Omaha daily bee., 1892-04-08
THEY GIVE Up TIE rIGnr

The speech In the United States SEN
ate OF Senator Wolcott Of Colorado pro-
claimed the clpitulation of the silver
men in congress at least fof the present
session. The senator said that the sill
YER bill having been put to sleep in the
house the friends of free coinage might
as we'll face tire truth on the question.
Nobody expected the measure TO be-
come law during the present admins
tration, but its advocates had hoped to
score some advantage at this session.
But today, said the senator, il vote
were had on tho motion to take the sill
yer bill from the calendar it would not
be carried. Several days before the
speech of Senator Wolcott his colleague,
Senator Teller, said in an interview
that he did not deem it best to force a
vote on the silver question in the senate
at the present time. AS there are no
more earnest and ardent advocates in
congress of free silver coinage than the
Colorado senators, the fact that tney
give up the fight for the present, which
comprehends the Harrison administra-
tion, may fairly be assumed to reflect
the feeling OF the free coinage men gen.
orally. There are few in both
branches of congress who would like to
continue the contest, hopeless though 1T
would be, but it is evident that the ma
jority are opposed to doing so. Thus
another victory is won for stable cur
rency and an honest dollar
Senator Wolcott arraigned the ad-
ministration as the great force opposed
to free and unlimited coinage, and moni-
tested his dislike of the president in a
way that did not come with good grace
from Il republican senator who has done
so very little for his party. 1t is SAID
that Mr.. Wolcott's hostility to Presi-
dent Harrison is not due altogether to
the position of the latter regarding sill
yer. Tho senator is one of those, so 1T
is alleged, who became dissatisfied be-
cause they were not permitted to dictate
appointments and foist their henchmen
| upon the public service. However this
| may be- Senator Wolcott could have
| said nothing in commendation of the
| president that would do him greater
| good than the statement that he is re-
| sponslble for the defeat of proposed free
coinage legislation. The charge is just.
| The firm and steadfast attitude of Presi-
dent Harrison on this question checked
| the influence of the free silver agitation
in his own party and so reassured the
| financial and business interests of the
country as to prevent any serious re-
suits from the agitation. Had he taken
an uncertain position or wavered in his
devotion to a sound and stable currency
the republican party might not now be
| nearly unanimous in opposition to the
| free coinage of silver under existing
| conditions, while there would be no such
| sense of security and contidencein tinan.
| cial and business circles as there is at
| present President Harrison could de-
| sire no stronger recommendation to the
country than the assertion of the free
silver men that his opposition to their
| policy was able to defeat it.
Senator Wolcott declared that 1.-The
people would speak and that free silver
would be their verdict" The gentle
man is mistaken, and his mistake grows
out of the fact that he is not in touch
with the people The free silver craze
is declining. Even in Mr.. Wolcott's
own state, where the organization o.
silver clubs was started a short time ago
the movement has met with little sue
cess outside of the mining districts. The
farming communities have thus fal
shown hardly any interest in it, and 6
Denver paper of recent date appeals u
them to come forward and help the
movement as matter of self-defense
In other western states where a yea
ago the free silver agitation made head
way it is now steadily losing ground
When the people speak next November
it will be for an honest dollar ant
against policy which would require
the government to give the silver pro
ducers 80 per cent more than The mar
liet value of their product.
|