New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-13
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AREMEDY FULL or RISE.

| Ii is announced as if by official authority
that President Cleveland and his Cabinet are
opposed to an extra session. The same an
nouncement embraces the statement that the
next Congress, if called in extra session, could
not be brought to repeal tho Silver Purchase
act Presumably this must be understood as
| tho result of the thorough canvass made by
Chairman Harrty of the Democratic National
Committee AS there are comparatively few
Republicans who would not favor that step, the
canvass discloscs the fact that a great ma
iority of the Democrats in the next Congress
are hostile to President Clcvcands wishes in
| this matter.
According 10 this Scm.OffClal announcement,
the President thinks it wiser to defer any action
AT present, in the hope that public opinion
may bring members OF Congress to better
| frame of mind 1t is even suggested that, II
small sales of bonds do not suffice to prevent
premium on gold, the Administration will
then cease to sell, and will allow the people t.
have an experience of the silver basis Tor
while in the belief that the consequences would
speedily cure the silver fanaticiSm. This Is
dangerous remedy to prescribe, and 1t Is TO be
hoped that the published statements do net Ill
this particular represent the deliberate purpose
of the President or the Secretary OF the
Treasury.
1t is to DO feared that these gentlemen have
not fully measured the strength of the debt
rcpudiating or comm,lniSic sentiment which is
behind silver agitation. To a multitude OF
voters who demand free coinage that measure
is attractive precisely because they believe ii
will rob the rich, and especially the money
10 ND for
it in this section, and in commercial cdnmuni-
ties at the West and South are profoundly
dcspised by such voters, who want TO smash
the money kings and the gold bugs, the money
lenders and creditors. and rich and prosperous
people generally. Their hatred of corporations
and their unjust legislation against them their
rcpudiating of local debts IN too many States
and legislation making it practically impoS-
siblo to collect debts there; their clamor for
increase of paper currency TO $50 per capita
or more-all point the same way. What these
voters want is n wholesale robbery OF those
who have anything, in the notion that those
who havo nothing will somehow divide the
plumber.
Experience in other countries does not teach
that this destructive spirit OF hostility to all
rights of property is readily corrected by the
suffering which it produces. On the contrary,
where tho rich and the aristocrats have been
stripped so far as revolution and communism
could strip them, the ignorant communist has
gloated over the ruin wrought and the pros
tration Of industries and OF trade but present
~. when he has found himself starving, he has
charged all tho responsibility for his suffering,
not 10 his own foolish action, but 10 the rich
who could get bread for the millions and dis
tribute it free Of charge if they only would,
but who wckedly refused. 1t is a dangerous
experiment to paltcr with such revolutionary
and destructive tendencies in this country, and
most unsafe to bring ruin and disaster upon
industries in the hope that suffering may edu-
cate.
The men whJ had not wisdom enough to vote
against change when they were more pros
porous than ever before may perhaps be taught
by suffering. But the ruin would have to go
so far and the disaster would have TO reach so
many who are blamcless as well as some who
are blamowOlthy, that it cannot be invited by
those who wish well to the country. 1t is
surely the part of wisdom and of patriotism to
do all that can be dcne to save the people from
the consequences Of their own errors Of opinion.