Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-01-19
A Pitlable Majority.

1t is the old story the Democratic party
is playing baby again With some 235
members of the House, 1t is complaining
that the eighty eight Republicans will not
let them be good, but are ALPHABETICALLY
and wickedly refusing to do what ought to
be done, while ma jority of the Democrats
continue to trick and scheme for the favor
of silver fanatics. The fact seems to be
that. except the few who have always
favored free coinage. the Republican mem
beers are disposed to vote as quickly a. the
Democratic majority will permit IL stop
silver purchases and coinage. But II that
were not the fact, what q contemplate
thing ii Is for the enormous Democratic
I msjurity to crawl behind the small minority
for excuse. What is party III for except
public Scorn. If 1t cannot do anything
decent when it has nearly three quarters
of the votes, unless the manhood snd
brave uprightne>s of a minority will lift it
out OF the mire: There had better be sn
end of such babyish complaints. for their
continuance tempts Republicans 10 leave
the Democrats to do what they can with
ont help.
The obvious duty Of conservative men
Of all parties j. IA bring both houses to
vote a. speedily As possible on the repeal
Of the silver purchase act. without CON
ditions or paltering compromises. If
the majority then refuses to vote for
such Il straightforward settlement Of
the question. it must take the responsi-
bllity upon itself and provide for the future
A. best it can. The talk of compromising
upon revival of silver coinage whether
at two or four millions per month. j. I'M
worthy of men who have either sincerity
OF knowledge The law a. ii stands i
safer than any coinage act under which
certificates redeemable only in silver would
he emptied into the circulation hy the
millions every month. No increase Of
paper circulation that is not redeemable in
gold can take place under the present act
The President and Secretary of the Treas
uTy are both required and clothed with
ample power to maintain the parity Of
gold and silver as long a. possible. a
return to silver coinage would only render
tie difficulty much greater and the future
more uncertain.
II is unworthy Of the United States.
after the treatment met at the Brussels
Conference, TO leave European powers to
imagine any longer that this Nation j.
going TO commit financial suicide fu: their
benefit. OF course it would give them an
incalculable advantage for the United
States to debase it, currency, lose its gold
and subject all its commerce and its in
/ dustry to the uncertainties and fluctuations
! Of the market for silver bullion A. long
a. other powers think this may be. il is
not strange that hey treat with lofty IL
difference plans for international agree
ment. The ablest and most earnes, of
European bimetallists saw this long ago.
realized that it was the one insuperable
har tn bair .tf,,r md o.. ~ 4.
country to stop all coinage and purchases
Of silver.
The obstacle here is that advocates of
silver coinage are not truly bimetallists,
but are either silver monometalists or
paper infiatonlst- The fiat money lunstics
want to force the Government into bank
ruptCy, that il NAV be compelled TO RELY
upon paper currency. Silver specu ators
and schemeT> in great number care only to
force the white metal into general Use a.
the legal tender and measure of values in
this country. If gold goes abroad or ont
IF use, that suits them so much the better.
They believe, not in double standard. but
in an alternative standard, always the
cheaper and worse of the two metals. If
the business world waits until some com
promise can be fixed up to the satisfaction
Of these classes, it will wait a long time.
President-elect Cleveland and his most
Influential friends are pressing Congress to
act at this session, and the ablest Republic
can leaders are equally earnest ia urging
action, that the prosperity of the country
may not be interrupted Business men of
all parties are watching with deep interest.
and will not be slow to place the response
bility where it belongs. if the country is
condemned 10 eight months or a year Of