Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-02-27


and sincere regret that welearn
that representative Sweet, of
idaho, is opposing in congress
the free coinage of S liver. The
following from the Washington
dispatches to the Oregonian and
Spokane Falls ReuieU is our
authority:
WASHINGTON, Feb IS Representative
Sweet, of Idaho. to-day presented one
of the bcat argumcn,s against free coin
age that has come olt of the west. He
introduced resolution recitng that
many obligations were now being made
payable in gold. 1t has been asserted
here that this practice in the west has
given a new turn to the silver agitation,
and the makers of these obligations are
themselves preparing TO protest against
free coinage. 1t may be set doyn as an
assured fact that free coinage is dead
for this session. The supposed need of
any such Legislation has disappeared.
This paragraf will puzzle ard
amaze a good many republican
and democratic constituents of
Mr.. Sweet, as it puzzled and "a
imazedus. Nothingmor
ly reconc;led us to the fact of
judge Sweets election last fall
than the knowledge that he
was as pronounced an advo-
cate Of free coinage-on the
,stump-asj judge Mayhem him.
self. This sudden change of
base Was therefore an unwel-
come and inexplicable phe-
nomenon. But we find a par
tial explanation of the mystery
in the Natioqqll Democrat, of
February IA, where we read,
with more amazement than
ever, that representative Sweet
and some other free coinage re-
pqblicans in the house OF rep
feseptatives, voted with their
party against free coinage,
because the force 3iN acas defeated
lp the senate.
This is an extraordinary and
indefepsible position for q rep
resentative in congress to as
sumo. The Force bill may, or it
may not, have been a merito-
rious measure, but we cannot.
,conceiye of a set of circum-
stances which would justify
such childish, impudent and
impotent action as representa-
tive Sweet has displayed-if
these reports are correct.
We are not aiming to make
political out of this, but we
say here and now, that no man
can honestly represent the
people of Idaho who argues
and votes against free coinage.
This is an issue upon which
both parties are unanimously
agreed. 1t is the ore issue in
national politics on which the
two great parties could not be
made to differ in this state. 1t
is trqs, as a fact of history,
that the republican party is
solely responsible for the de-
monetization Of silver in 1878,
and also for its persistent refu-
sal to undo the crime by re-
storing silver to its old place
When it had-as it has to-day
the power to do SO; but,
Notwithstanding these DANA
gipg facts against the republi-
can organization, there are so
many republicans in the west
ern states who, in common
Wlth the democracy, desire the
reetoration of silver to the
same rights of coinage and le-
gal tender it formerly possess
ed Land as are now accorded to
gold, that by common consent
the silver question is conceded
to be more of IL sectional than
a.partisan issue, and therefore
the free coinage republicans
and democrats have acted to-
gether in all matters of legis-
1ation looking to the restora-
zion of silver to its old stand
ard. This was made conspic-
Aoqs only last month, when
eight republican free coinage
senators killed the Force bill
i4 the senate and enacted the
free coinage measure which is
pow pending in the house OF
representatives. We are thus