The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-09-05
SILVER AND ITS ENEMIES.

United States Senator Sherman made
one of his characteristic speeches on sill
YER in Ohio for the benefit of McKinley's
candidacy. 1t was emphatically an anti
silver, gold bug speech and reflected the
sentiments of the republican party in the
east and of Mckinley upon the question
of the free and unlimited coinage of the
white metal. Mr.. Sherman spoke for
both, and being the recognized leader of
his party upon financial questions his
speech must be accepted as its express
ion upon the question.
The gentleman has not lost caste
among his party leaders by his candid
statements and the unconcealed position
he takes concerning the free and unlim-
tied coinage of silver. One knows where
to find Sherman-always in the Wall
street gang. while the little fish of his
party. like Peter of old, follows the mas
ter from afar some Of them indeed so
far in the rear that, at times, they APP
pear to be somewhat mixed up with free
silver coinage democrats. And while in
the neighborhood of the latter it is
amusing TO witness the lodgings and
t%wistings and turnings of their organs,
especially here in Montana, to keep in
line with their party as represented by
Sherman, and at the same time to APP
pear before the people as free silvcrites.
The republican organs of this state are
doing the twisting and turning. They
support Mckinley and swear by Sher-
man and yet profess to be champions of
free and unlimited silver coinage.
The Inter Mountain has discovered a
new dodge by which it attempts to re-
lieve itself Of the embarrassment Incl
dental to being supported by a silver-pro-
ducing community and of ~apologizing for
McKinley's and Sherman's hostility to
silver. That paper declares hat "the
chief organs of democracy in this state
are owned and controlled and kept up
by the banks" 1t may be remarked
just here there is no truth in the state
ment. There is not a paper in the state
owned and run by a bank, and the Inter
Mountain knows it. But the assump
ton is the bases of the dodge referred to-.
1t then goes on to say:
1t is to the interest of the banks that
no free coinage bill be passed by con-
gress. The more contracted the cur
rency is the higher rate of interest the
banks can exact. OF course, therefore,
the banks fully agree with John Sher-
man in his hostility to silver coinage and
in his declaration that silver coinage ''is
all nonsense" because plentiful money
would mean curtailment of the profits of
the interest gatherers of Montana as well
as of Wall street. 1t is perfectly absurd
therefore to suppose for q moment that
there is the slightest sincerity in the
howl of the democratic organs of this
state against John Sherman and his
gold-bug speech. They are in reality
immensely tickled over it, though to
hold the democratic vote at the next
election they must needs abuse the Ohio
is an idiotiC way and make be-
lieve they are very indignant.
1t must be conceded that this is an
ingenious way, although false, of putting
up the position of democratic newspa-
pers upon the question of free silver
coinage. But the TRIBUNE cannot see
wherein the charge helps republican
sheets out of their dilemma. They have
only words of encouragement for the
two bitterest enemies of silver in the
country-McKinley and Sherman--and
extol the Ohio republican platform
which denounces free silver coinage. On
the other hand they have only words of
censure for Governor Campbell and his
platform. Their position is
a ludicrous IL and their efforts to get
out Of it would be more amusing if they
were not contemplate.