The morning call., 1891-08-28
HARRISON ON SILVER.

The Presidents recent speech on the sill
yer question bids fair TO take that issue out
Of politics. MT. IIaTrison's position is iden-
teal with that of the foremost men of both
political parties. Mr.. Harrison has seldom
been happier than in his choice of the
words in which lie defined his attitude.
ii. said:
do believe that the General Government is
solemuly charged with the duty of seeing that
the money issued by II is always and everywhere
maintained at par. l believe that l speak that
which is the common thought OF US all when l
say that every dollar whether paper or coin,
issued or stamped by tile General Government,
should always and everywhere be as good as any
other dollar. / am sure we would all shun that
condition Of things into which many peoples OF
the past have drited, and OF which we have had
IN one OF the great South American countries
recent example. The distressed and hopeless con
dition into which all business enterprises fall
when nation issues an iuedeemabe or depre-
cialed money. The necessities Of 4 great war
can excuse That. am one OF those who believe
that these men from your shops. these farmers
remote from money centers, have tbs largest
Interest Of all people in the world in having
dollar that is worth 100 cents every day in the
year and only such. If by any chance we should
tall INTO 4 condition where one dollar is not as
good another ven iure the assertion that thai
poorer Golla: VIII do its first errand in paying
some pool labOrer for his work. Therefore, IN
the conduct OF our public affairs, feel pledged,
for one, that all the Influence OF lhe Government
should be on the side OF giving the people only
good money. and just as much OF thai as We eau
get.
An idea prevails at the East that these are
not the sentiments of the communities
which live west of the Alleghanies. 1t Is
supposed that the Western people actually
want deprecated currency, and their rea-
son for this wish is believed to be notion
that deprecated money would cause an in
haton IN the price of farm products and
would enable debtors to oYerreach their
creditors by paying them in poorer kind
of money than they had borrowed. This is
all a mistake. The Western farmer is just
as anxious as the Eastern farmer to sell his
crop for money with the largest and not the
smallest purchasing power. The Western
workman is just as determined as the East
em workman to get the best kind of money
going for his labor.
The delusion which to some extent per-
meates the Eastern mind touching Western
opinion on the silver question is the fruit Of
speeches by public men from this section
and articles in Western newspapers. Some
ef these speeches and writings are simply
inspired by ignorance, and are the work Of
individuals who do not understand finance
or political economy and fancy that they do.
But most Of them owe their appearance to
demsgogic calculations. The owner of
silver mine in Nevada or Colorado desires
to sell his output above the market price,
and he uses the newspaper he subsidies
and the Congressman whom he controls 10
demand the unlimited coinage of silver.
The journal and the Congressman appear
TO express the public opinion of their sec
ton, whereas they merely voice the cupidity
OF sUme individual mine-owner. Again.
demagogue, who fancies that all men are
fashioned after his pattern, persuades him.
self that he will make himself popular with
the mass of debtors throughout the country
if he devises scheme by which they can
pay their debts in money worth two-thirds
of the money they borrowed. This man
trades on the supposed instincts of the pee
pie at large. He forgets that in every com
munity the rogues are a minority, and that
for every knayish debtor whom he pleases
he disgusts two honest men.
In certain recent Democratic conventions
disposition has been shown, # not to in-
dorse the views of the extreme silver men,
at any rate to cOquet with them. That was
the case in the late Democratic State Con-
ventiOn in Ohio. The Democrats will find
that such trucking viii not pay. The peo-
pie will not stand it. We want no depIe-
cialed money nor cedulas in the United
States. The nation has gone to the ex-
treme limit in the acquisition OF silver by
directing the purchase and coinage of S4,-
100000 of silver each month. The object
sought by the promoters of the measure has
not been attained, for silver is still thirty
5t,f5 halo f,nld Il.
nearer together the event will be caused by
a conference OF nations, diminution in the
output of silver or an increase in the output
Of the gold mines, or all together.
1t is not too much now, perhaps, to hope
that the silver men will give us rest. In
the future grave financial problems will
confront US, and they will be more likely to
be wisely solved if they are taken out of the
| field of party politics, and the Intellect of
the ablest men in both parties is concen-
trated on their consideration.