The herald., 1893-08-02
THE SQUARE THING--A BIMErALLIC
STANDARD.

A most delightful thing it would be tc
have all people happy. And yet this
condition Of felicity seems to be almost
unattainable.
In the United States we seem to be
possessed by q people who, in large
measure, are not in sympathy with the
natural evolution of the American con-
tinent. There is no possibility Of ignor-
ing the fact that the policy inaugurated
by Mr.. Preston as director of the mint
is not acceptable to the American peo-
pie. This gentleman has announced il
to be his purpose to accept the quota
tions of silver from England. That
there has been a wide, and, in fact, uni
versal repugnance to this attitude o: an
American official, goes without saying.
The fact is that at every stage of the
controversy between ono-metallism
and bi-metAllism the United States and
all American nations have been grossly
betrayed.
There is great question ss to whether
the administration of President Cleve-
lend has had chance Of expressing it's
own volition on the point of gold and
silver. The President has been embar.
rassed by two cardinal propositions in
the matter. In the first place, the gold
bugs have bodily assumed him as be-.
longing to their number. In his proc
lamation calling q special session he
seems to have leaned to this element OF
his party. 1t comes from that portion
of his party with which he is not closely
affiliated. But Cleveland has shown a
remarkable ability to dssociate himself
from ideas which have been hitherto
accepted as dominating him. He won
the last election for his party and him
self by giving great prominence to the
tariff issue, and yet, in his special mes.
sage, he gave not so much as compli-
mentary mention to the tariff. A gen.
tleman VI ith such wide range of selec.
ton as to national topics cannot be as
sumed to have exhausted his surprises.
In the second propositions which the
president will be compelled to discuss in
bis message to the special session OF con.
gress he will, if he is wise, dissociate
himself from Wall street. If he should
devote himself TO the true interests OF
the United States and of mankind he
will feel that he must be respectful to
the standing of gold and silver as gen.
uine standards Of values since the earliest
dawn of history. Taking up the subject
from this historical point of view. he can
not fail to note the fact that the earliest
purchase OF land in history was that
made by Abraham, of the field of Mac.
pelah, which he paid for in talents of
silver. With silver demonetized, we are
face to face with the fact that the most
venerable money metal in the history OF
antiquity was attempted to be demone.
tized in 1878. and that the consum-
nation of that unspeakable iniquity
is sought to be consummated now.
Will it be conaummsted? We unhes-
itatingly say that it will not. The peo-
pile Of the United States are rallying en-
mssse to prevent the completion of this
great fraud. Without discussing in de-
tail the movement of the Chicago con.
vention, now in session, in the interest
of the white metal, we have no hesita-
tion in expressing our opinion that it's
utterance will be 90 wise, patriotic and
resonant that no American Congress
will dare to disregard its dictum.
Why should the American people range
themselves in line with the people of
England, in order to assist that imper-
rious nation in putting ring in the
nose and shackle en- the ankle of the
debtor nations? n
Certainly the United States will not
be party to this great infamy.
We have no hesitation in expressing
our belief that the special session Of
congress will proclaim itself in favor of
the old. and right prescription of the
moneys of the constitution of the United
States, viz, parity of the precious
metals on the proposition OF sixteen
ounces OF silver to one of gold. In
taking this stand we shall not only
place the two precious metals on a
parity, but we shall place the poor
people of the whole world on a square
and equal footing.