The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-01-30
A Mistaken Contemporary.

rected potato we can't tell which. II says:
The View York Sun and the Bro STONE rosr continue
their wa. on Grover Cleveland. Both papers wish to
be regarded rs Democratic, and yet they have always
nothing but mud 20 throw a, the only Democratic
Preriden, We have had in nearly third OF century.
Now this is an error so far as the PosT
is concerned. The Posr never throws mud
at anybody. Real estate is too valuable at
Big Stone Gap to be wasted.
There seems to be two leading issues in
politics just now, one is the tariff and the
other is the Silver Bill. We differ from
Mr.. Clevcland's view Of the tariff, but
are with him on the silver question.
The Virginian is with him on the tariff
and against him on the Silver Bill-a
stand off in it's case as it is with US.
We believe we can show that our posi-
ton on both these questions is the posi-
tion Of the Democratic party as the fathers
founded it. We believe we can show that
both the Abingdon Yirginan and Mr..
Cleveland are of-thc Virginian off on
on one, while the PosT is sound on both.
The founders Of the party and their i'm
mediate successors were protectionists.
Mr.. jefferson was protectionist in spite
of his prejudice against Hamilton. Mr..
Madison was protectionist out and out;
and, within three days after the first Con-
gross assembled under the present consti-
tuition, he introduceda bill for the express
purpose of "protccting domestic manu-
features" Mr. Monroe was protection
list; and General jackson was protection
ist No one acquainted with the public
uttcranccs of these founders and leaders of
the Democratic party will controvcrt this
statement.
Then as to the unlimited coinage of
silver. Mr. Hamilton and Mr.. Jefferson
agreed on the subject while they were in
Washington's cabinet. The standard Of
coinage for silver and gold adopted by
them remained until 1884 If there was
ever a Democratic administration, Jack
sons was one, from beginning to end,
through and through. There was no civil
service reform about it. No one was deem
ed fit for the humblest Office unless lie was
partisau-an active partisan and, if nee
essary, fighting partisan. Mr.. Gorham
was Jackson S secretary of the treasury:
and if the Nirginian will examine his
report of May -lth, 1880, it will find these
words on the subject of a gold standard:
Amidst all the cmbarrassnents which have sur
rounded this subject since the adoption Of metallic
standards of property, it is remarkable that govern
ments have tenaciously perscvcred in the effort 10
maintain standards OF different materials, whose re-
,atios il Is SO difficult to ascertain at any one time,
aud is so constantly changing; and more especially
when simple and certain remedy is within the reach
OF all This remedy is to bc found in the establish
nuent OF one standard OF property only The
evil of having two standards arises, aS al
ready observed, from the impossbiity OF So fixing
their relative values by law that the other may
not al times, become Of more value in the market
than estimated by regulation; and, when this hap
pens, il will be bought and sold according 10 its
market value, regardless Of the law.
The proposition that there can lie but standard
in fact is seevidcnt. The opinions OF governments
charged with this duty is therefore between having
property measured sometimes by gold and sometimes
by silver, and selecting that metal which is best
adapted to the purpose for the only standard. Why
the latter course has not been universally adopted it
!s not easy 10 explain unless it may be attributed &c
that prevalen. telusion which seeks to the
Il lv ali thnir
portation and avoiding tho payment OF debts rather
than improving the public economy by giving every
facility TO il.
Then there was Thomas H. Benton, and
their great Democratic leader who aided
in changing the ratio of silver to gold
from fifteen to one to sixteen to one, by
which silver was again demonetized.
Then in 1854, during the administration
Of Franklin Pierce, silver was partially
remonetized through the influence Of
Hon. r. ~ T. Hunter, of Virginia, but
only by being coined for subsidiary pur-
poscs-for the making of small Change
and the Law limited the coinage even of
this subsidiary coin. Had we the space
we could show that silver has always been
regarded by the Democratic party, as long
as it was in power, as an inferior coin.
with limited legal tender quality, and
no attempt was made to food the country
with it and force it TO an equality with
gold by mere legislative enactment. Mr..
Sherman referred to this fact in his
speech the other day, and no Democrat
could answer him.
So our contemporary will observe that
the position of the Democratic party, so
far as ii is reflected by the action of our
leaders in Congress, has been reversed
from what it was on both the question OF
the tariff and silver coinage.
Now who is rights We're the Demo-
Gratis Rho led the party previous to the
war--Jetferson, Madison, Monroe, Jack
son, Benton aud Huhter-wsoag and arc
Tile present upssart crowd right Which
SET Of leaders won Che victories nj the
polls and retained The confidence Of tie
Masses The facts speak for themselves.
5 At no tian siuee have we had full central
Of The government For four years VIC {