy to
toss them aside and to say if these
things he true it were better that that
industry were abandoned, but the
production OF the precious metals is
essential to the heindependence and char
acter OF a country in the family OF ma
tions, no matter at what cost the
mines OF the precious metals in any
country where they exist must be
worked.
We must produce and put in the
avenues and channels OF commerce he
gold and silver that constitute the ex-
changes of the world, and therefore
say that from time immemorlal in the
United States. as long as we have had
legislation. the interests of this class
of men have been protected. They
have been deemed to be worthy OF the
solicit u,le of the most eminent men the
land has produced. What have they
not done for you? When gold was
first discovered along the western con-
fines of this Atlantic civilization, not
more than forty One ar forty-twOy years
ago, your frontier was lying almost in
sight OF the Mississippi river
The miners have lost more men in
attacking the savagcs and in driving
them back to their haunts and homes
than have your armies. They have
abolished your frontier. They have
brought you every five years Il new
empire; they have builded your cities.
your colleges and schools. They have
made it safe for "a man to travel along
any parallel of latitude or any meri-
dian of loncit tude within the limits oi
the United States. We are no longer
conducting Indian wars They have
poured into the lap oi this country the
treasures Oi the mountains that have
been orrdeingly gwen % their industry
They pursue their way jauntily, not
stopping to look ut it as u matter OF
retrospection, the disappointments ol
to-day but nerving them for the cOur-
age that Is required for to- morrow
| They will not thank me even for this
brief mention OF the inestimable serv-
ices which they have rendered the re-
public. I'm the consciousness OF self
deserving they do not ask that Their
merits be heralded. They ask only
that they shall not bs brought into
contact with that labor that is re-
sponsible for nobody seducation, that
contents itself with existence without
aspirations, that builds up no home
no city, no civilization, but that, liv
ing upon the rudest and cheapest and