The Lamar register., 1893-02-18
THE SUPREME QUESTION.
senator Stewart of Nevada Says 1t In
..Moncy" and Not .ruriI"

stewart VI Ncvad1 Says 1t Is
'Moncy" and Not ..rarir"
Senator Stewart of Nevada, who
was in San Francisco. was asked by n
reporter how he would stand on tariff
reform in the United States senate.
says the Chicago Sentinel. ..The
tariff, said the senator, sis Il matter
OF small consequence compared with
the financial question. I'm for free
SILVER, and as to the tariff | stand
where Lincoln did when he wrote that
union could be preserved with
out destroying slavery he was for
preserving union that way. but if
union could not be saved without the
abolition OF slavery then he was an
abolitionist
But suppose the tariff reform
proposition comes up Independently
altogether with silver how will you
vote?r
''On the merits of the proposition, +"
replied the senator.
But for or against protection9n
Are you aware, replied the sena-
tor impressively, ''that we have only
onc-half as much coin in reserve to-
day Us we had eighteen years ago?
Then we possessed $1,000, ,0OO, 900,
now we have but s3,70O,O0O, 900. All
gold banks have discarded silver as a
basis and silver is reduced to the po-
sition Of credit money. Everybody
ought to know that the business of
the world must bear some relation to
credit and reserve and here we see it
standing like pyramid up-ended, the
apex resting on that little pedestal of
gold. What Is the consequence?
Things keep going from bad to worse;
prices have fallen forty per cent in
eighteen years and are still on the
down grade. Every man who is not
n lender wakes up each day poorer
than when he went to bed"
But what is your attitude on the
tariff"
"Tarif legislation, even il whole
some ia itself, replied Senator
Stewart promptly. ..is not adequate
to relieve the state of the things
have described. Until this silver
question is settled, and it never will
be until 1t is settled light. no party
can remain in power more than four
years. Each will give the people
wrong explanations of what ails them
and when 1t is ofTorded the oppor-
tunity to try it's cure it will be found
to be useless. Until the country
shall have plentiful supply ofmoncy
things cannot mend.
"Wil you vote TO remove the Me-
Kinley dutiesP"
"Sir." said the senator. Il shall be
a high tariff. or a low tariff man. or
free trade man according as my posi-
tiou may affect silver. All the other
questions sink into insignificance be-
side the money question. shall use
my vote under all circumstances to-
ward securing free coinage
That is to say you are rs 10 the
tariff strictly on the fenee?'
"Well. answered Mr.. Stewart,
I'D hardly like TO put it that way,
but he added. ION the fence is good
American language after all. and ex'
presses my opinion exactly. I'm for
silver. first. last and all the time.
You underestimate
And mean to log roll for il ?''
Log roll is an offensive phrase
but it its the situation.
Now. III tell you all you or the
public want to know about the neces-
sity of the free coinage of silver, but
as TO other questions, prefer to re-
main uncommitted. should deprive
myself of the advantage as Il friend
OF silver or being -er-"
"On the fence?n