The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-28
MIR. WEED, LARGE OMISSIONS.

that special privileges are granted for
currupt purposes, and to build up a
wealthy class which is to keep the re-
publican party in power by its liberal
contributions. This, in short, is the
whole and sole purpose of the republican
tariff. We showed that Mr.. e. d. Weed
being a beneficiary under the tariff and
under the Harrisonian regime ardently
defended this policy.
He also ardently defended the repub.
lican party in its silver record, and held
that it had always shown a more friend
ly feeling towards silver than had the
democratic party
1t is the purpose of this article to
show the f~allacy of Mr.. Weeds argu-
ments and to prove that he was uncan-
did and misleading in most of his state
ments. He took good care to ignore
every vital fact and principle relevant to
the discussion of the silver question.
The silver coinage of this country was
extremely limited prior to 1873, at which
time the great silver mines of this CONT
nent began to be discovered, and the
metal was in that year actually at a
small premium in the market. The guam
tity of silver available had not been suf-
iicient prior to that time to alarm the
money-lenders, but the discovery of the
Comstock mine in Nevada caused a feel
ing of uneasiness among the lending
class of this country and England lest
their rates of interest might be cut down
by an increased ratio of the circulating
medium of this country. Knowing that
the matter had received little considcra-
ton here, and that congress and Presi-
dent Grant and republican officials gen.
orally were entirely ignorant of the i'm
portance of the subject, the British mon
ey-lerdcrs sent agents to this country to
bring about legislation which should put
a stop to the coinage of silver as a legal
tender. Up to that time silver coin was
as good as gold for the payment of all
debts, and no limit was placed as to the
amount of silver that might be received
as a legal tender.
The British agents had with them
from certain banking houses at London
f1O0.OOO, equal to almost 100000, as a
corruption fund. Their work was we'll
done. for before the session of congress
was over they had succeeded in getting
a bill through which passed both houses
and received the signature of the presi-
dent which d~emonctized silver and
placed it upon the level of IA mercantile
commodity, any sum over - not being
valid as Il legal tender. This death-blow
to silver was unquestionably the great
est crime hat has ever been committed
in the history of this country. 1t was
"a crime which struck at the very life
and being of the poor and struggling
masses. and it placed a lash in the hands
of money-lenders and the owners of gold
with which they have scourged the peo-
pie ever since.
President Grant was in the white
house. James G. Blaine was speaker of
the house of representatives. and such
was the situation that the republican
party was able to have controlled this
matter. 1t makes nc difference to the
country whether the decentralization act
was allowed to pass through ignorance
or was brought about by deliberate de-
sign, the crime was equally serious in its
effects in either case, and whichever
horn of the dilemma the republican
party may take. it cannot deny its re-
sponsibility. The evil that was done was
scarcely appreciated at the moment. but
the great panic which Immediately fol.
lowed and which spread to every part of
the country vas IA sufficient proof Of the
seriousness of this act. and its effects are
still felt throughout this country.
1t Is customary with the republicans.
as eyempliiied in Mr.. Weed, to boast of
the wonderful of this country,
but they always carefully avoid any
mention of the indubitable fact that the
progress and advancement of the work
ing classes. and those who must earn
their living by toll would have been
quadrupled but for this great CRIME
against the rights of the people, and in
of the plutocrats. Possibly many
the questions that now cause strife
between labor and capital would have
been settled by this time had the free
coinage of silver not been interfered
with.
Mr.. Weed carefully avoided all this,
and gave his time to ~descanting upon
the wonderful amount of silver that the
republican party has bought since 1879.
What are the facts? In a few words this
explains them: Mr.. Bland and other
democrats were constantly endeavoring
to have silver rchabilitated; to have it
where it was before the criminal
act of the republicans in 1873. The pub