The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-09-09
WHENCE THE PRESSURE COMES.

1t ought to be understood that the
pressure brought to bear upon members
OF Congress to vote for the repeal of the
silver purchasing clause comes from the
public and not from the president. 1t is
necessary to mention this because Re-
publican and Populist papers keep up
their din and attribute the action of SEN
s.tors and representatives, on this ques-
ton, to unworthy motives and some
terrible exercise of despotism or other
Influence which is not defined in any
specific manner.
People in the west, where the silver
industry affects all classes, do not under
stand the overwhelming sentiment in the
east against the purchase of silver under
the Sherman act and the opposition to
unlimited silver coinage. The influential
papers, as well as the fnanciers and
business houses, have urged the uncon-
ditional repeal of the former and treated
the latter as an absurdity and an infamy.
They have stirred up the country
to besiege the members of Congress from
the various districts which they repre-
sent. and prevail upon them to stand firm
against the 'ssilver lunatics, y as we of the
west are dubbed. This is clipping from
the New York Herald:
ssThat the Senate may realize and feel
the force of popular sentiment, every wire
to Washington should be made hot and
every mail heavy with messages from
chambers of commerce, boards of trade,
| banks, merchants, manufacturers and
workingmen, calling upon Senators to
quit talking and go to voting-to repeal
the Sherman law and stop buying silver.
The vital fact should be impressed upon
the senatorial mind that the people want
action and will not tolerate delay.'
That has been copied in all parts of the
country. Large and influential firms and
corporations in the east have framed pe-
titlons and sent them all over the Union
for signature and then forwarded them to
| Washington. Just such sentiments as
the New York Herdld'S have been uttered
by the press in most of the states. Sena-
tors and Representatives have been ap-
pealed to by their constituents to act as
that paragraph directs. The force of
public opinion has been behind the move
meut for repeal, and the silver regions are
in the minority.
There is no evidence that anything else
than the pressure thus brought to bear
has Influenced Congressman in their
sourse on this question, apart from their
own personal convictions as to what
ought to be done. Until there is positive
proof that men chosen by the people to
make laws for the nation are either
frightened towards or purchased scoun-
drels, it is foolish to believe the suspi-
cions breathed by silver fanatics, and
most infamous to manufacture the unsup-
ported charges which some of them have
hurled against those gentlemen.
Such ibels do no good to the silver
cause. They have no effect. as argument.
They enlighten nobody. They will not
hinder the action of the Senate. They
will not influence anybody to vote in ia
vor of silver coinage. If they exercise
any influence 1T all il will be to the detri-
ment of the efforts in aid of the white
metal.
The campaign of education on silver
advocated by THE HERALD early last
winter, and ridiculed by the protested
sole silver champion of the Rocky Mount
aims, is now seen to be necessity. We
believe that light is needed in the east on
this subject, and that the men who most
need to understand it are mistaken rather
but may be convinced. And we
do not think that the regular session of
Congress will adjourn without something
being done that will be advantageous to
silver.