The morning news., 1892-03-17
Only q Political Issue.


The Southern Alliance Farmer IN its
last issue, repUblished from the National
Economist. the leading alliance organ, an
article on the free coinage OF silver, from
which the following extract was taken:
There is not much 20 be gained by
the people from free coinage as an
economic measure, and there is not much to
be lost by the plutocrass from free coinage
as OF economic measure, but as a political
issue there is everything TO be gained or
I lost"
From this It appears that the alliance
organs do not think that law authorizing
the free coinage Of silver would be Of much
benefit to the people. That being the case
it is rather remarkable they should be so
aggressive in their demand for the enaot-
ment Of such a law. According 30 the
Economist, however, they regard the silver
question as political issue and one that
can be used to great advantage.
But il the people are dealt with honestly
how can it be used with advantage as a
political issuel II the people should be told
that it doesn't matter to them much whether
congress enacts a free silver coinage law or
not. they would not, in all probability, take
much interest in the silver question,
and, hence it would not be
much of a political issue.
But the effort is being made all the time to
create the impression in the minds Of the
people that law authorizing the free coin-
age Of silver is necessary to their material
prosperity, and. hence, the silver question
becomes political one of the highest im-
portance II the position of the Economist
is rightly understood. therefore, the silver
question is made great political issue by
misleading the people.
In the article from which the above ex-
tract is made the National Economist says:
while the democrats are divided and fight
ing bitterly over the silver question, the
Republican party presents an almost solid
front against free coinage" From this
statement IL would appear that the alliance
papers, in advocating the free coinage Of
silver. expect to hurt the Democratic more
than the Republican party. They can do
the Republican party little or no harm be-
cause its members are united. But they can
hurt the Democratic party by insisting
upon the free coinage OF silver upon
"AAOh Shob paEbl 10 Q1VluSQ.
And they do that notwithstanding
the admission they make that free silver
coinage would not be of much benefit to
the people.
But the people would be much more seri-
ously affected by the free coinage of silver
than the National Economist would have
them believe. They have nothing to gain
and great deal TO lose by the passage Of a
free coinage act. In his letter OF March IA,
a synopsis of which was published in the
MORNING NEWS last Tuesday, ex-
Secretary of State Thomas F.
Bayard, a democratic statesman
of the highest order, In speaking Of the
pending silver bill, says: "There Is not one
of the acts Of tyrannioal power complained
Of in the declaration OF Independence that
would infict such widespread disaster and
permanent loss and suffering as that now
claimed by the advocates of free coinage of
silver at the mints of the United States,
without regard to the actual value Of the
material of which such coins are to be COM
posed"
The common people, the wage-workers,
are the ones who would be hurt the most by
free silver coinage law, because it would
be difficult for them to get an Increase of
wages equal TO the depreciation that the
circulating dollar would suffer. And vet
the National Economist insists upon free
silver coinage because the silver question
makes big political issue.