The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-08-24
THE SILVER QUESTION.
Ex- CONGRESSMAN BARNES DISCUSS
ES THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

An Able Reviow of the Financial Oue,-
tion- Not Only Highly Instructive. But
Entertaining as W.ll-Ths Cnuse %,
Hard Times and Low Prices.
AUGUSTA, GA, Aug. 17.-The fol,
lowing interview on the Presidents
message is clipped from the Chronicle
Of recent date. The Chronicle reporte,
called on Maj. Barnes and opened the
interview by saying, "You have OF
course. read the Presidents message,
Malor-what do you think of it?"
lie at once replied, mo candid and
intelligent man can rise from reading
1t without coming to the conclusion
That the President is in invor-under
eXlsting clrcumStances--Of establish
ing the gold standard in this country.
lie urges the unconditional repeal of
the purchasing clause OF the Sherman
AcC and lie recommends no substitute
SILVER legislation. The adoption of
IhlS policy means the cessation of all
silver coinage, and the coinage in flu.
ture OF no other metal but gold,
greatly regret the President is deter.
mlnod on this policy, but | confess
am not disappointed in the message
1t is what expected
Tie President on the money question
has never been in accord with the
large majority of his party. The sun
porterS OF the President will be com
posed OF the main body of the Repub
Leans. with manoritv of the Demo
Gratis, while the large body of the De.
m,ocrats with minority of the Repub
means, and the Populists will oppose
nm. MIR. Cleveland will be i'm the
singular position OF president elected
on d Democratic platform, sustain ned
by majority of Republicans, and on
posed by majority Of Democrats
Votes taken on the silver question in
the past show that the country is di,
vid"d geographically on the subject
Inc advocates of silver are generally v
lound III the agricultural sections of
the country. The advocates of pol,l
Ono-metalliSm are found in the large
cities, or in those states having larSe
cities, AMI which exert in the st.teq
wherein they are located a preponder-
atlng influence. | have before me An
analysis made some years ago Of two
votes taken in the Forty.ninth Con
gresS, which clearly illustrates what |
nave SAID. MIR. Cleveland, it will be
recoilected. in his first annual message
IN his first administration recommend
ca tne suspension OF silver coinage, di.
rected under the Bland Allison 4 ct
On vote taken in the House on the
question of suspension there were
elghty-four yeas and twenty nays. or
the Yeas there were thirty-twO Demo-
Gratis and ltty-tWO Republicans. and
the nays then were 12o Democrats ard
h Republicans. OF the eigh!y-four
yeas New England, New York. Penn.
sylvania and New Jersey furnished
seventy three; Of the remaining eleven
two were from Chicago, five from
Maryland, a small state in which the
large city of Baltimore is located: and
OF the other four, one was from tho
West and the other three was from the
south. On the same day vote was
taken on bill providing for free
coinage. The yeas were l2G-ninety-
seven Democrats, tWenty-eight Repu6-
licans. and one Independent. There
were lG3 nays, composed OF seventy
Democrats and nineLy-three Republi-
cans. OF the 1876 there was not "A Single
vote from New England, but one from
New York out of thirty-four votes.
none from New Jersey, but two from
pennsylvania, out of twenty. seven. and
not one from Maryland. The whole
l2G came from the South AMI West. 1t
Will thus be seen that Mr.. Cleveland
4ntagoniZed the majority of his party
IN the early history Of his previOns ad-
The metropolitan press are now
claiming That public sentiment de-
mands the Immediate unconditional
repeal of the sherman act, still | An.
prehend that this is but the reflex of
the opinions Of the large bond-holding
classes in the great cities of the North
and East, and the country contiguous
To them. 1T Is an easy matter In large
citleS, where population is dense
through organized boards OF trade, and
chambers OF commerce and other bod
les easily assembled to obtain express
sion of opinion. People act more slow
ly in the rural districts, but long be-
fore the final vote is taken on this
senator's and representatives
III Congress will hear from the people
in the agricultural sections, and the
weekly country press, and ! have no
doubt their voice will be heard now as
it was in the Forty-ninth Congress |
do not believe that Mr.. Cleveland is in
accord with his party now Oh this
question, and l do not think he can
succeed in carrying out his policy of
repeal.
Regardless Of this difference the
Democratic party united and elected
him In 1892 on other grounds. While
these votes disclose a wide difference
of opinion at the time in the Demo
cratic party they show almost as ser
lous division IN the ranks of the Re-
publican party. The truth is, that
whatever may be said III platforms,
opinion on the silver question has new
or yet been made in practice test of
party fealty, either with Democrats or
Republicans. | expect when the yot
ing time comes to see the South and |
west standing together against New |
England and the Middle States.
The Sherman law was, in the Ian.
guage of the Democratic platform, "A |
nake-shift and ought to be repealed, |
Jut the very resolution which demand |
IS repeal declares for the use of both |
,0ld and silver as the standard money |
'f the country, and the coinage of both |
gold and silver without discrimination |
against either metal. Both are in one
resolution, and the resolution should
20 carried Out-nOt in part, but i'm its
ntirplV