The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-10-06
SILVER AND THE POPULAR VOTE.

The proposition of Congressman Cooper
OF Texas to submit the question of the
free coinage of silver to vote OF the peo-
pie is Democratic in its spirit, is not
very likely to be made practical nor
would it, in our opinion. prove entirely
satisfactory tc the silver cause.
His scheme is to the effect that on the
first Monday in November an election
shall be held, called by the Governors of
the several States, at which each voter
may cast ballot ssfor'' or 'sagainst''
free coinage. The object in having a
special election when general election is
SO near at hand is, of course, to avoid
complicating this question with others or
with party politics. Ii such an election
were to be held, that would be meritori-
GUS feature of the plan.
The silver question is not strictly a
party question, because neither party is
anything like a unit upon it. 1t is more
nearly sectional question, the south
and west against the east. But this is
not exactly the position, because there is
quite following of the advocates of I'M
conditional repeal of the Sherman law in
the west, while there are also many think
ing people in the east who perceive
the necessity of free silver coinage. II
the people eff this country were educated
up to the comprehension of the money
question, there would be no fear as to the
result. But they are not. The masses OF
the people in the populous states of the
east are naturally as far behind in that
education at least as the prominent men
in both parties. And while the latter
continue to look upon silver as a mere
commodity, and class it with iron, cop
per and lead, as though il had no
other value to the world, it can scarcely
be expected that the great body of the
people who look to them as guides will
have better understanding OF the
matter.
Most of the arguments of the anti
silverites are based on that idea as though
it we're unquestionable. They ignore
entirely the facts that silver has, from the
earliast ages, been sought after as a
money metal, that it occupied that POSI-
ton side by side with gold as its natural
ally, companion and helpmeer for many
centuries; that its apparent depreciation
has been brought about by law, and that
the effects ofethe anti-silver legislation
have been immeasurably disastrous.
A popular election on this question,
then, would probably result in major
ity against free coinage. For. in addi-
ton to. the causes we have mentioned
there would be the immense influence
that the moneyed power would bring TO
bear to prevail upon voters to support
what they deceptively call s'honest
moneys AS against the ''depreciated cur
rency-'
The campaign of education on silver
which THE HERALD has advocated from
the beginning of the most recent strug-
gle for its restoration, is still in demand.
A great deal has been done during the
past few months to forward it. If the
same work had been performed earlier
better results might have been achieved.
1t is critical time for silver. The
chances for its un limited coinage are now
very slim aud the best that is immedi-
ately expected is some sort of compro-
MISE
The Cooper proposition is not likely to
be adopted, and if it were the outcome
would be exceedingly doubtful. The