The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-02-04
Forcing the Issue.

4
the strongest democratic papers in
the country, and which was an ar
dent supporter OF Grover Cleveland
at the Chicago convention, has
placed itself on record as the cham
pion of free and unlimited coinage
of silver: 1t says:
"The coinage question is ASSUME
ing an importance that threatens
to make it the issue of first import
ance in the politics of the country,
and that before either party is pre-
pared to undertake to settle it. Tie
Wall street people, in whose interest
the Sherman Bullion Storage act
was forced through against the pro-
test of every honest man who un-
derstood its purpose, are now loud
ly demanding its immediate repeal,
and in doing so they are preparing
at the same time to push measures
to perpetuete private currency
based on debt and to attempt the
permanent demonstration of silver.
sit is not hard to see the mean
ing Of this plan to retain permanent
control of the currency. If success
full, it would mean the permanent
supremacy in the politics of this
country of spectators and money
lenders; and because this is so it
cannot succeed. The issue being
forced by these people thus ulti-
.mately is one that will rend parties
and stir this country as it has not
been stirred since the slavery ques-
ton was settled. The democratic
party has only one course open to
it when the issue comes. 1t. will
stand for an unmanipulated cur
rency bearing the mint mark Of the
sovereign people. and not the sigma
ture of the president of any corpo-
ration favored with the sovereign's
prerogative of issuing money and
acting as viceroy.
"Let our Wall street friends make
no mistake. Let them dismiss the
idea that they can reach into the
democratic party and control it.
There is no man and no set Of
men in the democratic party that
can control it or turn it when this
issue is once forced. The demone-
tization of silver has added at least
20 per cent to the debts Of every
Agricultural Exporting State in the
Union. Not only silver, but wheat,
cotton and all other agricultural
have been forced down
while gold was being forced up, and
while the debts Of the Exporting
States were being forced up to the
gold basis.
Having done this once, our
Wall street friends think they can
10 it again and keep on doing it.
But they do not read the signs of
he times. They may commit dem
mocratic politicians as we'll as the
politicians in the North
vest against the people. But i'll
hey do the republican party will
De wiped out and the democratic
party will either repudiate North
eastern leadership or split across
he Allegheny mountains.
"This issue was put off in the
asst campaign to make way for the
of the tariff issue. There
can be no such postponement in
he next National campaign, and
# our Wall street friends wish to
begin the next campaign here and
now, why they will find that they
can do it with surprising ease.
Whenever the campaign is open
I'd, there will be no trouble in find
ng out exactly how the Exporting
States stand. They will be for
honest bimetallism and a Western
manor bust p
The Republic in speaking of
Carlisle on the silver question seems
70 have the utmost confidence in
he position Carlisle will assume as
Secretary of the Treasury. The !
says: "Unless silver is
and freely coined, the
Valley Exporting States must con-
,inue to take cost price for their
We are now using all our
silver, all our surplus of wheat,
provisions and other agri-
cultural products to bid up the
price of gold. 1t is a ruinous pol
cy, and when Mr.. Carlisle has
aiken charge of the Treasury we
expect him to oppose it with the
energy and zeal he has shown in
he combating of the oppression of
! protective tariff.
"We cannot understand those
Who expect Mr.. Carlisle to act 9TH
,rwise. He is not the man to stul-
lily himself or to make himself obi
,us by deserving those who have
he right to count on his help.
When Wall street calls the roll oil
is servitors the next Secretary of
he Treasury will not answer
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