Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-02-16
HARRIsoN's OPPORTUNITY.

That is a ringing appeal that the
Philadelphia Times makes to Pres
ident Harrison in behalf of the
looted treasury of the nitedStatea.
1t says to him that he has a great
opportunity before him if he is
heroic enough to accept it. The
Treasury is practically bankrupt.
Its small balarce reported is made
up wholly of unavailable assets,
such as subsidiary coin and die
barsing officers deposits, which ar
not available for anything but the
debts already due and to which
they must be applied. With these
false assets eliminated from the
Treasury statement, as was the
honest practice until lately. the
balance sheet Of the government
would exhibit a deficit of from
twenty to thirty millions
The gold reserve of the govera
ment is nov lower than it has been
at any time since the war, and the
Secretary of the Treasury is shin
ming around among Wall street
bankers to obtain temporary aid
to tide the Treasury over the little
more than two weeks O. the pre-
sent administration.
The truth must te told to the
nation and to the world,
and why should not Presi,
dent Harrison manfully des
clare it to Congress by a ringing
special message and call tor re-
medal legislation? If he does not
do it, President Cleveland must do
it and thus place the present
administration at an obvious die
advantage before the country. The
people respect President Harrison.
They know that he is honest.
They know that the present bust
e paralysis, solely the creation
OF our insane silver policy, is not
justly chargeable to bis administra-
ton o his party, and a trumpet
call from him in favor of promptly
hating tie purchase of silver when
there is no money to pay for it, and
summoning the patriotic of all
parties to the protection of the
national credit. would make him
retire amid the plaudits of the
American people.
Such a message from President
Harrison telling the exact truth
and the whole truth as to the
financial condition of the Treasury
and the nation, might or nigh,
not assure wise legislative action
by the expiring Congress, bat i
would restore business confidence
at once and quicken the present
p~aralyzed values and energies o
the country. Does he not g thai
the present shifting, sEiveriDe
financial policy Of his sdministra-
ton is simply a repetition of the
Bunchonan administration tina
sought only to escape the inpend'
ing civil conflict? Even Buchana,
was aroused in the end to f1elit,
to the endangered Union. ant
should not Harrison make a
creditable a rec rd2 Buchanan
could not avert civil war, and Haf
rison can not restore the Tressur,
to solvency; but Buchanan boldl,
battled for tie right and saved hi
reputation unstained, and Harri-
eon could do as much for himsel
and the country.
Let Harrison send a plain, in
cisive appeal to Congress, telling
the truth aud the whole truth ant
point the remedy. It would hal
the midsummer party madness tina
made mor than a score of Rep
ublican Congressman vote to de-
feat the anti-silver bill on avowes
partisan ground and it would teacl
finance, commerce, industry ant
trade that their safety is not who'll,
in the Democratic party. Ii h.
rhall fail, and Cleveland proclaim
the plain, undisputed truths wbicl
Harrison has been willing to cen.
ceal, where can our financial an,
business interests turn with faitl
but to the Democracy? Does Hal
rison mean to retire leaving sue
a record AMI such a lesson to tn
c%ountry9 II not, let him tell tn
truth for the truths sake an
start the tide of business confidence
He eau do it in a day; is he equs
to his great opportunity