The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-10-12
SENATOR RANSOM.

North Cardinals senior Senator is
just now under fire. 1t is not the first
time the chivalric gentleman has faced
the enemy. His body is scanned all
over with honorable wounds.
Senator Ransom is not pugnaclous
and spiteful animal His character
istics are those Of the lion. He is not
easily provoked to anger, but, when
aroused, woe to the foeman who comes
within the length of his blade.
Why are these assaults now made
upon the Senator? Some assert that
he is not securing removals fast
enough. The " rascals" are not turned
out by the ship load. There is some
truth in this, but the Senator is not
responsible Mr.. Cleveland is the
captain on deck and he will not sur
render his sword to any man or any
combination of men. Nevertheless,
many North Carolinians have been
given honorable and lucrative positions
through the influence of Senator
Ransom. Indeed some of the shots
now aimed at him are because he has
been more successful in procuring
appointments than his very able
colleague Senator Vance. Mr.. Grady,
in letter to this writer, says that
nine-tenths of the present Federal
officials are Republicans. But, this is
no fault Of our senior Senator. If the
North Carolina delegation in Congress
could control the matter, the last
Republican would be ousled before
breakfast.
But the main attack upon Senator
Ransom, is because of his position on
the silver question. He is for the
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
law.
We have had no communication with
the Senator on the subject, but we
think we understand him. He believes
that the success of the administration
is essential alike to the national honor
and the interests of the people. If
the administration goes down, reform
measures will fail all along the line.
There will be no repeal of the McKin-
ley law no repeal of the election law;
and the people will be remanded to
the dark night of Republican misrule
and barbarlsm.
Senator Ransom does not agree
with the President on silver, but,
rather than permit the administration
to fail and the wheels of government
to stop, he pretermits the expression
of his individual opinion and stands
by the leader of his party. On many
a battle field subaltern doubts the
wisdom of an order, but obedience to
his commander is his first and i'm
perative duty.
In the conflict of opinion, with re-
gard to silver, either the President
must yield, or individual Senators wave
their personal preference in Difference
to the wishes of the chieftain of their
party.
German, Gordon and Ransom have
not abandoned silver. They intend
to stand by it; and they believe they
Will have the cooperation of the Presi-
dent in the enactment of laws that
will preserve the parity of gold and
silver, and give to the country sound
and sufficient currency. But it is
better to abandon, for the present, the
free coinage of silver than to permit
the failure of the administration and
the consequent wreck of the Demo-
cratic party.
Nobody doubts the courage or the
ability of Senator Ransom, and it is
the part of wisdom to rely on his
segacity and patriotism in the present
emergency. If things are not as we
would have them, it is wise to make
the best use of them as they are
New Berne Journal