Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-17
POLITICAL LEGERDEMAIN.

by which silver may be remonetlZeo.
Will the conference come to any such
agreement? Is it the intention OF those
who are instrumental in bringing such
a meeting about that it should accom-
plish it's ostensible purpose? No!
1t is merely bit of legerdemain and
nothing more. Mr.. Harrison is an nopen
and avowed enemy of silver as coin
metal, and his owners would not have
five minutes use for him were he to
waver an inch in his devotion to gold
as the single and sole standard by which
all values are to be measured. The
moneybags of the country own the In
diana midget, and they win not permit
silver to be coined on the same terms as
gold at any reasonable ratio.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Har-
rison violated all precedents in the his
tory Of the government of this country
when he announced that he would veto
any free coinage bill the present con-
giess might pass. The defeat OF legisla-
ton favorable to the coinage of silver in
this congress is directly due to the in
huence OF the present administration,
with John Sherman and others of the
same kidney to aid the government.
This policy of Mr.. Harrison has
created strong current of opposition to
him in his own party in many western
states. 1t requires nothing but a pro-
nounced silver policy on the part OF the
Democratic party to win the votes OF
these Republicans.
The monetary conference is simply a
bit OF political thimblerigging to try and
head off this revolt in Colorado, Kansas
and elsewhere.
Some months ago even John Sherman
announced that he was ready to consid-
er measure looking towards the free
coinage of silver. Later Mr.. Foster,
secretary OF the treasury, took trip to
London, for his health, OF course. He
staid few days and then returned; and
pat upon the heels of this visit comes
the presidents programme for the mon
etary conference. BY slow degrees one
goldbug after another gives in luke
warm allegiance to this plan.
Then England expresses a half
reluctant willingness to meet with
us for discussion, and then the
other single standard governments oi
Europe play their cards in the little
game, all following suit with little
trump.
OF all the unrighteous and infamous
acts OF robbery ever committed, the de-
monetization of silver stands at the head
of the list. 1t took away more property
from the people and transferred it to the
pockets of the rich than any one nefari-
GUS act in the history of civilization.
The Republican party, led by John Sher-
man in this great conspiracy against the
masses, is responsible Tor this act. That
party, under its present leaders still
in conspiracy with the money
power Of Europe, will never al
low any steps to be taken which
honestly tend towards the remonetiza-
ton OF silver. Some one has said that
there are nine hundred and ninety-nine
ways to hoodwink the people in the
handling of this silver question, and
that John Sherman knows them all. He
is at one of these schemes OF delusion
now. and Ben Harrison is with him in
the little farce. The end in view is to
give Republican organs in Colorado,
California, Nevada and other states a
supply of wind with which to blow sill
YER dust in the eyes OF the people during
the coming campaign.
A few friends of silver will be put in
the commission, OF course. The confer
encew will meet and some proposition will
be made to establish a ratio on which
gold and silver may be coined on equal
terms. What will that ratio be? Will
it be 16 to l.? Will John Sherman
and Mr.. Harrison consent to the rails
ing OF the value of the white metal from
less than 50 cents per ounce to 125
cents? Will the money changers OF
Wall street permit their tools to so be-
tray them? Will England, who buys
American silver at so cents per ounce
and sells it to India at 100 cents, consent ?
And even if the gold standard people
should consent to this, will the nations
of Europe, who hold twice as much sil-
yer as the United States, coined or
stored for coinage at 1873 cents per
ounce, or cents more than ours is
stored at, acquiesce? Can France, Italy
and the other nations of Europe whose
silver coinage is on ratio of 151a to
consent to suffer loss of 4 cents per
ounce?
No man knows of these difficulties
more intimately than John Sherman.
His friend from Ohio, Mr.. Foster, is
well informed on these matters, and the
president is also familiar with every
detail of the subject.
He knows, and his owners know, that
an agreement will be impossible; that
England will not consent to SO high
ratio as 16 to l, and that the Latin union
cannot consent to any lower ratio than
l51a to /. The failure to agree will
come up between England and France.
MrMarrison's commission will pursue
policy of mastery inactivity in Eu-
rope, but the Republican press at home
will be provided with cyclone of politi-
IL