Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-13
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY IS. 1891.
Mr.. Cieveland-snver.

As call the world loves lover" so all
Che world loves statesman who has 1.-THE
courage of his convictions" Mr.. OLEHE
RAND Is such aststesman. He has, not only
on one occasion but on a number Of them,
dared TO defy the public sentiment
of his own party If not Of the whole coun-
try. When he began the movement IN
favor Of the expunginR resolution, THOMAS
III. BENTON said 10 the United States Sen
ate, SOLITARY and alone l set this ball IN
notion His courage in that instance was
not greater than that shown by Mr.. CIxyE-
LAND in coming out boldly, a. he did IN
abe letter we printed yesterday, against the
bill TO provide for the free coinage of silver.
Think of 1t. The Farmers Alliances
alone-all understood TO be in favor OF the
free coinage of silver-contain hundreds
of thousands Of voters Even in Virginia
there arr more than forty thousand men
enrolled in that organization. So all over
the Northwest there are thousands and
hundreds Of thousands of advocates OF the
policy of placing silver and gold upon an
equal footing in the minis Of the United
States, whilst the Pacific States and the
Rocky Mountain States proper, are almost
unanimously on the same side.
Ignoring these facts--Or, perhaps. treat
ing them MS he thought they ought to be
treated-Mr. CLEVELAND, though an aspi-
rant to the nomination of the next Demo
cratic National Convention for the presi-
dency of the United States, comes out and
declares that in his opinion 1.-THE greatest
peril would be invited by the adoption of
the scheme embraced in the measure now
pending in Congress for the unlimited
coinage of silver at our minis" He adds,
too. by way Of argument, that If we
have developed an unexpected capacity
for the assimilation Of a largely
increased volume of this currency,
and even if we have demonstrated
the usefulness of such increase, other
conditions fall far short of insuring us
against disaster if in the present situation
we enter upon the dangers of free, IN
limited, and independent silver coinage"
For man who talks out in meeting in
that style IL Is q great concession to admit
that the gold-bugs were wrong twelve
years ago when they used the same argu-
ments against the BLAND bill which they
now use against the bill 10 provide for the
free coinage of silver. II is another con-
cession on his part when he objects to
"independent silver coinage that is, coin
age by the United States without the CO.
operation of the commercial nations of the
earth. He thus admits by necessary i'm
plication that he would not object to the
opening of our minis to free coinage If
England, France. and Germany would join
US in that measure.
We are glad that Mr.. CLEVELAND has de-
fined his position 50 clearly. He did no
thing more, in doing 50, than a regard for
his duty as "A good citizen might have
prompted him to do. If the people of the
United States are following false lights and
IN danger of falling into financial bog
those statesmen who cannot be misled by
such lights but see with unbeclouded
vision that there is q bog and know how
70 escape its perils, are in duty bound to
sound the alarum-bells and warn their
fellow-citizens in time TO save the country
from financial ruin.
But will Mr.. CLEyEI.AND's letter silence
the advocates Of the free coinage of sill
Verg OF course not. he wrote a some
what similar letter several years ago. 1t
was Just as decidedly on the side of the
monometallists as Is the one now under
consideration. But it did not, so far as we
know, convert q single Democrat from the
error of his ways. Probably or possibly
bis last letter may have the effect of taking
the silver question from among the ques-
tions in controversy between the two par
ties. But If 1t ceases TO be party question
il will at once become a sectional question,
and will thus compel the national conven-
tons Of both parties in 1892 to be exceed
ingly careful in choosing their nominees
for President of the United States
II Is not impossible that Mr.. CLEVELAND
wrote his last letter to strengthen the
hands OF the Democratic monometallists
in the lpresent Congress, of whom there
are said TO be three in the Senate and a
dozen or 30 in the House of Representa-
tives. If il has that effect, as we do not
think II will have, the final result will be
that the silver question will next year be
the one issue as between the two parties.
We need not here set forth our own creed
upon the silver question. II is in brief
that we are willing to try dangerous ex-
pertinent rather than have our currency
ruined by an experiment ten times more
dangerous We see nothing new nowadays
ON this subject. We are acquainted with all
the current arguments but for all that we
cannot unloose the silver problem fa-
niliar Us u garter"