The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1893-08-18
THE RATIO.

There seems to be spirit oil COM
promise prevailing in and out of con-
gress among some free coinage men
to daily with the goldbugs upon some
ratio above Is to l, and then continue
the silver fight in future elections for
the present ratio. 1t is argued that
if we cannot get free coinage at Is to l,
it would be wise craftsmanship, as
we'll as great generalship, to accept
it at II, IS, 10 or 20 to l.. The argu-
ment is illustrated by an exchange,
thus:
A besieging army does not despise
the capture of an outpost, redoubt
or some minor fort. With shot and
shell and scaling ladders and impact
masses of troops every point OF
vantage that can be is fought
for and secured. Every new
advance renders the capture of
the main citadel the more certain.
To obtain the surrender of Richmond
the battles of the Wilderness had to
be fought, Petersburg taken and forth
fed, the march of Sherman through
Georgia made, Atlanta and Savannah
captured. Richmond at every mo-
ment was his objective point, but If
Grant had been unwilling to assail
and take minor positions, and COM
mence again and anew from them,
his onward march, his last glorious
campaign, would have been failure
and the union might never have been
restored,
The illustration, as we'll as the ar
gument is fallacious. The enemy has
captured and practically destroyed
the citadel of 16 to l, which the silver
forces are struggling to retake and
rebuild as the foundation of our finan-
cial temple. What would be thought
of the general charged with an assault
upon the enemy encamped upon the
site of the destroyed citadel, who,
instead of leading the assault and
moving directly upon the breast
works, should enter into compro-
mise with the commander of the OPP
posing forces and erect another cita-
del of enlarged proportions, which
must be destroyed before the original
citadel can be regained? What would
have been thought of General Grant
if he had received and accepted from
General Lee a compromise to restore
the union upon the enlarged basis of
the federal and confederate constitu-
tons, with the understanding that if
this prove unsatisfactory to the general
good, then the respective bulldogs of
war may be turned loose and the
federal forces may destroy the new
union and establish the union under
the old constitution if they can?
President Lincoln, upon reading the
proposed terms of peace, would have
convened lunatic commission for
Grants benefit and dismissed the
terms of the armistice by declaring it
is not good policy to swap horses
while crossing stream" and the war
for the old union upon the basis OF
the old constitution would have been
prosecuted with renewed vigor.
mo compromise, no parleying, no
negotiations for peace, except upon
the unconditional surrender of the
enemy, the unconditional restoration
OF the union and the unconditional
repeal of the crimes OF the secession
ordinances of 1861" was Lincoln's
motto. Upon this he staked the
destiny OF the nation, upon this he
won. Upon any other basis outbursts
OF passion and guerilla warfare would
have been entailed upon the gener-
ations. So let the rallying cry in
this contest be for human liberty, no
compromise with foreign foes OF
domestic traitors until the crime OF