, 1891-06-04
SOME QUENTIONS ANS WERED

h@g@HAS ~ NJ u
SOME QUESTIONS Ans WERED.
1t requires very little learning and not
very much ingenuity to misquote a prop
osition and then prove from an entirely
different standpoint that the conclusions
reached are absurd and false. We have
never been inclined to give the Sun
much credit Tor sincerity in lis talks about
silver. The arguments which It has so
far furnished have been mainly the stock
arguments used for the past dozen years
at least by the advocates of the single
gold standard. 1t seems to have been
more inclined to find out how Warren
stood on the subject han take to an honest
stand according Its " best Judgment
The parer and its editor have foundered
around with an acrobatic skill which has
been very much more unique than COM
mendable. At the miners menagery
held in this city last January the editor
OF the Sun voted and SPOKE against the
free coinage Of American silver.
Then he argued through his paper
that the action of the Colorado senators
in congress was due purely TO ~selfshness,
as Colorado was a silver producing state.
He wildly and fercely demanded if the
people of this country we're going 10 ac-
cept a 7O-cent dollar from the deep dyed
villains OF Colorado and Nevada while at
the same time he accepted with undis-
Ruised cheerfulness every ''7O-cent' dol.
lar that came his way, feeling assured that
be could purchase Just as much with his
silver dollar as though i we're gold. We
understand that he is now in favor Of the
free coinage of American silver though
he has never vet condescended tc
explain why. 1t is perhaps sufficient
Tor the world to know hat Warren favors
this latest freak Of statesmanship. The
Sun is Just now engaged in assuming and
even misconstruing plain facts and en-
deavoring to adjust THE LEADER to them.
Proceeding along those lines it may pos
slbly be able to make out a case perfectly
satisfactory to itself.
The Sun proceeds to ask THE LEADER
three questions.
First, Ifit lTHE LEADER adheres to
its endorsement OF the Chicago HeruldS
position, does it propose to increase the
currency over the amount afforded by
coinage Of the entire United States pro-
duct By buying large amounts OF silver
from the old world2
The Heralds position was that judging
from its action the Denver convention
proposed not to make money plenty by
free coinage but to make silver artifcally
dear for the benefit of the American mine
owners. To this extent THE LEADER
agreed with the Herald As to the Suns
question we do not know of any palmer
answer than that this paper iavors the
coinage of silver on precisely the same
basis as it was coined in this country pre-
vious to 1878. That was on the same
basis "a mold - now aud Wa thun coined.
Second. If The LEADER takes the
other horn of the dilemma and endorses
the Salt Lake TribuleS position that no
silver will some from the old world as they
cannot spare It, then why will not the
coinage of the United States product
afford all the relioi that unlimited coinage
can afford, and why does it not serve the
purpose exactly? And if 50. WHY not
adopt il, because 1t is Il safer policy pro.
ducing the same result
The Sun has persistently worked upon
the fears of the people as to the masses
OF foreign silver which it alleged were
ready TO deluge this country the moment
the free coinage Of silver was adopted
here. To show that a paper in whose
wake it was now following on the silver
r~-~.io- did not have tho apprehension
which seemed to appal Warren and the
Sun the article f-o-- - -~AV puper
was reprinted IN this paper. SO lar as
our inquiries have proceeded we believe it
to be true that there are no great masses
of boarded foreign silver to be precipitated
upon us in the event that free coinage Is
again adopted in this country and that
the increasing business and population Of
the country is perfectly capable of absorb
ing whatever does come. why will not
the coinage Of the United States product
furnish all the relief that unlimited coin
age can afford?' Mainly for the reason
that silver is still left a commodity and an
object OF general speculation. The coin
age of the home product is not a complete
recognition of silver. It's rather a con-
iession of the lack of faith which the gov
ernment OF the United States has in silver
as a money metal 1t is a proclamation to
the world that we are still in the shackles
and believe that gold alone is king. We
publicly confess our own lack Of confidence
in silver, We emphasize the value
Of gold and the very utmost that
we do is to raise the price of home
silver 10 the miners of this country.
This alone is not enough. Nearly every
body is agreed that a great wrong was
done by the characterization of silver
eighteen years ago. No one claims that
anY grave demands of public necessity then
existed to warrant or suggest Its dcmone-
t~ization. The act has worked untold
hardships on the debtor and producing
classes. They have lost millions upon
millions of money by it. It now requires
just twice as much labor to raise ardollAr's
worth of produce as it did eighteen years
ago. These facts are admitted even by the
advocates Of United States silver coinage.
When a great wrong has been lone the
completest possible reuaration sbould be