The herald., 1893-07-13

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tial candidates unalterably opposed to
1t; that could change the overwhelming
sentiment among the people for bimet'
alism u feeling of enmity or difference,
can never be induced to relent. for
it counted the cost and learned its
power.
The Sherman law was not the work OF
the silver-producing states. 1t was
forced upon the country against their
will. Their constant demand has been
that of the agricultural states of the
west and south, and the working masses
of the whole country. They have not
sought to impose upon the country some
new financial nostrum, but asked SIM
ply for the restoration of the coinage
laws as they were from the first year OF
the federal constitution until their fur
tive repeal in 1873. The Sherman law
is trick by which restoration was de-
feated. 1t was accepted by the bi-met-
allists as q pledge that the old laws
should at some future time be restored,
and they now demand, not that the
Sherman law shall be retained, but that
the hostage shall be redeemed by the
re-enactment in its stead of She coinage
laws under which the country grew and
prospered for more than three-uuarters
OF century.
The charge that the bi-meta)iists de.
mand that 60 cents be made dollar is a
lie. 1t ie the trick OF the single stsnd-
ard conspirators that has lessened the
value of silver. Had gold beer demone-
tized instead of silver, retaining for sil-
yer it's greatest use and cb;eiest function,
and depriving gold of it's greatest and
chiefest function, gold would not today
be worth So per ounce, and silver, in
value and purchasing power, would be
increased largely above its former high
est figure. What the bi-metalliets do
ask, and all they ask, is that the law
relating to coinage as it was for rs years
of the country's greatest glory shall be
restored without additions or expunging
@ syllable. If with the law re-enacted
and fair trial had, silver shall not,
without the purchase of an ounce of the
metal by the government, resume it's
former relative value with gold,
the bi-metallists will cheerfully
submit to any legislation experience
will suggest to make every dollar in the
United States equal in intrinsic value to
every other dollar bearing it's stamp.
They urge the old law with the supreme
confidence, born Of the unsssailable
truths in history, that it will immed-
lately place every coined American dollar
upon par valve, both as coin and bull
lion; restore the bonds of weakened
love and confidence and set in happy
motion the wheels of all the country's
magnificent industry.
Will you listen to us while we speak
in words of sober earnestness of the
"a he ,e,4 -
silver will have? The silver mining
states and territories, embracing 1,000,-
600 square miles of the continent, with
100000 Americans inhabiting them,
depend pecuniarily upon silver mining
for property. The industry is the very
heart from which nearly every other in
dustry receives support. Agriculture
will not thrive without artifc-
ial irrigation; its mines of coal,
iron, stone and clay, while magnificent,
are worked with such dear labor and go
remote from markets, that their move
ment would be feeble and their opera
tion disastrous without the stimulus the
silver mining industry affords. 1t sup
ports our foundries; operates our ma
chine shops; supplies our railroads with
freight; stimulates travel; keeps bright
the fires of the smelters, and sends Gus
toners to the ehopH of our merchants.
1t invokeH in valleys and upon the
mountain sides magnificent cities and
thrifty towns. Great manufactures of
paper, cotton, leather, iron, steel and
clays distribute finished products and
support thousands of prosperous and
happy families. But because, agriculture
is 80 limited in area, confined to narrow
strips along our few and scanty streams.
our labor is so high and handi.
work 30 remote from other than
local markets, that our coal mined, coke
burned, rails rolled, grain grown and
fruit gathered, in the main for the own
ers and workers of the silver mines and
smelters and proprietors of the indus
tries and callings dependent upon them.
A reduction in the price OF silver to
about 70 cents would shut down SO per
cent of the silver mines of the country
and the smelters must soon follow their
example.
There are in Colorado today Is, 900 idle
miners who know not where to turn if
work is not resumed. There will soon
be added to this idle army of labor,
1000 men from the smelters. The stone
quarries are nearly all shut down. Rail-
way companies are laying off train crews
by the score. Foundries are nearly all
out OF orders. Farmers and fruit grow
ers will be barely paid for the cost OF
saving their crops. Merchants are
their orders. Travel
ing men for eastern houses seek almost
in vain for customers.
This is no exaggeration. The destruc-
tion OF the silver industry will devastate
the country as if swept by a cyclone
reaching from the British possessions to
the Mexican border line. This is the
sorrowful picture of Colorado, with her
mining industry destroyed, but it repre-
Bents the condition of other mining
states and territories with the same
calamity upon them.
If the silver mines remain closed half
the American output of lead must be
lost. The greatest bulk of the lead
product is taken from silver bearing
ores. 1t requires more metal, supple
mented by the other, to remunerate the
lead-silver miner. Not less than 55 per
cent of the gold product of the country
depends upon the maintenance of the
silver industry. Placer or creek wash
inge, the earliest and most prolific
source of our gold supply, is practically
Those who contend for gold single
wilfully mslead you as to the
cost OF producing silver. We say to you
in the most solemn and truthful manner
reliable statistics prove, including but
legitimate items in the account, that the
silver of Colorado costs, by the time it