The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-04-09
4 sIIaaIns APPEAL.

4 SIIRhlu6 MftAl.
Silver Ham Urged to Organize in Behalf
q Their Predominant Interest.
On the first page of this issue Of
the KEysroNE will be found an
appeal from the Colorado Silver
League to their brother silver min
ers Of the West, and to all whose
business prosperity and welfare
hinge upon the fate Of silver. II
should be read and pondered and
acted upon BY men Of Idaho as we'll
as by men Of Colorado. We are, in
even q greater measure than they,
dependent upon our silver mines
for an occupation and . support.
Like the Colorado men, we came to
Idaho when it was 3 bowling wilder
ness, inhabited only by predatory
beasts and men more fierce than
they. Armed with pick. shovel, pan
and sixshooter, and tempted by for
tune, We penetrated the dangerous
wild, driving the murderous Indian
from his lair and went to work to
unlock the treasures of the unex-
plored and unknown hills, where
the bones of many of our number
now rest in the soil or CLEAN in the
sun of summer and bleach in the
SHOWS and frosts of winter. Our
success was marvellous Aladdin
with his lamp was outdone Mines
of incalculable richness were un-
covered almost every day. A stream
of gold and silver soon began to be
poured into the channels OF COM
MERGE from a land that was to all
people east of the Missouri river a
terra incognita. The cupidity and
avarice of the East and of Wall
street was excited. They said to
each other "Those rowdy frontiers
men are becoming rich beyond COM
putation. Their Golfers are bursting
with gold and silver. What shall we
do to possess ourselves of their
boarded wealth." They decided to
demonetize our silver. Led by John
Sherman, a wretch obedient to every
behest of crime and robbery, it was
done. More than half of our mines
were shut down, our debts were
multiplied by two, our people were
thrown out of employment. Thus
insulted and impoverished we APP
pealed to Congress for relief. Our
appeals were received by the repub-
lican party with sneers, by the DEM
ocratic party with promises that
events have shown were made to be
broken. All relief, all redress has
been denied US. Our silver is
falling lower and lower in price
our mines are depreciating in value
continually; thousands of miners
are being turned adrift to seek en-
ployment and an opportunity to
earn a living i'll other and, to them.
unfamiliar occupations. Yet the last
Congress insolently smothered q
free coinage bill in committee. The
present Congress, with equal inso-
lence and bravado, neglect and re-
fuse to pass a bill introduced by
Mr.. Bland, although it's justice and
equitableness are absolutely unas-
sailable, and would, if enacted into
law, at once unclog the wheels of
the silver mining industry from one
end Of the country to the other,
open up and restore to their proper
valuation all of our silver mines,
and reemploy our thousands of
idle miners.
What shall we do? Continue to
vote fer. the men and parties who
have first robbed, then sneered at
and then betrayed US? Shall we,
like towards and scullions, continue
to put men up to make our laws
and to rule over US, who have no re-
gard for our welfare, or the welfare
of our families, and who despise
while they despoil us? Either we
must do these unmanly things or
organize in our own defense and
for the promotion of our pecuniary
interests, and we should decide and
act before and at the November
election.
Remember that he only is helped
who bravely helps himself, and let
US come together and resolve to use
the prerogative our fathers gave US
our votes-to undo the great
wrong that has been done US.