Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-07-29
What He Was Doing.
Stephen B. Elkins thinks

that President Cleveland did not boldly de-
clare early in April that it was the established
policy of the United States to maintain gold
and silver at par.
But the New York Evening Post,
seeing this, asks
where was Elkins, April %, when
President Cleveland did just what he (Elkins)
now says he should have done?
To this the Cumberland Times yolun-
teerS an answer:
We rather think that the statesman from
West Virginia was enjoying the shadow of
his own vine and fig tree and that, like Rip
Van Wrinkle he had fallen asleep among the
everlasting hills.
The JOURNAL is sure the Times is
mistaken. Mr.. Elkins was wide
awake, and, what is better, we have
it from first hands that he was evident
ly content with performing the I'M
ostentations duty Of endorsing the
views of the Cumberland Neus.
Lest there should be any doubt
about this construction of Mr.. Elkins'
office in the premises, the JOURNAL
will quote from the Neeos itself:
The Nems feels greatly complimented in
having its view of the present financial
situation endorsed by so distinguished
leader as ex-Secretary Elkins.
The JOURNAL begs pardon for as
Stunning to correct the Times, but it's
loye of the truth of history and the
integrity of justice compels an I'M
usual diversion from the track of
journalistic greatness.
But Mr.. Elkins is not alone in the
astute business of endorsing" the
financial views of the Neaos He is in
the company of no lessa grandee than
but we will permit the Neacs to speak
for itself
That distinguished statesman, Benjamin
Harrison, expresses some opinions upon the
business troubles that have come upon the
country which are in perfect accord with the
position taken by the Ne~s.
Gratifying as these remarkable coin
cidences of political concord are, it
must be remembered that the Ne,os
enjoys over its great friends the ad-
vantages of rostrum and audience
every day. In fact, the Neps is con-
tinually talking, in the course of
which should it fail to contend for
something its leaders can approve, the
omission would be a phenomenon in
the course of human events.
But what does Gen. Harrison say ?
We will see
The Sherman Act is not alone responsible
for the prevailing confidence that this coun-
try now experiences. The distrust is not
against silver only.
In short: a new light has broken in
all at once upon the Neaos, Mr.. Elkins
and Gen. Harrison, namely-to pardon
silver for what it has done and convict
the tariff for what it is going to do.
Hence, the rallying cry is-'the tariff,
the tariff-what are you going to do
with the tariff ~
And the subject Of the rallying cry
is the agreed, foreordained cause of the
current unrest.
Since these gentlemen know all at
once so much Of prospective causes.
they might inform democratic skeptics
what tariff change expectation was it
that plecipitated the panic lnaugu.
rated in the Jay Cooke failure in 1872
And if demonetized silver has only
its share of blame to bear now, what
proposed tariff changes then divided
the dlshonor with silver when it was
first degraded in this country to a
commodity
The JOURNAL admits that there may
have been no connection between the
underhand, sneaking manner with
which silver was disgraced in 1872
or 1873, but it is a coincidence re-
markable that each deadly blow at
silver, then and now, should have
been followed by great financial
ulSluI UtucS.
And the JOURNALS humble opinion,
In consequence, is that prospective
tariff legislation has no more to do
with the current trouble than it had
then ?
Still, who can tell?
There were scores of people in this
region then who believed the cause had
preceded the effect.
In other words, that the reduction
of the duty on coal from $l25 to Is
cents per ton by the same demonetizing
hands was the accomplished twin
measure of destruction.
For in those times, as now, there was
not one-tenth Of the friendship in Con-
gress for silver or coal miners that
Congress professed.
A Far-Fetched Objection.
The progressive people of Marion
county, w. Va, want to build a new
courthouse in place of the present
mem orial of the Middle Ages.
Out among the haysecds, however,
the project has aroused strong antag-
onism, to which, in several instances,
formal shape has been given in public
meetings, speeches, preambles, reso-