The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-06-18
He RISES FOR REFORMATION
An Old Time Republican Asks Some
Very Pertinent Questions.
Unsatisfactory answers VIII do More to
Hold Republican, in Line Than Words
Without Meaning"


Under Jhe meaning Inc ColilaSt
Question" in your weekly issue OF
June 1, I find an editorial which,
to my mind, need some explana-
ton. | have been republican
during all my voting years having
cast my first ballot for Abraham
Lincoln at his first election, and |
have continued unquestioningly to
vote the republican ticket ever
since. But, with thousands of
other who have done very much
the same, | have reached a point
where some things must be ex-
planned. Finding your editorial
in one of the great republican or
gans I naturally expected some
calculation Of the financial prob
lem as they stand connected with
the silver question. But [ have
learned recently, in reading after
political writer's, to analyze Ian
suage and statements to ascertain
if they contain sound logic. In
bringing this test of analysis to
your article, astounding results
have been developed, if l have not
misapplied the test. If | have |
wish to be corrected. Leaving
aside. many points, which do not
appear so lucid to me as they do to
you, l will confne my inquiry to
to some statements which | have
difficulty in harmonizing.
First. You say that, 'the &C
ton of Germany and the Latin
union Tin demonetizing silver)
operated powerfully to depress the
price of silver" From this fact we
infer that silver must seek mar
ket, not in these countries, but
elsewhere. This you assert it did,
in the east-and these countries
became sellers of silver and not
purchasers. But / am not able
to harmonic the above with what
follows, viz: 1.-THE United States
at that time was using paper cur
rency almost exclusively, and this
paper was largely deprecated. 1t
could not be exchanged at par for
coin of any kind. Its circulation
drove coin of every kind out of the
country. 1t would have been prac-
tically impossible to force into use
in the United States any silver
coins had they been furnished by
the mint without limit. The silver
when coined would have gone
abroad, there to find it's actual
market, etc." Now | do not ex-
actly understand how it could DC,
with Germany and all the other
countries represented in the Latin
Union selling silver, and that at
greatly reduced price, that Ameri-
can silver, which represents 40 per
cent of all silver production, would
how TO those very countries where
silver was demcnetized. and a drug
n the market; and that those
countries and the small amount
he east would consume would con-
'titute ''the only market" for our
silver. and that our silver would
cave home, where il was coined
INTO legal money, and seek such a
market.
Then again, you assert that the
reconciliation OF silver by Ger
many and the Latin union "oper-
lted powerfully to depress the price
II silver, while it may we'll be
lou1ted whether the mere discon-
-iuualee Of the coinage in this
country had any appreciable effect
whatever Surely you do not
mean to tell US that the demonetiz- s
alton OF silver in Germany and S
,ther countries mentioned mower. g