The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-02-21
The Silver Question.

HC SilNN NucSlIOH'
Col. Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer
18th nst.l
The Solid South stands for "tarifl
reform" and Gree coinage" and is
earnest, Jealous and thoroughly
aroused.
The solid West is for "tariff re-
form" and "free coinage" as sever
al Republican Senators and two
score Of Representatives of the
same party whose terms expire
March 4th will testify, and 10, the
end is not yet.
The people have had enough Of
Wall street, and Wall street ideas
and Wall street methods. Wall
street follows England and English
ideas as his shadow follows dog
on a sunny day. When Thread
needle street takes snuff Wall
street sneezes and expects the
whole United States to do likewise.
Wall street continually sits with
its thumb up like the boy in the
game of "Simon says wiggle-wag-
GLE" and every time England says
wiggle-Waggle Wall street must do
50, and looks around to see if all
the States are following this illus
trous example of New York. Wall
street for years has had q great adj
miration for Secretaries of the
Treasury, and for thirty years the
people of the United States know
to their loss and to their sorrow
that the admiration has been mu-
tual
In the last thirty years more than
fifty times have the people been
informed that the Honorable Sec
retary Of the Treasury has gone to
New York to consult with the
"eminent financiers," with the
"prominent bankers" with the
'Heading operators;" but, pray tell
me, who ever heard of the Uonora-
bic Secretary of the Treasury CON
sulting with the planters Of the
South, whose cotton brings $780,
100000 to this country each year?
Whoever heard Of the Honorable
Secretary Of the Treasury seeking
counsel with the farmers of the
Central States and the great North
west, whose labor produces the
cereals which give life and profit
to transportation and cancel the
balance that other wise would be
against us in trade with foreign
countries? Does any one remem-
Der when Secretary Of the Treas
sought knowledge of the daring
miners of the Pacific Slope, the
men whose industry and energy
have produced in forty years
more gold and silver than
was produced during the two
preceding centuries in the whole
world? The people of the United
States have not been consulted nor
have the sound principles of finance
laid down by the earlier Secretar-
les and trainers of the Constitution
been followed.
The eminent Coke laid down the
maxim, that knowledge should be
sought at the fountain head, that
the spring was always clearer than
the stream below. For thirty years
the Secretaries of the United States
Treasury have not been guilty Of
following such foolish advice as
that given by Coke; they sought
knowledge, not from the creators
of National wealth, but from the
representatives of foreign bankers
and the loaners Of foreign money;
not from the producers of National
prosperity, but from those who held
the National debt; not from the
owners of the homes and lands, but
from those who held the mortgages
upon them. Is it surprising, then,
that bonds payable in greenbacks
became payable in gold; that legal
tenders were Withdrawn and de-
monetized and single standard
created, whereby existing contracts
were violated and every value but
that of gold diminished; that bonds
were issued with such dates of ma
turity that the income of the Re
public could not be used to pay
them off except at an enormous
premium?
Is it surprising that those who
have grown wealthy by these
"masterpieces of finance" should