The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-24
MORTON'S POLITICAL VIEWS
The Administration Talking Machine
Turned Loose on q Reporter.
He SAYS Democrats Cannot Now Vote with
Populists, and then Proceeds to Air
His Financial Theories.
"FARMER" MORTON TALKS.

He Thinks Democracy Has Grown Too Holy
Fuse with the PopuIi.ts-
WASHINGTON, June 23-The Star this
evening has a long interview with Secre-
tary j. Sterling Morton on the subject OF
the Populist agitation and the financial
question in politics. The Secretary ex-
presses the opinion that the Popuiist party
is disintegrsting. and that tie Democratic
party. being committed to policies not in
accord with the teachings of the Populists.
cannot have an alliance with them.
by the nomination of Mr.. Cleveland"
says the Secretary. land by the wording OF
the platform. the Democrats repudiased
all beresies and took the position to which
it belongs, on the side of sound money and
sound principles. The party is pledged to
this and the election of Mr. Cleveland IL
an Endorsement OF his position By MAJOR
ity OF the people His election meant, among
other things. the condemnation OF laws
placing artificial prices upon commodities,
whether of wool OF metal tin OF silver; that
the government shou III not be forced TO be
q buyer free coiner of silver. and that
sound tin8ncIal policies should be enforced.
All the plain, honest people OF the country
want Is q sound, reliable currency sufficient
for the purposes OF trade and commerce.
You can never get . majority OF the people
of this country TO favor currency based
on an artificial value and consequently un-
stable and liable to serious depreciation.
The great trou ble in settling this question
has come from the fact that many of our
statesmen of both parties in Congress are
demsgogues and are influenced by the con-
siderAtiOn OF what may be the Immediate
effect of their action upon their political
prospects rather than by their own judy
ment to what is the right thing to DO.
They deceive themselves as TO what the
l.. -. H.
their constituents to wanting What Is not
the best thing for them"
The Secretary said he did not know
whether or not the advocates of the repeal
OF the Sherman law would have TO accept
q COMPROMISE He hoped for the repeal OF
the law. and saw no objection to the repeal
OF the 10 per cent. tax on State banks as o
compromise with fthose who want more
currency. Under one condition, he said.
the absolutely free coinage of silver and
gold alike might be agreed to as COM
promise; that 10. If both were deprived OF
their iegal-tender quality. The stamp OF
the government would then signify no more
than merely that the coin was of
certain weight and fneness. and the
people could take which coin they pleased,
and refuse either if they did not like IL.
The two sorts of coin would then be
placed on their merits. and the
people would soon ascertain which
they wanted. Without tho legal-tender
quality" continued Mr.. Morton, deprived
of the fiat element, silver would have to
depend on the proper measure of supply
and demand for it's value and nc ia not diff
cult to Judge which metal the people would
want as long as the difference between the
denomination value and the bullion value
of the colnis so great. / think the farmers
ore beginning TO realize that they are bong
required to exchange their products. pro-
duced at the cost of great labor for prod
net costing much less labor and possessing.
therefore, a less In trinsio value at the ratio
of their exchange than their wheat and
their corn"