The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-10
THE SUPREME QUESTION:.
Senator Stewart of Nevada Says Tt
<sMoney" and Not wTar16:,,


Senator Stewart of Nevada Says It n
~Money" and Not wTaraG''
Senator Stewart of Nevada, who
was in San francisco, was asked by a
reporter how he would stand on tariff
reform in the United States senate,
says the Chicago Sentinel. 1.-The
tariff, ";said the senator, ssis matter
of small consequence compared with
the financial question. I'm for free
silver, and as to the tariff I stand
where Lincoln didwhen he wrote that
if 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.
'sBut suppose the tariff reform
proposition comes up Independently
altogether with silver how will YOU
vote?''
ION the merits of the proposition, y
replied the senator.
'.But for or against protection?''
care you aware" replied the sena-
tor impressively, ''that we have only
one-half as much coin in reserve to-
day as we had eighteen years ago?
Then we possessed $7,5OO,OOO 900,
now we have but $3,7O0,OOO,OO 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 appended, 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
a lender wakes up each day poorer
than when he went to bed"
''But what is your attitude on the
TARIFF"
Tariff legislation, even if whole
some in ITSELF" replied Senator
Stewart promptly, 'is not adequate
to relieve the state of the things I
have described. Until this silver
question is settled, and it never will
be until it is settled light, no party
can remain in power more than four
years. Each will give the people
wrong explanations of what ais them
and when it is offorded the oppor-
tunity to try it's cure it will be found
to be useless. Until the country
shall have plentiful supply of money
things cannot mend"
s.Will you vote to remove the Nc
Kinley duties?'
''Sir," said the senator, Il shah be
high tariff, or low tariff man, OR
free trade man according as my posi-
ton may affect silver. All the other
questions sink into insignifcance be-
side the money question. shall use
my vote under all circumstances to-
ward securing free coinage"
''That is to say you are as to the
tariff strictly on the fence?"
WELL" answered Mr.. Stewart,
I'D hardly like to put. it that way,
butt 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 understands
''And mean to log roll for it?''
LOG roll is an offensive phrase
but it fits the situation.
'.Now, I'll 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. l should deprive
myself of the advantage as friend
of silver or being Err
"On the fence?''
''Precisely."