The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-21
GEORGE WASHINGTON IRWIN IL.

1t has been left to George Washington
Irwin II to evolve and put into plain
English a new idea in regard to the set
Element of the silver question between
this country upon the one side and all
foreign nations upon the other. The
idea is a purely original one, for Mr..
Irwin is an original gentleman. There is
only one Just such an Irwin in the state.
although he decorates the rear of his
nomenclature with a couple OF vertical
lines to distinguish himself from another
George Washington Irwin who lives or
did live in Deer Lodge. MIR. Irwin is a
stalwart republican and a leading west
side chief of the party in the state. He
afterwards United States marshal for
Montana. A republican state or county
convention without the presence OF Mr..
Irwin ii would not be complete. 1t
would be like the play of Hamlet with
the great Dane left out.
Mr.. Irwin was a delegate to the Mis-
soula convention from Silver Bow coun-
ty. He was not a wall flower in that
memorable body. He is a fighter from
| Fightersville and when MIR. A. b. Ham
mond of Missoula was nominated for
delegate to Minneapolis Irwin added to
the Harmony of the occasion by giving
the Missoula IA an upper cut or two.
and a blow in his bread basket to even
up matters with the latter for swinging
the Missoula representatives in favor of
Tom Power when Mantle ran for United
States senator before the first state leg
islature. Hammond was not knocked
out. however. and beat Twins man,
Henry Filing of Madison. by a handsome
majority.
But Twins principal achievement in
the convention is found in his unique
resolutions outlining a plan by which
foreign nations will be compelled to ac-
cept our standard silver dollars at their
face value or chew the lean end of the
pudding bag in the daily distribution of
good things throughout the financial
world. He prefaces his resolutions with
a series of "~whereases' which Deal about
the same relation to their subject mat
ter as does the first chapter of Genesis
or the story of the Babes in the Wood.
But it is understood Mr.. Irwin is an
original man and doesn't shape his polit-
ical actions upon lines pursued by other
men. For instance he resigned the Office
of United States marshal. Who ever
heard of a republican, especially a Mon
tana republican. resigning an Office until
Mr.. Irwin broke the record? But to the
resolutions. Here they are:
ResOlred. That we favor the full and
unlimited coinage of silver dollars at the
rate of sixteen of silver to one of gold;
that we favor the levying of a tax of 60
cents an ounce on all foreign silver coin
or bullion imported into the United
States and an export tax of 80 per cent
adj valorem on all gold coin or bullion
sent from this country. provided that all
gold and silver coin may be exported free
of such tax TO pay the bonded obliga-
tons of the people of the United States,
as today outstanding. but on no indebt.
edness hereafter created; and be it fur
ther
ResOired. That in this connection we
favor such reciprocity, empowering the
president, after reasonable notice, to re-
move said export and import duties as
to those nations that shall adopt the
double metallic standard: that the i'm
port duties on all merchandise, manufac.
tured and natural products from those
nations refusing to adopt said double
standard be increased 100 per cent and
all articles on the free list be restored to
the tariff schedules, save and except as
to those countries having reciprocity
treaties with the United States.
The resolutions were a little toe heavy
to be swallowed at once by the conven
ton and So they were referred to the
next state convention of the party fol-
final disposition. 1t remains to be seer
what the convention will do with them
but there can be no two opinions as tt
what it should do. They are in perfec'
accord with the republican theory con
corning protection and reciprocity. Mr.
Irvln's resolutions are based upon tina
theory. They provide for the protection
of our silver as against foreign silver
and build a wall around our gold as thu
republican party has built a wall aroun'
our wooden and other factory outputs
There is much more in those resolution
than are seen at first glance. If tn
next republican convention would pre-
, serve the consistency of its party it vii
+ adopt them by a rising vote, and vot
a monument to the memory OF Georg
Washington Irwin ii.
NONE are so blind as those who wi
not see. Before the passage Of the r.
publican high protective laws a labc