The Helena independent., 1893-07-03
THE SILVER LINING.

Minimum Temperature 49.O.
Local forecast: Showers. cooler.
Helena. July 2. 1885,
THE SILVER LINING.
While the condition confronting Mon
tana's greatest industry is unquestion-
ably most menacing at the present time
we believe there is altogether too much
foreboding of evil on the part OF many
of our people. The events OF the past
few days have shown e marked reaction
against the policy Of the short-sightee
clique Of London and Wall street epecu-
lators who have been seeking from selfish
motives to force crisis upon the coun-
try. The blow aimed at silver has fallen
upon all interests-upon capital as well
az labor, upon East as we'll as West
Men who never before have realized the
magnitude and extent Of our mining in
dustry are beginning to understand that
it IS SO interlnked with other activities,
with the dividends on the shares OF great
railroad corporations, with the markets
Of the farmer, with the sales OF the
merchant, with labor in every form, that
to strike it down means the commercial
and industrial paralysis Of the entire
country. Understanding this fact for
the first time, these mon are now con-
vinced that the only way by which we
can get back on the road to prosperity
is to give the country what the fathers
of the country gave us, stable, honest
and adequate money, gold and silver
and paper based on them, each alike
honored and respected by the govern
ment and all the people-such circu
lating medium as prosperous France hat
maintained for e-quarters of CEN
tury.
This much, we believe, has beer
learned in the hard school Of experience
by men who in the past have paid little
heed to the question that has been such
a burning one to the people Of the west
This means bi-metallism, the use o1
gold and silver as money; not the use oi
one as money and the other as fuctuat.
ing commercial bullion, as the fraudu
lent Sherman act provides, but in the
strict meaning of the word, or, to quote
the definition OF the photographers,
"That system OF coinage which recog-
nizes both COINS of silver and coins OF
gold as legal tender to any amount"
The single gold standard men in the
United States are mighty few. They
are confined to the one-per- -cent-a-month
class of usurious money lenders and they
are opposed by all students of economic
science the world over, ns we'll as by the
great masses of the American people
who are close students IN the school of
experience.
Gold and silver as money, at ratio
fixed by law, and coined on equal terms!
That is what we are going to have,
and much sooner than many have hoped
for. We are history-making, these days,
with rush. The world is coming our
way, and the United States will get
there first.
The gold standard is bogey. Don't
be frightened by it! We are not going
to have it. The American people are
against it and they will not submit to
dictation. The republican party is
against it. 1t declared in it's national
convention last year: "The American
people from tradition and interest favor
bimetallism, and the republican party
demands the use of gold and silver as
standard money, with such restrictions
and under such provisions, to be detor-
mined by legislation, as will secure the
maintenance of the parity OF values of
the two metals"
The democratic party is against it.
1t declared in its platform on which
Grover Cleveland stands: "We hold TO
the Use of both gold and silver as the
standard money of the country, and to
tho coinage of both gold and silver
without discriminating against either
metal or charge for minting"
The peoples party is against it. Its
platform says: 1--WE demand free and
unlimited coinage of silver nnd gold n,
the present legal ratio of sixteen te
one"
Grover Cleveland is against it. He
declared in his letter of acceptance
September %, 1882: "Gold and silver
can be safely utilized on equal terms in
the adjustment of our currency. The
wants OF our people arising from the
deficiency or imperfect distribution O,
the money circulation ought to be fully