Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-03-07
THE TWIN JEWELS.

TWO most important issues OF the
day is from the Denver News:
Free coinage Of silver and tariff
reform must be the two command
ing issues of the next presidential
campaign. If either is TO receive
prominence over the other, free
coinage must be placed in the front;
for the future prosperity Of the
country is more dependent upon the
money it has--its quality and suf-
fieieney--than it can possibly be
upon the uses to which that money
may be put.
Money is the representative Of all
values and the medium Of all COM
mercial exchanges. 1t is an abso-
lutte essential to the commerce Of
civilization. Its quality and suIli-
cheney are in the front rank Of
questions pertaining TO the worlds
business, and therefore pertaining
TO its greatest prosperity and hap
pincss.
If money in its true sense means
metal, coiaed under governmental
sanction, to Withdraw one of the
two metals heretofore in use for
money from the minis Of the world
and that the metal in most com
mon use and in greatest favor with
the people-would be recognized as
a calamity prodigious beyond com
putation. Ia its face tariff schemes
would shrivel out Of human vision.
Yet this very thing has been done
within the last twenty years. One
government after another, except
that Of France and few minor
countries, has relentlessly excluded
silver from its coinage product and
made gold coin the sole standard Of
value ana the sole legal tender for
debts. The United States was one
of these countries, but il was ac-
complishcd here without discussion
and with the people and nine-tcnths
of their congressional representa-
tives in ignorance of the fact. The
calamities which followed and the
debates they aroused have forced
our government to partially undo
the wrong, and have opened the
peoples eyes to the real onormity al
that national crime. If gold and
silver were now being coined at our
mints upon terms, there would moi
be wealth enough i'm the country.
nor power enough in the army and
navy, nor conspirators enough in
world to alter the status of silver
one hairs breadth. 1t would con.
tinue while our free government
lasted to be coined upon equal terms
with gold and retain all of It's legal
tender quality.
Our government has partially un
done the wrong of lS13--but only
partially. Ii il would be a ealam
ity to destroy free coinage of silver
to-day; II no power could accom-
plish il with the light the pe6plt
nov have, thea il is equally a ca
lamity not u restore if, AMI til
people should exercise all theii
power 10 TINT end. The duty q
restoring silver 10 its free coinag,
status is just as great ms would b,
The duty to prevent lis struetior
If free coinage now existed.
This is tie mind Of tie people
The Democratic party represent III,
principle, and il fighting 10 main
tain il. II il Of higher moment thar
any phase tariff controversy can IL
male to assume. It affects that
with which tariff is paid, aud with.
out which tariff could not exist II
the West and South-the great
fields Of American labar-the sec.
tions where through toll tie great
bulk Of the wealth Of tie country il
produced, the Importance ef tie il.
sue is paramount; and il will not be
downca.
The issue of free coinage can not
be ohseurod by giving the greater
prominence to tariff reform. We Of
the vest will fight CIR free coinage
and tariff accommodating 10th hy
the hand and protecting them alike;
hnt if there are those in our party
Who would abandon tn FIRST. NJ
matter how yaliantly they might
fight for the second, re Will aban-
don them ard bear arms only with
those who are loyal 10 both great
interests.