Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-03-10
THE GRAVE DIGGERS.


ing ieading matter these days, and per-
haps nothing is more generally satisfac-
tory than the story of Mondays work,
by the Democratic majority in congress,
which by Il vote of 100 to 81 decided to
consider this month the Bland silver bill.
At last, it is the peoples privilege to
know With tolerable degree OF pre-
cisiOn, just who favor this bill and who
desperation, advocates of national
monetary p,licy which at the cost of
national soivency is in the direct init rest
of western silver kings, have forced the
day. The result was without doubt eX-
pected, and the western and southern
hosts had very easy history, the
frantic warnings and earnest appeals of
northern sound money Democrats fall
ing upon app irently closed cara
1t was to be. Since 1888, although
not plank in the Democratic platform,
free silver has been planned for, and the
organization of the present congress was
with an open eye 10 the fair passage Of
such legislation. 1t can not be claimed
that this step was taken in ignorance,
for from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
| from Canada to the Gulf, there has been
| long, continued anu complete discussion.
1t has come to be unanimously under
stood that the prop >sed monetary legis-
lation means a debarrei and fraudulent
currency which would stain even the
prestige for honesty OF Uncle Sam, him
self. 1t has come to be of iae accept.
ance that the Bland silver bill contS M
plates the unlimited coinage of silver
and sweeping change of our entire
national paper circulation as well.
Mondays congressional business may
serve to aid the unde standing of some
to an extended If unpAlatable point.
There is not great army of Republican
representatives at Washington but those
who are there are for honest money and
have ever been. and if free silver comes
/ TO the point of executive passaga Gas no
doubt it wild the shame will lie at
Democracy's door and nowh re Else.
r. publicans have heen powelless, and
indeed without inclna ion to o5struct
the siyer men III their d termined course,
and the pit which now yawns for party
flushed by the presence of overwhelming
numbers has been dug by Democratic
hands alone. Ephraim has been joined
to his idols, and they have simply let
him alone. The declaration of Mr..
Williams of Massachusetts was perhaps
not precisely polite from his party's
point of view. but it was truth, and so
accurately and honestly expressed that
we append his remarks. He said:
"a vote has been taken which showed that 20
| Democrats Ia the house were opposed to the free
| coinage of silver and would oppose it to the bit
ter end. Those mea were the Democrats in this
house. daughter and applause.) Gentlemen
might laugh; a bad conscience required some
| consolation and they would find that they needed
| that consolation before the Democratic party had
got through explaining to the people why it had
left free coinage out of the platform of 1855 and
had appealed 10 the people on the ground that it
was opposed to free coinage, thereby justifyins
its administration for four years. 1t was now
proposed to give the lie to of its pledges. In
the north pledges to the people meant something
and the pledges of Democrats in the north had
changed great minority into great majority.
How was that majority made up? By accessions
from the Republican party, and If those acces-
sions were lost it would be because the Demo-
cratic party had been false to its pledges. The
day of reckoning would come upon this question.
If free coinage was established by Democratic
votes the reform of the tariff was at an end. The
people of the north could stand taxation under
! unjust laws and would stand them, but they were
not yet ready to go into national bankruptcy and