Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-11-19
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1891
He Has oninions Of SIS own.

The Secretary Of the Treasury, some
Zines STYLED calico CHARLIE OF Ohio,
has proved In the most convincing man.
ner that he has opinions of his own, and
also that he has "the courage of his convic-
TONS" which latter phrase IS nowadays
employed 10 describe the fact that the
mau who has that sort of courage is always
and everywhere ready to express his real
opinions on any question that arises Tor
discussion. and not only so, but able to
defend those opinions against the attacks
OF "sll oomers," as was the phrase
Of tho Knights Grant Of the olden
times. a. CALICO CHARLIE deserves,
because be has earned, better nick
name or pseudonym. He has dared
to proclaim before Wall street, and there
fore in the hearing of all the people OF the
United States, that notwithstanding he is
opposed to the tree coinage of silver be is
firmly Of the belief that gold alone fur
nishes too narrow basis upon which to
conduct the money affairs of the world"
This is good deal for a Republican aspi-
rant to the Office of President OF the United
States 10 say, and moves US to remark.
though il isuncharitable for us TO say so,
that possibly the Secretary had his eye
upon the presidency when he made the DE-
ciaration TO which we have just referred.
Possibly he does not hold that "one swal-
low makes summer" nor that victory
for either the Republican or the Demo-
cratic party is a victory for either Di-
metallism or moDometallism.
n DO not misunderstood us. Secretary
FosTEn in his New York speech OF
Tuesday night declared himself opposed
10 the free coinage Of silver, but he also
spoke outdn most manly and convincing
way in favor Of the policy Of having toe
broad basis of both gold and silver 10 sup
port our financial system. Probably his
speech may "set the pace" of his own
party, for although he declared that he
spoke for himself only it is reasonable to
assume that he faithfully represented in
his utteranees the financial policy which
will be that Of President HARRISON and the
whole Administration. And yet it is pos
sible, on the other hand. that Secretary
FOSTER desires to be United States sena-
tor from Ohio and intended his New York
speech to place him upon e platform some-
what different from that upon which MIR.
SHERMAN stands OF that upon which Cow
ernor FoRAEER stands. The middle ground
may be the safe ground, even III Ohio. ,
Secretary FosrgR's reference to the
financial speech which he wrote fifteen
years ago, but never delivered. must have
been amusing, for if there is any organIza-
ton in this country whose members think
that they "know 1t all that organization
is the one to which he addressed his
speech OF Tuesday evening. He told them
plainly that every write" on silver
(notice he does not use the word speak
en-" Wall-street operators not being speak
crs, but the word "writer") had discov-
cred that he was more or less in error.
We pronounce Secretary FosTER's speech
The opening of a new financial campaign,
OF If that be too strong phrase we will
say that il will be note of warning to
timid Democrats not TO allow their fears
20 run away with their judgments.